Books like West of Eden by Jean Stein
West of Eden is a sweeping oral history of Los Angeles, crafted by the author of Edie. Stein explores the city’s transformation from a frontier land to a global entertainment hub by following five legendary figures and their families. From the oil empire of Edward Doheny, whose corruption touched presidential politics, to the Warner brothers who founded a film studio that would become iconic, the book examines how ambition and peril shaped the American dream. It also tells the stories of Jane Garland, the daughter of an aspiring actress; Jennifer Jones, a young Oscar‑winning actress whose fame left her tormented; and Jules Stein, Stein’s own father, who founded a pioneering talent agency. Through intimate interviews and archival research, the volume paints a portrait of outsiders who chased hope in Los Angeles, revealing the city’s allure and its darker shadows.
First publish date: 2016
Genre: History/Modern History
Authors: Jean Stein
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