Southern California

Introduction

In Southern California : An Island on the Land , Carey McWilliams explores the Southern California from 1920 's to the 1940 's , giving insights to the richness of the physical landscape of the region but also the richness of the cultures and personalities molding it . The book is considered as one of the best books for its subject because of its recognition of cultural diversity , the historical significance of the Southern California to the United States and is recognition of the growing dynamism of industry , entertainment and business that serves as

the lifeblood of the region . IN many ways , the book gives an insight to the current image of the region today . It is a melting pot of cultures gilded with the celebrities and the new elite . Thus , the book has not only been able to create a picture of the city for what it is but has allowed readers to have a glimpse of the future for southern California that has generally been proven true today

Review

McWilliams reflects that the growth of the region was in part an effect of the migration from the more industrialized cities in the Northern United Sates after the 1919 market crash . He echoes this sentiment in another book , California : The Great Exception citing that the state of California became an attractive are to start over industries because of its proximity to trade as well as its potential for industries such agriculture and manufacturing (McWilliams Lapham , 1999 . McWilliams himself was part of this migration and personified the greatest pragmatism of many businessmen after the market crash . Concurrently , due to the growing tensions in Europe pre-World War II , Los Angeles also attracted notable personalities form the continent such as Thomas Mann Bertolt Brecht , Helen Hunt Jackson and Lion Feuchtwanger . If one city can reflect all these changes in southern California , it will be undoubtedly be Los Angeles . The key industries that kicked off the business revival were the growth of entertainment , aviation and medium scale enterprises around the Los Angeles area . In comparison to New York or Chicago as a financial and business center , the city presented a more sunlit backdrop for new businesses that may have in fact encouraged optimism (McWilliams Lapham , 1999 . The institutions of some of the best universities in the country in the area also created a young population and developed industries like sports and recreation . This has also encouraged the cultural landscape that characterizes the area even today (McWilliams , 1980 , pp . 165-180 . The area became home and host to many celebrities which developed there are into a distinctively tourist region while at the same time , it became the ideal destination for getaway mansions and beachfront properties . By the 1930 's the city hosted many of the headquarters of the leading aviation companies as well as became the icon of Hollywood . As a testament to its position as a leading city of the United States , Los Angeles hosted the1932 Summer Olympics at the Olympic Village in Baldwin Hills

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