1853 Los Angeles Gangs [.exe] [Paperback]

Steven W. Knight (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 2002

Historical Fiction: Novelized history of lawless L.A. gangs of 1853 and the Rangers who battled them. L.A. beckoned Horace Bell with love and police work and he could study for the Bar. Violence brought his rapid retribution. For Paulette Bovierre, with a lost love in France, Horace Bell had a promising future. She was pure strength in adversity. L.A. offered Don Tomas Sanchez political power as he fought to keep the status quo. The Americans had already grabbed too many Mexican ranches. For Dona Jacinto Talamantes, her love at first sight starts a triangle between Horace and Paulette. Love lived forever. In Roy Bean's heart, L.A. was a place to have fun "whorin'" and to be a ranger. Yes, sin permeated everywhere. Humor existed for their survival. Juan Flores' must first kill the Chinese, then all the Americans. His gang would revolt against the new order. Now all must face the largest struggle ever seen in Los Angeles. Character counted when one ranger challenged 100 miscreants.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Having conducted extensive research on the characters, your story that brought them to life was a true pleasure to read." -- Marv Dixon - Chief, Los Angeles Sheriff's Department

"Imagine living in a city where in one year one-quarter of the population is murdered!" -- Steve Williard - Sr. Homocide Det., San Diego Police Dept.

"It details memorable pieces of history, I truly enjoyed reading it." -- Leroy Baca - Sheriff of Los Angeles County

"The colorful characters enable the reader to juxtapose the public safety confronting law enforcement with modern and early communities." -- Michael S. Carona - Sheriff of Orange County

"This is a 'must read' for those interested in Los Angeles history and a darn good novel!" -- Keith D. Bushey - Chief, San Bernardino Sheriff's Department

1853-is told with humor and enthusiasm. Little-known but authentic L.A. history in novel format. You've captured the heart of early Los Angeles pueblo! -- Max Hurlbut - LAPD, Whittier Alaska PD, Tombstone Marshal - retired --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

From the Publisher

The author goes into a time not covered by book or film. 1853-was eight years prior the the American Civil War (1861 to 1865) which afterward started the Western Era. The book and movie "Zorro" was a light-hearted period piece around 1835 when the Mexican Government was present. Remember Los Angeles was more violent than anywhere in America. They averaged a murder a day just downtown with just a 1,600 population. The author captures the very colorful pueblo and gives you a REAL ride back in time. If you are interested in hidden Los Angeles History you will never forget this book. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Hard Shell Word Factory (July 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 075990345X
• ISBN-13: 978-0759903456
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,067,621 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A good story, poorly told., September 12, 2003

By 

KittenWithaWhip (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: 1853 Los Angeles Gangs (Paperback)

First of all, I really have to give kudos to the writer who spent a great deal of time researching the obscure subjects and happenings of this book, then putting it together in a linear and relatively interesting tale. Nevertheless, the style of writing is so lacking that it was difficult to finish. A lot of the problems are things that could have been caught easily by a good editor: redundancy abounds, a French character starts every sentence with "oui" to remind us that she's French, and the bad guy makes repeated mental notes to kill everyone he meets. All of the characters have the same mellow personality and never get really annoyed by any of their circumstances. In addition to the homogenous characters, the author has a way of describing events in a staccato style that removes all suspense or emotion. "Flores twitched his neck. He knew he was in trouble. He quickly pulled his revolver. An indian jumped from a tree. He quickly fired. The indian fell dead. Thank God his weapon was out." Whew! What a nail biter! Or witness this steamy love scene: "He kissed her. She kissed him. They kissed one another." Wow. I don't know how they managed to get THAT past the censors, although I did enjoy his description of the woman in question as "a young, raving beauty". Nothing like an inadvertent portrayal of flailing delirium to brighten up a love scene.

Again I state that the underlying story is a good one. The characterizations, though not vivid, are enough to tell all the players apart and the book can be an entertaining read if you don't mind the sort of flaws mentioned above. I don't HATE this book, but the sad fact is that it was only as adequate and professional as its computer-illustrated cover. This may be the only case in history where yes, you really CAN judge a book by its cover.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Drama, action, bloodshed, love and great courage, January 4, 2003

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: 1853 Los Angeles Gangs (Paperback)

1853 Los Angeles Gangs by Steven W. Knight is an impressively written, historical novel of the lawless gangs of Los Angeles, and the determined Rangers who stood against them. The superbly drawn story of a turbulent "yesteryear" city is populated with such memorable characters as Juan Flores who intends for his gant to dominant a rapidly expanding and ethnically diverse city by first killing off the Chinese, and then the Americans; Don Thomas Sanchez struggling to preserve political power in the face of American landgrabs; and Horace Bell with his implacable dedication to the law. Drama, action, bloodshed, love and great courage fill the pages of this exciting and entertaining saga from cover to cover.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 10 separate thumbnail reviews by the EXPERTS:, January 29, 2005

By 

Steven W. Knight "SWKnight" (Carlsbad, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: 1853 Los Angeles Gangs (Paperback)

Marv Dixon - Chief, L.A. Sheriff's Dept., Historian and Author, "Having conducted extensive research on the book characters, it was a true pleasure to read your story that brought them to life. The love stories were fully developed in your excellent book. As an author knowing how difficult it is to bring research and experience together into an interesting story, I can only congratulate you for a job very well done."

Keith D. Bushey - Chief, San Bernardino Sheriff's Dept., Commander LAPD (ret), Historian and Author, "I found it to be just as informative as it was enjoyable. As a L.A.P.H.S. board member I can attest to the spirit, tone, and characterizations in your outstanding book. This is a `must read' for those interested in Los Angeles history and a darn good novel!"

Steve Willard - Senior Agent, San Diego Police Dept., Author and Historian, "Imagine living in a city where in one year more than a quarter of the population is murdered. If you like western novels, true crime, or California history this is an excellent book for you."

Leroy D. Baca - Sheriff of Los Angeles County, "It details memorable pieces of history, I truly enjoyed reading it. You and your family obviously live colorful lives"

Michael S. Carona - Sheriff of Orange County, "The colorful characters enable the reader to juxtapose the public safety and social concerns confronting modern law enforcement and those presented to the early communities."

Jack J. Anderson - Sergeant, Orange County Sheriff's Dept., Historian, "Like an artist's brush on canvas you have skillfully penned a wonderfully intriguing story depicting the rough brutality of criminals in those early California years. It is amazing how only 100 Rangers overcame the odds by using brute force, skillful marksmanship, sharp wits, and the law to succeed against so many outlaws in such a vast area."

Raymond Sherrard - I.R.S. Investigator (retired), Author and Technical Advisor to Movies, "You are very fortunate for you write so the reader can visualize the action taking place on the page as if were on a movie screen. I am impressed with the depth of your research and with the thought and effort you put into it."

Max Hurlbut - Marshal of Tombstone, Lt. LAPD, Chief of Police Whittier and Kodiak, Alaska, Army Special Forces Colonel ( retired), "Well-written, fast moving, and with humor. You've captured the heart of the old Pueblo. Little-known but authentic L.A. history in novel format. Los Angeles was more violent than Tombstone, Arizona."

Jim Hawks - Carlsbad Chief of Police, "I am finding it to be informative as well as an enjoyable, exciting read."

Editor - Hard Shell Word Factory Book Publishers, "This book was high on realistic details and descriptions. The action and dialogue fit the time period like a glove. It is obviously well-researched. When the protagonist wasn't pursuing women, he was pursuing the bad guys, and doing a damn fine job of it."