Hitler in Los Angeles: How Jews Foiled Nazi Plots Against Hollywood and America

by Steven J. Ross

The chilling, little-known story of the rise of Nazism in Los Angeles, and the Jewish leaders and spies they recruited who stopped it.

No American city was more important to the Nazis than Los Angeles, home to Hollywood, the greatest propaganda machine in the world. The Nazis plotted to kill the city's Jews and to sabotage the nation's military installations: plans existed for hanging twenty prominent Hollywood figures such as Al Jolson, Charlie Chaplin, and Samuel Goldwyn; for driving through Boyle Heights and machine-gunning as many Jews as possible; and for blowing up defense installations and seizing munitions from National Guard armories along the Pacific Coast.

U.S. law enforcement agencies were not paying close attention--preferring to monitor Reds rather than Nazis--and only Leon Lewis and his daring ring of spies stood in the way. From 1933 until the end of World War II, attorney Leon Lewis, the man Nazis would come to call "the most dangerous Jew in Los Angeles," ran a spy operation comprised of military veterans and their wives who infiltrated every Nazi and fascist group in Los Angeles. Often rising to leadership positions, this daring ring of spies uncovered and foiled the Nazi's disturbing plans for death and destruction.

Featuring a large cast of Nazis, undercover agents, and colorful supporting players, Hitler in Los Angeles, by acclaimed historian Steven J. Ross, tells the story of Lewis's daring spy network in a time when hate groups had moved from the margins to the mainstream.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, World War II, American History, Politics, Jewish, Audiobook

432 pages, Hardcover

First published October 24, 2017

Reviews

[Shae · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sorry, I need to just sit and stare at a wall in unblinking horror for the next few hours. Holy crow. Mr. Ross does an incredible job of detailing just how close we came on multiple occasions to utter disaster only to be saved by the dogged persistence of an amateur spy ring run by a Jewish lawyer. Leon Lewis and his crew are heroes, full stop.

[Christopher Saunders · Rating 5 out of 5]

Steven J. Ross's Hitler in Los Angeles recounts the efforts of Nazi spies and homegrown fascists to establish a foothold in 1930s California - and the efforts of a small network of Jewish activists to foil them. Other books cover bits and pieces of this story but Ross expertly connects them: from the German-American Bund and the Silver Shirts to German diplomats, pro-Nazi millionaires, movie stars and other con men (Victor McLaglen's crazy brother!), by Ross's account they posed a more serious threat to democracy than most people realize. But Ross spends equal time chronicling the heroism of Leon Lewis, a well-connected Jewish attorney who worked to subvert these organizations, whether by public exposure or internal sabotage. What could easily veer towards sensationalism or overwrought speculation (like Charles Higham's American Swastika, which covers a lot of the same ground) becomes a vivid, chillingly convincing window into a forgotten moment in American history.

[Jon Boorstin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Before WWII, before Hitler was seen as our enemy, winning over Los Angeles was vital to his plans for gaining influence in America – it’s port, it’s airplane factories, and most of all Hollywood, megaphone to the world. Anti-semitism was a fact of life here, embraced by many, and the Nazis were trying to exploit it as a path to power, as they did so effectively in Germany. The FBI wasn’t interested, already obsessed with hunting Communists, and the LAPD had strong fascist sympathies. Who would stop them, or even slow them down? Well, a group of Jews, funded by Hollywood moguls. Steve Ross has dug deep and told the story well, concentrating on the Jewish leader who inflitrated Nazi organisations with Christian secret agents, and the German Consul his principal antagonist, a patriot who was appallingly effective at containing the movie industry, but detested his Nazis bosses. A remarkable story, with much resonance in the era of Trump.

[Samantha · Rating 2 out of 5]

Note: I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!

I wanted to like this, I really did. I'm a big history buff, and this particular era of American/world history has always fascinated me. This, however, really sort of let me down. The subject was fascinating, but the execution just didn't really do much for me. It read more like a long, tedious history book a lot of the time and I found myself getting easily distracted by other things. I'm not a quitter, I rarely ever DNF a book, but I came sadly very close with this one. It just dragged, bogged down a lot of jargon and too much to muddle through at times. I found myself sometimes skimming, just wanting to at least make it to the end.

History needs to be made engaging, and I was not engaged at all. It was quite a let down.

[Maggie Anton · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a LA native and current resident, I found Hitler in Los Angeles: How Jews Foiled Nazi Plots Against Hollywood and America fascinating. I knew that Glendale had been headquarters for American Nazi Party but all the rest was new. It was scary to see how much antisemitism there was, both locally and in the US, before WW2. Scary as well to see the parallels to today's rise of white nationalism. It was also sad to read how the Jewish-led movie industry put profits over alerting people to the danger of what was happening in Germany.

I only gave 4 stars because I found it difficult to keep track of all the spies and spied-upon. Yes, Steven J. Ross gives us a cast of characters in the back, but who wants to keep interrupting the story to look up who's who? Surely he could have made this easier for readers. Even so, this is an important story that needed to be told.

[Kitty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating and chilling. I had no idea that Nazi operatives were so active in America and LA in particular. Let's all be thankful for brave people like Leon Lewis and his spy ring. I listened to the audio book of this, which I wouldn't particularly recommend. The reader always had a sinister tone, which was sometimes appropriate, sometimes just odd.

[Bill Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

The common American view of World War II has been of a country united against fascism, working together on the battlefield and the homefront to make American Democracy a beacon for the postwar world. Alas, like most convenient myths, this one isn't quite true. Prior to Pearl Harbor there were millions of Americans, including prominent statesmen and celebrities, who would have been just as happy either to stay out of the "European war" or to go in on the side of the Axis, history dropped down the memory hole once the bombs fell on Hawaii.

This book reveals just how deeply the Nazi fingers were gripping the west coast of America in the 1930s, though its focus is less on the villains than on the work of Leon Lewis to infiltrate and expose the homegrown and imported fascists in California. Lewis left copious files of the information reported by his volunteer agents that provide the bulk of the authors' sources, which makes the story somewhat limited in its viewpoints. As noxious as groups like the Silver Shirts and the KKK were, their numbers were relatively small compared to the legions of people whose race hatred was casual and reflexive. Still, it's a great story of people fighting a good fight, in spite of resistance and obstruction by HUAC, America Firsters, and Hoover's FBI, all of whom were more interested in fighting Communists than Nazis.

There's a lot of good, barely documented history in this book. I especially liked the story of the relationship between Hollywood and the German minister in LA, who became almost an official part of the movie industry's unfortunate self-censorship regarding criticism of German atrocities. Mostly it's the story of heroic Americans who were not afraid to confront the monsters, even when their political and cultural leaders were more interested in chasing dollar bills or Bolsheviks. It gives me hope that there are similar volunteers today, spying on and reporting the activities of our present day fascists and violent racists, modern Leon Lewises whose works will be revealed and honored in time.

Recommended.

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting bit of history that I didn't know much about. It seems like these sorts of radical counter-culture groups are an ever-present background noise - generally with more bark than bite (though not with no bite) - but in this case they seem to have at least had some degree of backing from the Nazi government, which makes their "let's dress up and play army" games take on a lot more of a sinister tone.

I am somewhat cynical about the extent to which many counterfactual overthrow and terrorist plots could have been successful, so in this book, I was torn between awe at how important Lewis's work is, and my natural inclination to assume that these guys were probably not competent enough to pull it off in the first place. Unlike modern day "terrorist stings", though, Lewis does not seem to have been trying to entrap random people - he was going into active Nazi cells and pulling out important information. I have no doubt that the stories have grown a little grander since they happened, but I suspect that the reality of the situation was a fair amount closer to the awe-inspiring scenario than my cynicism would have me believe.

I'd say it's worth a read, if only because it's not something I've come across before.

3.5 of 5 stars

[Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Deep-diving into the history of law enforcement in Los Angeles led me to this book and I'm so happy it did.

So many of my questions were answered in regards to the attitudes of Americans towards Germany and pivotal events the led up to WWII. Even with the understanding that most Americans gave zero fucks about (or cheered on...) the atrocities occurring in Europe, I was slightly taken aback by the sheer amount of pro-Nazi support in high-ranking public positions in Los Angeles. Mayors, sheriffs, police chiefs, judges, teachers and lawyers... These are men and women who went on to shape important public policies in the city and county for decades after WWII.

Audiobook was not the greatest format for me due to the number of key players, but this well-researched piece of work serves as a reminder of a harsh reality: Los Angeles does not have a progressive track history.

Side note: Probably not going to trust anyone who calls Crescenta Valley Community Regional Park "Hindenburg Park". You're probably a Nazi, I don't make the rules.

[Kathleen Grover · Rating 5 out of 5]

In a weird sort of way, reading this book makes me feel better about the horrific mess this country is in at the moment, with a slow rolling seditious movement underway to destroy our representative democracy. This book is an extremely well researched but gripping explanation of how two Jewish residents of Los Angeles began tracking and then infiltrating pro-Nazi groups that were wildly popular in southern California in the years leading up to WWII. I had no idea that the Nazis and other anti-Semitic groups were so active and so accepted in the California, and throughout the US, in the 1930s and 1940s. They were well organized, well financed, and worst of all, accepted and even admired by many people in the military, police force, and the FBI. Their goal was to keep the US neutral and out of WWII until Hitler could turn his attention to the United States.
Worth reading, both for the actual events described, but also because it shows just how embedded in American society is the hatred and division advocated by the GOP and its cult leader.

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such an eye-opening read. We hear so much about America's isolationist policies and very little about the Nazi infiltration of major cities and organizations. The idea that Los Angeles and Southern California - not only the film capital of the world but also home to major military bases and manufacturing - came so close to ruin on so many occasions is absolutely wild. How this isn't taught in schools or made into a Hollywood blockbuster film is beyond me. (And if it is a Hollywood blockbuster, please tell me what it is so I can go watch it immediately.)

I think the only downside I had on this book is just the sheer number of names to remember. But, on the flip side, it was nice to read about so many people coming together to thwart the bad guys. I'm all about people rallying to get rid of Nazis.

Great read! Definitely understand how this was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize.

[Vincent Masson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fascinating story that is unfortunately bogged down by an extremely dry prose and an unceasing, impossible-to-follow cast of characters that needed more depth and development. Would have been better as a 20 minute New York Times article or something.

[Joshua Cheifetz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting story that I did not know. Glad that I read. However, extremely detailed and reads more like a history textbook than a novel.

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I love history especially about World War II and the Nazi regime....shocking how close to home this stuff was....but a great read...just a lot of names to keep track of.

[Natalie L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing story. Leon Lewis, the man who planned and implemented the dismantling of the Nazi ring here in the USA, is a true unsung hero.

[Redpoet · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an amazing book and an even more amazing story. I learned about much that for some unknown reason I never knew.

[Richard Moss · Rating 4 out of 5]

An important account of how a Jewish lawyer and his small band of intrepid operatives exposed and disrupted Californian Nazi groups in the 1930s and 1940s.

Ross successfully shows that although the leadership of these far right and antisemitic groups was thankfully not of great quality, they were dangerous enough to mount what might have become effective plots to murder prominent Jewish figures in Hollywood and sabotage the defence industry. Without the efforts of Lewis and his agents, they may well have succeeded.

There is also convincing evidence that Hitler's Germany was funding and assisting the groups to not only target the Jewish community but to undermine the US government, keep the country out of the war, and eventually foment a pro-Nazi takeover.

What is remarkable is that the official intelligence agencies showed little interest in the pro-Nazi groups, being more focused on Communist activity. Early attempts by Lewis to interest the FBI and politicians in his work gained limited traction. It was only when the US finally joined the fight against Germany that the agencies turned to him for the evidence to convict and imprison Nazi sympathisers.

There is considerable bravery on show here both from Lewis, the public face of this fight, but also the undercover spies who risked their lives by infiltrating the hate groups that began to become more mainstream as the 1930s progressed.

Ross also exposes just how widespread antisemitism was in 1930s America, and how it became a fertile ground for Nazis to exploit, and not just among those with German ancestry.

This is a fine tribute to a courageous and resourceful group of people, and a chilling hint of what could have been an alternative path for the US. It could also serve as a warning for today.

Ross is perhaps not the greatest prose stylist, and occasionally the cast and timeline becomes a little convoluted, but he supplies enough narrative drive to accompany his meticulous and groundbreaking research, ensuring he does justice to this important and sobering story.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not the best writing in the world but the story is fascinating.

[Ray · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I came across Steven Ross' book, "Hitler in Los Angeles". I was pretty sure Hitler never visited Los Angeles, so was curious about the title and subject. While Hitler may not have visited L.S., Ross writes about Hitler's many supporters in America in the late 1930's and early 1940's. Anti-Semitic attitudes weren't rare in the United States during this period, but those attitudes seemed to be increasing among many German-Americans and pro-Nazi groups during the period of Hitler's leadership. Anti-communist feelings were also strong at the time, and it didn't help that many people believed that many Jews were also communists or communist sympathizers. People were also looking for new leadership and political change at this time coming out of the Great Depression, so groups working behind the scenes toward the overthrow of Democracy weren't necessarily considered fringe groups.

With this as background, Ross looks in some detail at Hitler followers who were plotting against Jews and Communists in California and elsewhere. The German-American Bund was one paramilitary group with tens of thousands of members supportive of Nazi practices. Another group was the Silvershirts, founded by a sometime Hollywood screenwriter, William Pelly. Sounding eerily similar to some political sentiments of today, Pelly pushed an "America First" movement. Television wasn't available at the time, so Pelly didn't complain about the Media, but he did become critical of Hollywood movies. He also labeled movie moguls as rapists and perverts, and blamed them for hiring hiring Jewish actors and writers, complaining that they took good jobs from Gentiles. His Silvershirts, partially funded by German agents, armed themselves, were dedicated to Christian beliefs, keeping America White and Christian, and to political change. Pelly looked at himself as being the "American Fuhrer".

With Hitler oppressing Jews in Europe, there was concern that pro-Nazi groups active in the United States would do the same. Jewish leaders ​especially became fearful that some of Hitler's pre-war pogroms against Jews in Germany could lead to violence against Jews in the U.S. Given how ineffective resistance to Nazi persecutions of Jews in Europe appeared to have been, some in the American Jewish community felt the need to stand up to and resist anti-Semitic groups.

And that is the main focus of Ross' book. The leader of this Jewish resistance in the U.S. in the late 1930's was Leon Lewis, a Jewish lawyer in Los Angeles. Ross discusses Lewis and the activities of his tiny group, and what steps they took to prevent ​American ​anti-Semitic groups​ ​from adopting and fostering Nazi attitudes in the U.S. Lewis organized an informal spy network to infiltrate American Nazi groups, mostly in California. Lewis and his small group was surprisingly effective in identifying anti-American groups and individuals, and disrupting their activities. If not for Lewis and his group, political extremism and Nazi attitudes in California and the U.S. could have been much worse.

[Rob Kitchin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Prior the Second World War the Nazis targeted Los Angeles and Hollywood due to its strong military-industrial complex (especially Navy and aircraft production) and the propaganda power of the movies produced. As well as the German consul vetting movie production across studios with the threat of banning all films from the lucrative German market, they also set up spy networks, encouraged those of German descent to oppose America entering any future European war, and helped organize and fund pro-Nazi and fascist organizations. Despite the threat posed by a foreign power operating in their territory and fomenting racial hatred, and German re-armament and the treatment of Jews in Germany, US policing and military intelligence paid little attention. Many members of the police had fascist leanings and were anti-Semitic, the FBI were chronically under-staffed, military intelligence outwards facing, and all three were more concerned with communism. Instead it was left to the Jewish community and their allies to monitor and tackle the growth of openly pro-Nazi/pro-German and fascist groups.

Steven Ross details the work of Leon Lewis and Joseph Roos, a lawyer and a journalist, who set up their own spy organization and network in Los Angeles, funded by the heads of the Jewish owned movie studios. Lewis and Roos recruited a number of spies – thirteen of which feature in the book – who agreed to join various fascist organizations, work their way up through the ranks, pass on everything they heard and work to spread discord and internal fights between rival factors. It was dangerous work, with the threat of death for any spy discovered, and at least three died in suspicious circumstances. Lewis and Roos passed on what they learned to the police and intelligence services, seeking to prosecute those preaching hate crimes and planning to commit domestic intelligence.

Ross provides a fascinating and detailed account of the work of this spy network in penetrating organizations promoting fascism, some of which were also aiding German ambitions, and the extent of anti-Semitism and isolationist views in pre-war America. He does a good job of marshalling all the material and providing a coherent narrative given the number of actors and organizations. While providing plenty of detail, he doesn’t let it swamp the story and keeps the account moving along.

I only had two minor gripes. First, the title is a little misleading – Hitler is used as a surrogate for Nazism (he doesn't feature per se) and the focus is both Nazi and fascist groups in Los Angeles, the latter of which might not be pro-Nazi or pro-Germany, but certainly is American first, isolationist, and anti-Semitic and racist. Second, Hollywood and its moguls fall out of the story as it progresses and is certainly never revisited as to its reaction to the various cases and on-going anti-Semitism throughout the war, or how it dealt with fascism post-war.

Overall, an absorbing and engaging account that underscores how deep-seated white, Christian, nationalist fascism is in the United States (and how they are aided/funded by other countries – swap Russia for Germany for the present).

[Michael Burnam-Fink · Rating 4 out of 5]

From a 21st century vantage point, the moral struggles of the Second World War and the fight against Hitler seem obvious. He was a genocidal madman, all good people joined in opposing him. For those living at the time, it was far from simple. In 1933, Hitler was an authoritarian and eccentric European ruler. Anti-Semitism was mainstream. German-Americans were the single largest European ethnic group. A shifting alliance of native-born American fascist groups like the Silver Shirts, German-American organizations, and outright Nazis spies plotted campaigns of propaganda, terror, murder, and revolutionary violence, to culminate in an American Final Solution. Los Angeles, home to the major movie studios and vital defense installations, was a key target. The police were bought off or complicit, ex-Klansmen who saw the Nazis as allies. The only defense was Leon L. Lewis, a Jewish lawyer and Anti-Defamation League leader who became an amateur spymaster, running teams of agents to monitor and subvert the American Nazis from within.

On one level, the Nazis were really not good at security. Lewis, and his aide Joe Roos, managed to get agents into the inner circles of the Bund and the Silver Shirts again and again. They successfully instigated leadership fights between various figures in the covert organization and German diplomatic corps, and kept tabs on a host of subversive behavior. On the other hand, there were hundreds to thousands of activatable Nazi agents placed all through key industries, as well as corps of hardened SA style street fighters. The Nazis made several plays to get arms for murder and revolution. Whatever their scanty ability to actually carry out their plans, they certainly wanted to kill Jews.

Most bleakly, despite Lewis and Roos' hard work, law enforcement was hardly interested in Nazis up until Pearl Harbor. The police were actively on the side of the Nazis, and the FBI and House-Un-American Activities Committee was more concerned with Communists than Nazis. American Jews had few friends in power, though those friends (include then Colonel George Marshall) did their best. When war was declared, the FBI and military security apparatus used Roos' files to make wholesale arrests, on almost no information.

There's a way in which history repeats. The movie studio bosses were the tech tycoons of their day, the highest paid individuals in America. Many of them were Jewish, and they funded Lewis's efforts. Yet despite their own self-interest, the 'below-the-line' technical work of movie-making was rife with anti-Semiticism, and the Nazi diplomatic corps had a final cut to maintain 'neutrality' in movies. The business of Hollywood was business, not principles. Just like how today's Big Tech hides between 'free speech' while letting neo-Nazi propaganda run wild on their platforms. I'm still unsure how much of a threat Hollywood Nazis really were, but it's indisputable that a few brave men and women ably confounded them.

[Marcella Wigg · Rating 4 out of 5]

American sympathies towards Nazism in the years preceding Pearl Harbor are chronically under-covered in high school history classes, so while I was familiar with the fact that far more Americans had antisemitic attitudes and sympathized with the then-rising German regime in the 1930s, the sheer number of prominent Nazi sympathizers in the Los Angeles area alone is pretty interesting to read about. And despite the Nazi-sympathetic isolationists' claims that Jews were cowardly and unwilling to stand up in the face of intimidation, in a decade when law enforcement was content to look the other way at fascist tendencies due to the perceived greater threat of communism, American Jews, most prominently Leon Lewis of the Anti-Defamation League, coordinated anti-fascist German-Americans' infiltration of the Silver Shirts and other elements of the fascist underground in Los Angeles. At personal risk, members of his extralegal spy ring tracked the various fronts of the Nazi threat in the U.S. in the 1930s, from private plans to commit genocide against "the Jewish bankers" to the sabotage on the production line of military equipment that might eventually serve the war effort against the Germans.

It's also interesting to read about Nazi plans for victory. Since I've never lived in a pre-World War II world, it can be hard to remember sometimes that there was no inevitability to the victors of the war except in hindsight; in the lead-up to the war, many Americans sympathized with Hitler. Meanwhile, Hitler and Goebbels were both not oblivious to the influence of Hollywood film, which made L.A. a particularly strategic target for a place to gather influence. Ross' portrait of Gyssling was also interesting, a reminder of the varieties of opinion of the Third Reich even among its diplomats.

One of the things that stood out to me most throughout this book was law enforcement's complicity in continuing to allow virulently and openly anti-Jewish, pro-Nazi hate groups to continue to flourish in Los Angeles because they opposed the "larger foe" of the Soviet Union. Eventually, these attitudes became less permissible to law enforcement, but it's a valuable insight into institutional attitudes in the era and how the institution is not always right, as judged by history.

[Evelyn Switzer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a well researched and powerful book.

[Ken McDouall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Increasingly visible and outspoken, extremist right-wing groups organize openly for white supremacy. Fascism seems to have growing support. KKK supporters and Nazi sympathizers permeate police departments. Extremist views are heard even within mainstream organizations like the California Women's Republican Club, where some call for their enemies to be "hung from lampposts." Plans are made for armed rebellion, the overthrow of the government, and kidnaping and execution of prominent figures. Is this a description of recent times? Probably, but this was the situation in 1930s America, when anti-Semitism was perfectly respectable and fascist organizations openly proclaimed that democracy's time was up.

Ross takes us on a detailed exploration of fascist plots for sabotage and sedition in southern California during this time, and the insanely courageous efforts of a group of spies that thwarted many of these plans. Disruption of the fascist threat didn't come from the FBI--they were too busy chasing communists--but from Leon Lewis, a Jewish lawyer who took it upon himself to organize the resistance to an intended Nazi takeover of the government. Local police departments were no help--they were too infested with white supremacists and KKK supporters. But Lewis's volunteer spies penetrated to the highest levels of groups like the Silver Shirts, split them into bickering factions, fed them false information, and eventually--when the U.S. entered World War II and authorities finally started paying attention to fascist subversion--supplied the names of those who were a threat. The parallels to present times are astounding and pop up on nearly every page. Though at times bogging down in details, Ross generally keeps the story moving ahead with solid writing and startling anecdotes. Credit is due for shedding light on this largely forgotten history.

[Lindsay Luke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rachel Maddow recommended this on her new podcast, Ultra. I found it on Audible Plus. Historian Stephen J. Ross writes about a spy ring in WWII era Los Angles, led by American Jewish lawyer Leon Lewis. Lewis organized the ring and had his spies infiltrate Nazi organizations in the US, both reporting on their activities and actively subverting them. This went on for years, until Pearl Harbor forced the FBI to take Lewis seriously and act on his information.
It is fascinating to hear of the various Nazi plots and the courageous American Jews who did their best to stop them. It's both noteworthy and disturbing how many of the anti-Semitic tropes have re-surfaced in recent years. Having read and watched The Plot Against America, I felt like this book shows why that work is fiction and not our real history.
This is a history, not a novel, and despite the interesting revelations it was a bit dry. The narration was fine but did nothing to liven it up (thus my 3 star rather than a 4 star rating). I hope someone makes a mini-series or film or writes a spy novel that can do the material justice and bring it to people unlikely to make it through a history book.
The author repeatedly mentions that his research has revealed that American Jews were not passive but were actively thwarting Hitler, and that there are ways to fight without literally picking up arms. Personally, I never thought American Jews were passive, but I guess many people do. Hopefully people will become familiar with this story and this era so we don't have to re-live it in the present.

[Marc Ballon · Rating 5 out of 5]

In "Hitler in Los Angeles," USC Historian Steven J. Ross does a wonderful and comprehensive job detailing Hilter's nefarious attempts to foment Nazism in Los Angeles and just how close the Third Reich came. This well-researched book reads like a thriller with incredible moments of suspense and intrigue. Ross's works focuses on Leon Lewis, an attorney, and several other Jewish-American patriot who did more to thwart Nazism and the spread of fascism in the United States in the prewar years than the FBI or local police - who themselves were far too often anti-Semites.

Ross also introduces readers to Jewish Hollywood studio moguls, who avoided making anti-German/Nazi films, even when based on historical fact, after being badgered, hectored and threatened by prewar Germany's chief consul in Los Angeles. To see just how far the Third Reich's tentacles reached into the United States before American entered the world is nothing less than shocking.

"Hitler in Los Angeles" uncovers an important but little known chapter in American history when a group of mostly Jewish unsung heroes risked their lives to protect the country that they so loved, even if it didn't always love them back.

[Danny · Rating 5 out of 5]

I heard about this via Rachel Maddow's "Ultra" podcast. I found it fascinating how widespread the bigotry, neo-Nazi and KKK activity that we associate with the deep south was in the US and particularly in California. Not only that, but the complicity of many of the local law enforcement (many of whom were KKK members) and the lack of caring of the Federal authorities (in particular J. Edgar Hoover's FBI) were pretty stunning.

Of course, the other stunning bit is how familiar the code words used by Nazis, American fascists such as the Silver Shirts, Klan members, and their sympathizers echo in today's rhetoric. The constant attacks on Hollywood as being un-American by agents of Hitler's government echo in today's incessant demonization of Hollywood, California, and New York in the right wing media bubble. In the 1930s and 1940s "America First" meant antisemitism and "leave Europe to Hitler". While many low information folks back then heard the tropes and didn't see the subplots, they are obvious in retrospect. If anything, this exposes the subplots of today's right wing rage at Hollywood, California, and New York, showing the subplot of antisemitism and sympathy for authoritarians here and across the world.

[Benjamin Stahl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Published in 2017, I have little doubt what kind of audience this book was targeting, but that does not remove from the fact that (actual) Nazism was a great threat during the forth and fifth decade of the last century. I had no idea how rampant this poisonous ideology had become in America prior to the outbreak of war. Much like B.A. Santamaria's memoir, where he dealt with Communists infiltrating the Australian Labour Party during the Cold War, this book offers much surprising evidence that the political issues leading into Word War II were very complicated and far from black and white. This exploration of American anti-Semitism, pro-German sentiment, bigotry (not just against Jews, but African-American and even Roman Catholics) and the great propaganda machine that is Hollywood makes for some interesting and sometimes shocking reading.

For all that, though, I didn't find this quite as spellbinding as I had hoped.

[Jonathan · Rating 2 out of 5]

There is a very good book hidden in here somewhere but, as it is written, reading it was a real chore. The sensationalist title made me a little suspicious of the author's motivation and that he might be overselling the premise a bit, but on the otherhand but at least he wasn't holding back. So you would think the book would be more entertaining. The story goes like this: something happened, then something else happened, then this happened and that happened and then something else happened.....it was excrutiating and formless. Way too much trivial detail and jumped around all over the place with it's big cast of characters. Obviously the author had done a lot of good research but it was so jumbled in the presentation it was hard to make much sense of it. I'd be fascinated to see what a better story teller could have done with the material and reaffirms my constant refrain: academics generally write terrible books.

[Lois Matelan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The material in this book was fascinating and important to learn. I did not know how much nazism there was in the U.S. in the 1930s, nor how the anti-communists and anti-fascists competed for resources and public attention. The book is meticulously researched and footnoted, and covers a frightening time in the United States, with emphasis on southern California as a hotbed of nazi sympathizers, checked by a group of dogged and clever people fighting anti-semitism. Mr. Ross is thorough, but not someone I would consider gifted as a writer. I must admit to being disappointed that he limited himself to covering the events themselves, and did not address the larger context of what, if any, limits on speech and or action in either peace or wartime might be necessary or acceptable in a free society.