{ "item_title" : "Reminiscences of a Ranger", "item_author" : [" Horace Bell "], "item_description" : "Gun smoke, improvised justice and uneasy truces: early Los Angeles was less a city than a battleground. In Reminiscences of a Ranger, Horace Bell recounts in first person how Southern California lurched from remote frontier to contested American possession. As a volunteer ranger on the old Los Angeles frontier, he moves through saloons, courtrooms and dusty outposts where life is cheap and tempers quick. Danger was a daily fact. Bell's western frontier memoir book blends wild west memoirs with classic California history, observing politicians, bandits and settlers with sardonic wit and a veteran's eye. More than personal adventure, Reminiscences of a Ranger stands as a cornerstone of early Southern California history. Set against gold rush era California and the aftermath of the Mexican-American War, Bell's recollections trace pioneer days in California, the rise of frontier law and order, and the rough-and-ready California Rangers history that tried to hold violence in check. His candid portraits of shifting alliances and local power-brokers create a vivid primary source for western history buffs and an engaging read for California history students. Republished by Alpha Editions in a careful modern edition, this volume preserves the spirit of the original while making it effortless to enjoy today - a heritage title prepared for readers and collectors alike. For lovers of history and anyone fascinated by how law, violence and ambition shaped a region, Bell's chronicle remains an essential American west history book and a compelling window into the making of modern Los Angeles.", "item_img_path" : "https://covers2.booksamillion.com/covers/bam/9/35/360/544/935360544X_b.jpg", "price_data" : { "retail_price" : "32.57", "online_price" : "32.57", "our_price" : "32.57", "club_price" : "32.57", "savings_pct" : "0", "savings_amt" : "0.00", "club_savings_pct" : "0", "club_savings_amt" : "0.00", "discount_pct" : "10", "store_price" : "" } }

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