Los Angeles is made up of people from all over the globe and we Angelenos take pride in that. But while we picture our city as progressive compared to others around the country, we sometimes forget just how conservative the city has been historically. 

The city as we know it today was built by conservatives, while others suffered because of their decisions. William Mulholland’s aqueduct brought water to the city and enabled massive growth but it decimated the Owens Valley and its people. Neighborhoods were legally promoted as “white spots” where black and brown people were simply not allowed to live. And the Los Angeles Times became powerful enough to shape the city in its conservative and often racist image. 

And with the events of 2025, Hitler in Los Angeles felt like the book to pick up. This may be the closest the nation has been to embracing fascism but it isn’t the first time. 

What’s It About?

Hitler in Los Angeles presents the story of Leon Lewis, a Jewish attorney who set out to spy on and expose Nazi organizations around the city. In telling this story, we find that Los Angeles is the best example of how the nation’s reluctance to enter World War II was more complicated than it’s presented in school. 

Schools teach that the United States refused to enter the war before the attack on Pearl Harbor because the country’s leaders didn’t want to sacrifice American lives for something that didn’t involve them directly. What schools failed to mention was that some Americans at the time shared many of the antisemitic sentiments expressed by Germany and the Third Reich. 

What if the nation wanted to see if there was anything to learn from Nazism? What if they could use some of their methods to rid themselves of undesirables, be they Jewish, black, brown, Asian, or whomever they chose as a future scapegoat? 

Why Did I Read It? 

The book had been on my list for years. World War II has always been intriguing because it’s not taught in its full scope but rather with a major United States slant. The U.S.A. are the main reason Nazism, assisted only by the frigid weather of Russia that stunned German soldiers. The contributions of the other allied nations were seldom mentioned. 

And as we get farther away from the events of that war, it’s getting easier to erase certain parts. It’s also making it easy for some people to move toward repeating those events. It’s more important than ever to pick up books that force us to look at the present by showing us events of the past. 

Is Hitler in Los Angeles For You? 

This seems like a strange statement to make but if you agree that Nazism represents some of the worst of humanity and that it should be stomped out, then this book is probably for you. We could do well to remember that Captain America was made to punch Nazis, not defend them. 

If you’d like to read the book for yourself, you can tap the button below and grab your copy: