Smogtown

The smog didn’t come from the outside—it came from within.

On July 26, 1943, a mysterious haze blanketed downtown Los Angeles. Office workers rubbed their eyes, traffic cops vanished into the fog, and rumors swirled of enemy sabotage. But the truth was far more insidious: the smog was a byproduct of Southern California’s own booming, car-obsessed, suburban lifestyle.

In this gripping history, journalists Chip Jacobs and William J. Kelly trace the rise of Los Angeles’s air pollution crisis—from its murky beginnings to its explosive political and environmental consequences. Smogtown is a tale of civic ambition, corporate denial, scientific manipulation, and the everyday people caught in the toxic cloud.

Brimming with compelling anecdotes, historic photos, and sharp cultural insight, Smogtown is both a cautionary tale and a journalistic classic—essential reading for anyone interested in the intersection of environment, politics, and urban life.

Inside you’ll find:

• A vivid chronicle of L.A.’s smog battles from the 1940s through the 21st century
• Profiles of the bold reformers, bureaucrats, and polluters who shaped the fight
• Shocking health consequences and environmental costs
• Revelations about how L.A.’s smog story mirrors global environmental struggles