SKU: 88949015306

The Mirage Factory: Illusion, Imagination, and the Invention of Los Angeles

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The Mirage Factory: Illusion, Imagination, and the Invention of Los AngelesFrom bestselling author Gary Krist, the story of the metropolis that never should have been and the visionaries who dreamed it into reality Little more than a century ago, the southern coast of California bone dry, harbor less, isolated by deserts and mountain ranges seemed destined to remain scrappy farmland. Then, as if overnight, one of the world's iconic cities emerged. At the heart of Los Angeles' meteoric rise were three flawed visionaries:

From bestselling author Gary Krist, the story of the metropolis that never should have been and the visionaries who dreamed it into reality

Little more than a century ago, the southern coast of California--bone-dry, harbor-less, isolated by deserts and mountain ranges--seemed destined to remain scrappy farmland. Then, as if overnight, one of the world's iconic cities emerged. At the heart of Los Angeles' meteoric rise were three flawed visionaries: William Mulholland, an immigrant ditch-digger turned self-taught engineer, designed the massive aqueduct that would make urban life here possible. D.W. Griffith, who transformed the motion picture from a vaudeville-house novelty into a cornerstone of American culture, gave L.A. its signature industry. And Aimee Semple McPherson, a charismatic evangelist who founded a religion, cemented the city's identity as a center for spiritual exploration.

All were masters of their craft, but also illusionists, of a kind. The images they conjured up--of a blossoming city in the desert, of a factory of celluloid dreamworks, of a community of seekers finding personal salvation under the California sun--were like mirages liable to evaporate on closer inspection. All three would pay a steep price to realize these dreams, in a crescendo of hubris, scandal, and catastrophic failure of design that threatened to topple each of their personal empires. Yet when the dust settled, the mirage that was LA remained.

Spanning the years from 1900 to 1930, The Mirage Factory is the enthralling tale of an improbable city and the people who willed it into existence by pushing the limits of human engineering and imagination.



Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Broadway Books
Published: 05/14/2019
ISBN: 9780451496393
Pages: 432
Weight: 0.70lbs
Size: 8.00h x 5.20w x 1.00d
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SKU: 88949015306

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Bre
Cuba, US
★★★★★ 5
Buy the suit. Be sure to measure!
Size: Large, Color: Red, Size: Large, Color: Red
Suit looks better than the photo in person. The suit is also made well. Great fabric and pattern! My son is 6'1 and weighs around 135-140 pounds. I ordered a size large for him so the pants would be long enough. The pants were a little big but it was nothing a belt could not fix. The jacket and vest fit well too. The item also arrived on time. ***Suit runs small BUT if you take out time to do the measurements you will get the correct size.***
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Reviewed in the United States on February 16, 2026
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Lavantinique S
Birmingham, US
★★★★★ 5
Great Buy
Size: Large, Color: Black
True to size. Material is nice and thick. Perfect attire for Wedding or any formal event.
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Reviewed in the United States on June 3, 2026
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Ms. Claudia Adams
Dallas, US
★★★★★ 4
Pants run small
Size: 3X-Large, Color: Purple
Jacket fit .. but pants did not. Nice suit though.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 28, 2025
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Tabatha
Birmingham, US
★★★★★ 5
Fits like a glove, looks like a million!
Size: Small, Color: Purple
Bought this as a gift for him and very impressed. Looks like a million dollars, fit true to size, looks tailored not cheap. Fabric is quality, stitching is done well and the pants have a nice hidden elastic extender that helps if he goes up or down a few pounds. Very impressed!
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Reviewed in the United States on May 14, 2026
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Freak77Showisnormal
Carnegie, US
★★★★★ 5
It was the perfect suit for our big day!
Size: X-Small, Color: Purple, Size: X-Small, Color: Purple
Purple size xs. He's 5'9" 145-150lbs. Very impressed with this suit. The color and pattern is awesome. The fit was good. I would say this suit runs large. Usually he wears a Medium in everything but ordered an XS and it fit very well. The pants were long we had to get those hemmed. There was a few stray strings by the end of the night in areas of the suit. But overall good quality. And for a great price.
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Reviewed in the United States on August 13, 2025

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