City of Demons: Old Los Angeles and the Wild West’s Greatest Manhunt
Aug 2027 · Sold by St. Martin's Press
Ebook
368
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infoThis book will become available on August 3, 2027. You will not be charged until it is released.
About this ebook
Set against the backdrop of violent old Los Angeles comes the thrilling story of one of the largest manhunts in Wild West history: the deadly pursuit and capture of the criminal gang, the Manillas.
In October 1856, a young horse thief named Juan Flores escaped from San Quentin, a high security prison in the San Francisco Bay that housed the most infamous rogues of the Gold Rush. Flores journeyed south across California's mountainous terrain, attracting a dozen men along the way. The gang became known as Las Manillas—“The Handcuffs”—engaging in robberies and attacks that quickly earned them a reputation for ruthlessness.
Three months after Flores’s escape, the Manillas killed Los Angeles Sheriff James Barton, and panic ignited in the small frontier town. A posse assembled to capture the outlaws, consisting of American cowboys armed with six-shooters, Californio riders carrying medieval lances, and Native scouts. Thus began the greatest manhunt California had ever seen.
Drawing from newspaper archives, primary sources, and historical accounts, Andrew Dubbins details the riveting chase for Juan Flores and his Manillas across the crime-infested streets of early Los Angeles and the fading world of the Californio ranchos. Not only a pulse-pounding thriller, City of Demons is a poignant exploration of the interplay of justice and revenge, the struggle for land and power, the clash of cultures, and the brutalities of a bygone era, one that shaped the modern identity of Los Angeles and America.
In October 1856, a young horse thief named Juan Flores escaped from San Quentin, a high security prison in the San Francisco Bay that housed the most infamous rogues of the Gold Rush. Flores journeyed south across California's mountainous terrain, attracting a dozen men along the way. The gang became known as Las Manillas—“The Handcuffs”—engaging in robberies and attacks that quickly earned them a reputation for ruthlessness.
Three months after Flores’s escape, the Manillas killed Los Angeles Sheriff James Barton, and panic ignited in the small frontier town. A posse assembled to capture the outlaws, consisting of American cowboys armed with six-shooters, Californio riders carrying medieval lances, and Native scouts. Thus began the greatest manhunt California had ever seen.
Drawing from newspaper archives, primary sources, and historical accounts, Andrew Dubbins details the riveting chase for Juan Flores and his Manillas across the crime-infested streets of early Los Angeles and the fading world of the Californio ranchos. Not only a pulse-pounding thriller, City of Demons is a poignant exploration of the interplay of justice and revenge, the struggle for land and power, the clash of cultures, and the brutalities of a bygone era, one that shaped the modern identity of Los Angeles and America.
Set against the backdrop of violent old Los Angeles comes the thrilling story of one of the largest manhunts in Wild West history: the deadly pursuit and capture of the criminal gang, the Manillas.
In October 1856, a young horse thief named Juan Flores escaped from San Quentin, a high security p...
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About the author
ANDREW DUBBINS is an author and journalist whose work has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Smithsonian, Alta Journal, The Atavist Magazine, Slate, The Daily Beast, Los Angeles magazine, and other publications. He is the author of Into Enemy Waters, the story of the WWII frogmen who became the Navy SEALs. He was named the Los Angeles Press Club’s 2021 Journalist of the Year and received its 2025 award for magazine commentary. His work has also been featured among The Daily Beast’s “Best Reads” and Longform.org’s “Best Articles.” He earned a B.A. in English and government from Georgetown University, and an M.A. in journalism at University of Southern California, where he was an Annenberg Graduate Fellow. Several of his narrative non-fiction stories have been optioned for film and television.
ANDREW DUBBINS is an author and journalist whose work has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Smithsonian, Alta Journal, The Atavist Magazine, Slate, The Daily Beast, Los Angeles magazine, and other publications. He is the author of Into Enemy Waters, the story of the WWII frogmen who became the N...
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