The Bel Air Kid

About the Book

Alphonzo Bell, born in 1914, was raised to be a cowboy on ranches in California and Colorado. His personality formed on the back of a horse despite his mother's high society wishes and his father's position as the founder and owner of Bel Air. The Bel Air Kid is an exciting lifestory and a rare history filled with adventures from the era when Los Angeles had a small town and, in parts, rural feel. Al Bell also recounts the history of his pioneer forbearers who first came out west just after the Civil War and helped shaped that crucial stage of Los Angeles urban development. William Randolph Hearst figured in early on, when he had a vendetta against the Bells that extended even into personal tragedy. Will Rogers was a friend of the family. Movie stars flit here and there. John Wayne shared a house in Acapulco. After serving in WWII and the postwar business world, Bell was a U.S. Congressman for many years from West LA. He supported every civil rights bill though his party opposed them and walked with Martin Luther King during the March on Washington. Al Bell also initiated environmental issues like the "Save the Whales" bill, made San Onofre a public beach, and helped found the Santa Monica Mountains Con servancy. Portraits of a century's leaders, such as Eleanor Roosevelt and Richard Nixon, emerge from a close perspective. These stories and countless others are told in Al's own voice, which has the tell-tale accent of the West. You will find all the varieties of drama, incidents of deceit, romance and comedy, along with an endearing sense of humor.

Learn more about Alphonzo Bell by visiting his website.

About the Author