Third Book in Monrovia History Trilogy by Author Richard Singer Coming This Summer

People Like You and Me: A History of Monrovia in World War II, by local author Richard Singer, will be available for purchase early this summer with all proceeds going to support Monrovia’s historical heritage.

The new book is the third in a trilogy of local histories by Singer, following Renaissance Years: A History of Modern Monrovia published in 2017, and 1887: A History of Early Monrovia in 2020. The new book covers the years of World War II, from late 1941 through 1945, detailing not only life in Monrovia during wartime but following scores of local men and women, in all branches of the service, as they experienced the war in every corner of the globe. It tells tales of heroism and sacrifice, of loss and exultation―some amusing, some tragic―in 484 pages and more than 130 photographs. More than 1,000 local individuals and families are highlighted in the process.

Covered as well are events and conflicts that redefined those years and set the stage for major changes to come, from local involvement in the Zoot Suit Riots and civil rights struggles to the transformation of what was a small agricultural town into a diverse suburban municipality. The book’s prologue, accompanied by a foldout map, paints a detailed picture of Monrovia in 1941 on the eve of America’s entry into the war. Readers will find stories of local families interned in relocation camps, of Monrovia streets teeming with 20,000 soldiers from a nearby army camp, of heroism in battle, death marches, rescues and tragic accidents along with tales of rationing, blackouts, victory gardens and social upheaval on the home front.

People Like You and Me: A History of Monrovia in World War II, will be available for purchase from the Monrovia Historical Society, at the Monrovia Historical Museum, and from Charlie’s House, 430 S. Myrtle Avenue. A talk by Singer to introduce the book is being scheduled for mid-summer, sponsored jointly by the Historical Society, the Museum and the Monrovia Public Library. All proceeds from the book’s sales go directly to the historical societies in support of their various projects.

Singer, who had a thirty-year career in community journalism, is former editor and associate publisher of the Foothill Intercity Newspapers, which included the Monrovia News-Post. He subsequently served as Executive Vice-President of the Monrovia Chamber of Commerce from 1990 to 2000, then for a decade as the City of Monrovia’s Public Information Officer until his retirement in 2010.

Source: Press release

- Brad Haugaard