I would like to thank Jocasta Hamilton, Susan Sandon and Emma Mitchell of Random House UK for their encouragement and help as I wrote this book. At The Overlook Press in New York, I thank Peter Mayer, Dan Crissman and Michael Goldsmith for their belief in this series.
At Aitken Alexander my agent Gillon Aitken was supportive as ever, as was Clare Alexander, and I would like to thank Andrew Kidd in particular for his detailed editorial suggestions.
The writer Jacob Epstein corrected errors about Los Angeles (and is not responsible for any that may remain); Christopher Silvester pointed me to many useful sources about the Hollywood movie industry, as did Barry Isaacson; retired Special Agent Larry Wack provided information about the early FBI. Professor Brian Masaru Hayashi of Kyoto University, an authority on the Los Angeles Japanese-American community in the years before the War, patiently answered many questions.
My uncle Willard Keeney shared his remarkable knowledge (and archive) of transport and terrain in pre-War California – and in many other places too; he also made several astute suggestions, and I thank him. Dan and James Rosenheim read chapters with sharp eyes, my daughters Laura and Sabrina both peeked, and their mother helped throughout.