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The untold history of Beverly Hills and how, against all odds, it remained an independent, exclusive, and glamorous enclave through the efforts of Hollywood�s film pioneers. If you look at a map of the sprawling city lines of Los Angeles, you�ll notice a distinct hole in the middle. That is Beverly Hills, and there�s a reason why it remains an island in the sea of LA. It�s a tale inextricably linked with the dawn of cinema, a celebrity couple using their reputation to get what they wanted politically, and of course, the age old conundrum of California: water. For film stars who moved out to California in the early 20th century, Beverly Hills was a refuge from tabloid-heavy Los Angeles. It was also a societal blank slate: unlike Los Angeles, saddled with the East Coast caste system, Beverly Hills� developers were not picky about who settled there. It was the perfect place for Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks who both came from mixed-ethnic, impoverished backgrounds. It allowed them to become among the first actors to reach �superstar status� through hard-work and keen entrepreneurial instincts�and to keep their steamy affair out of the press. Today, listening to a celebrity advocating a cause doesn�t raise an eyebrow. But in 1923, it was something new. This is the story of how the stars battled to keep their city free from the clutches of a rapacious Los Angeles and lay the groundwork for celebrity influence and political power. With a nuanced eye and fantastic storytelling, The Battle for Beverly Hills is an irresistible tale of glamour, fame, gossip, and politics.