A Short History of San Francisco

by Tom Cole

This is the story of San Francisco, a unique and rowdy tale with a legendary cast of characters. It tells of the Indians and the Spanish missions, the arrival of thousands of gold seekers and gamblers, crackbrains and dreamers, the building of the transcontinental railroad and the cable car, labor strife and political shenanigans, the 1906 earthquake and fire, two World Wars, two World's Fairs, two great bridges, the beatniks and hippies and New Left—a story that is so marvelous and wild that it must be true. A new afterword from the author brings The City into the twenty-first a time just as hectic, experimental, and opportunistic as its rambunctious past.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Travel

192 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 1988

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads data base.

Reviews

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Originally published in 1981 "A Short History Of San Francisco" authored by Tom Cole is a captivating narrative with b/w photographs, that has been greatly expanded/updated to reflect current times.

SF is 46.9 square miles, has a "troubling geological reality" of being located on the largest notorious San Andreas Fault, in addition there are several other faults which threaten the Bay Area. The earthquake in 1906 nearly destroyed SF, when fires ignited as lanterns and candles crashed to the ground, creating a "firestorm" that burned for 3 days and nights. Nearly 500 people perished, 250,000 people were left homeless, 300-500 million dollars in damages. Rebuilding this grand city began almost immediately with crews working around the clock to clean/clear areas.

The History of SF is fascinating:
* The original people/tribes were the peaceful resourceful Olone, Yurok, Hoppa. They lived according to simple ancient ways/customs.
* The Spanish missionaries arrived in Northern CA in 1493, settling and civilizing, until 1776; establishing posts, churches, missions to govern the rich fertile beautiful land and enjoyable climate.
* 1849 sparked a population explosion with the discovery of gold. SF would represent the land of milk and honey as the "Forty-Niner's" and American pioneers headed west.
* 1859-1872 silver ore, was discovered, with the gold rush, the Comstock. Mark Twain released his book "Roughing It" that chronicled the entire area, and frontier justice, that attracted people from the miners, desperados, to the refined Mormon missionaries.
* 1864 Billy Ralston opened the Bank of California with 3 million dollars. This would represent SF as rich affluent area with many millionaires.
* The SF Examiner was a gift to William Randolph Hurst (1863-1951) from his father George. The Hurst Corporation would become the largest chain of newspapers and influence of journalism in the US.
* Irish immigrant Christopher Buckley (1845-1922) aka "the White Devil" never held public office, was linked to organized crime that operated "China Town". The gambling halls, opium dens (26 were counted in 1885), brothels and seedy taverns were a huge source of revenue/ income, as tourists flocked to this historic area.
* 1892 The Sierra Club was founded representing the most wealthy and prominent citizens. One in four Californians lived in SF at the turn of the century.

SF has always represented an extreme population from the poorest to the wealthiest. The Golden Gate Bridge was built during the 1930's depression, and served as a reminder of hope and better times ahead. As I read this book, and recalled the stories from my own friends who lived in SF at one time or another, I look forward to joining the multitudes of tourists who make SF their vacation destination!
Many thanks/appreciation to Heyday Publications for sponsoring the Goodread's Giveaways where I won this nice book.

[Jeannine · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a resident of Northern California, I love San Francisco. I’ve never lived there - or the Bay Area, actually; places I’ve called home have always been closer to Sacramento. But between work and play, I’ve spent much time in The City. (Sorry New Yorkers, but SF is “the city” to us.) I love going there, even though I don’t love driving there lol. (But it’s better than driving in LA!!).

Boring, 11th grade history book this is not; while the middle section about the turn of the century mayors and politics dragged a little for me, on a whole I found this book absolutely fascinating. Learning the background behind street names and cities is always interesting to me, but i also I appreciated the tone of this book: fresh, chatty, informative but not too many rabbit holes that held the potential to drag on too long. It was like I was sitting with a cup of Peet’s listening to a well-loved history professor at Berkeley or Stanford; it was very easy to read.

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

As indicated by the title, this book isn't a deep dive on the history of the city. A bit lopsided in coverage, the book spends more time in the years leading up to and immediately after the Gold Rush. Some really fascinating nuggets (sorry) are contained in those chapters. But in subsequent chapters, the author seems to rush (sorry again) through the 20th Century. I didn't realize until the end that this book was originally published in the 80s and a tacked on appendix attempts to cover the 30+ years of history that have occurred since it's initial release. A big overly romanticized at times, some segments read more like love letters to the city than a true account of SF history.

[Roger · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I found it to be very much like a chef's tasting menu. None of its components are enough, but you are surprising satisfied by the end and you have been exposed to many delightful components that you can pursue further on your own. This is a quick read. Perfect for one or two of the closing days of summer.

[Jeff Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an outstanding and informative overview of the history of San Francisco. But even more than that, this is a love letter to one of the world's greatest cities. From the Ohlone, some of the area's earliest documented inhabitants to Sir Francis Drake's explorations of the Bay Area to the eventual settlement of "Yerba Buena" by the Spanish, SF's early years beautifully play out within these pages. Once this book reaches the 1840s, things really take off, with the Gold Rush, the 1906 great earthquake and fire, the building of the incredible Bay and Golden Gate Bridges in the 1930s, the free thinking of the 1960s, and the City's rightful place as a socially conscious thought leader for human rights and the LGBTQ community. The big personalities and shapers of local and national culture are all here too – Samuel Brannan, William Ralston, "Sunny Jim" Rolph, Harvey Milk, Diane Feinstein and many others. The common thread throughout these chapters however, is Cole's fine art of linguistically painting a beautiful picture of a history and place that is far from perfect, but is unique and unlike any other. As a boy, my father rarely talked about his role in World War II. But he did tell me about the day he and his fellow Marines sailed under the Golden Gate Bridge after the war ended. "That bridge was a beautiful site," he said. "I knew I was finally home." That link to my dad was one of the reasons I wanted to read this book. I was not disappointed – you won't be, either.

[JediMasterPercy · Rating 3 out of 5]

As I generally warn in my reviews: I have a mixed relationship with non fictions. I love fun facts. I hate accumulating them.

In preparation for the family trip to San Francisco I dove into A Short History. The author is very passionate. His vocabulary is incredible. His stories are fun and thought provoking.

While I don’t know how great of an amateur tour guide (I’m up on all the hot spots from 1854 to 1880) I will be I feel I’m ready for a West Coast adventure. I will not ready this book again. It was as slow as most history books are. But if you’re a word nerd and headed out west you’ll love this guy.

Rating System:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - I loved the book so much I would reread it again and would recommend to a friend.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - Thoroughly enjoyed the book, could not put it down, would recommend to a friend, but do not need to read again.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ - Probably a good book that I enjoyed but there was something about it that I did not love (ex: writing style, POV, etc.). I would only recommend to a friend if it was their “type” of book.

⭐️⭐️ - A book I have below average feelings for and it would not come with a recommendation from me but I would mention it in conversation if related to the book topic at issue.

⭐️ - I finished the book but I hated every second of it.

[Jez Burrows · Rating 3 out of 5]

A breezy potted history of SF that spends most of its time and energy on the Gold Rush, and drops off steeply around WWII. Good as a surface introduction, but I kept finding myself wanting something with more depth.

[alex elko · Rating 2 out of 5]

Short - yes. Interesting - no.
It's hard to read, remember, and follow all the names of the governors, bankers and other who seem to be not so significant figures.
However, the book, as promised, gives an idea of how the city was built and how it turned into what it is today.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yes, it was short. It is a nice place to start. The reader can then research what interests the them most. "The city is always changing, adapting, booming, busting, building, and rebuilding."

[Jeffrey W. · Rating 4 out of 5]

5 stars for the Afterward.

[Silas Kirsch · Rating 3 out of 5]

Impressively dense and a lot of interesting tidbits, but it wasn’t exhaustive in its research and it did not have a unifying narrative/argument or particularly rich prose. All in all, it was fine.

[Michael Herrera · Rating 4 out of 5]

A jaunty and delightful read. I'm a Bay Area native and I learned so much about the place I call home.

[Michele · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good for what it's meant to be... concise overview of San Francisco history, a great "starter" book, which provides an excellent framework on which to then "hang" further research into topics and stories of interest.

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

San Francisco has a pretty incredible history, and this book covers the period up to World War II with a good balance of interest and brevity. A Short History of San Francisco manages to introduce you to the major characters of San Francisco history without simply listing names and facts. Originally written in 1981, it glosses over San Francisco history after the Great Depression, dedicating only about a dozen pages to the past 70 years or so. I'm excited to learn more details about more recent San Francisco history, which is just as important, interesting, and crazy as the wild west Gold Rush days.

[Rosemary · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this book in a Goodreads giveaway.If you have visited San Francisco or are planning a visit, this book will give you some background. The better parts of the book were about the Gold Rush and San Francisco in the 1960's and 1970's.

[Marian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely learned some interesting tidbits about SF, but would have liked more stories of individuals to add color. He hints at some, but preferences the broader historical arc. It's a short book so I guess I can't blame him. And I bought it at a gift shop, so whatever.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! A captivating and comprehensive book, yet compact enough to be digestible. One of the best history books I've ever read. It is evident that Tom Cole knows and loves his subject. I would read this again in a heartbeat.

[Damsevine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mobs overtook the city and politicians swung by their necks from the roof of city hall - twice!

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written, excellent, fun to read historical overview. As a San Francisco resident with a somewhat limited knowledge of the City's history, I enjoyed this book very much.