California Rising: The Life and Times of Pat Brown

by Ethan Rarick

It is now commonplace to say that the future happens first in California, and this book, the first biography of legendary governor Edmund G. "Pat" Brown, tells the story of the pivotal era when that idea became a reality. Set against the riveting historical landscape of the late fifties and sixties, the book offers astute insights into history as well a fascinating glimpse of those who charted its course―including Ronald Reagan, John F. Kennedy, and the Brown family dynasty. Ethan Rarick mines an impressive array of untapped sources―such as Pat Brown's diary and love letters to his wife―to tell the unforgettable story of a true mover-and-shaker within his fascinating and turbulent political arena.

California Rising illuminates a singular moment in time with surprising intimacy. John Kennedy laughs with Pat Brown. Richard Nixon offers the governor a schemer's deal. Lyndon Johnson sweet-talks the governor on the phone and then ridicules him behind his back. And as context for the human drama, key events of the era unfold in gripping prose. There is Brown's struggle with the fate of Caryl Chessman, the convicted kidnapper who gained international attention by writing best-selling books on death row. There is the tale of intrigue and politics surrounding the Free Speech Movement at the University of California, Berkeley, in 1964, and the violence and horror of the Watts Riots in 1965.

Through the story of the life and times of Pat Brown, we witness an extraordinary period that changed the entire country's view of itself and its most famous state.

Genres: History, Politics, Biography

536 pages, Paperback

First published December 25, 2004

About the author

Ethan Rarick is associate director of IGS and the director of the Robert T. Matsui Center for Politics and Public Service, a component of IGS that seeks to interest undergraduates in public service through internship programs, public events, and the presence of distinguished visitors on campus. A former political journalist, he is the author of California Rising: The Life and Times of Pat Brown and Desperate Passage: The Donner Party’s Perilous Journey West, and the editor of three books: Governing California: Politics, Government, and Public Policy in the Golden State; California Votes: The 2010 Governor's Race; and California Votes: The 2006 Governor’s Race. He is a frequent public commentator on California politics, policy, and history, and has written about these subjects for many publications, including The Los Angeles Times and California History.

Reviews

[Sandra · Rating 1 out of 5]

I hate reading this book for school! It's very dry.

[Irene Abdou]

It is a good read.