The History Book Club discussion

This is a thread dedicated to the history, well known people and events associated with the great state of California.

You may add books that take place in this state, are about this state, have a scene that takes place in this state or have events where this state is mentioned.

There is no self promotion on the History Book Club.

City of Quartz

by Mike Davis

Synopsis:

The hidden story of L.A. Mike Davis shows us where the city's money comes from and who controls it while also exposing the brutal ongoing struggle between L.A.'s haves and have-nots.

Adobe Days

by Sarah Bixby Smith (no photo)

Synopsis:

In this rollicking reminiscence Sarah Bixby Smith tells of Los Angeles when it was “a little frontier town” and “Bunker Hill Avenue was the end of the settlement, a row of scattered houses along the ridge.” She came there in 1878 at the age of seven from the San Justo Rancho in Monterey County. Sarah recalls daily life in town and at San Justo and neighboring ranches in the bygone era of the adobes. Exerting a strong pull on her imagination, as it will on the reader’s, is the story of how her family drove sheep and cattle from Illinois to the Pacific Coast in the 1850s. The daughter of a pioneering woolgrower, Sarah Bixby Smith became a leading citizen of California.

Eternity Street: Violence and Justice in Frontier Los Angeles

by John Mack Faragher

Synopsis:

Los Angeles is a city founded on blood. Once a small Mexican pueblo teeming with Californios, Indians, and Americans, all armed with Bowie knives and Colt revolvers, it was among the most murderous locales in the Californian frontier. In Eternity Street: Violence and Justice in Frontier Los Angeles, "a vivid, disturbing portrait of early Los Angeles" (Publishers Weekly), John Mack Faragher weaves a riveting narrative of murder and mayhem, featuring a cast of colorful characters vying for their piece of the city. These include a newspaper editor advocating for lynch laws to enact a crude manner of racial justice and a mob of Latinos preparing to ransack a county jail and murder a Texan outlaw. In this "groundbreaking" (True West) look at American history, Faragher shows us how the City of Angels went from a lawless outpost to the sprawling metropolis it is today.

Bodie's Gold

by Marguerite Sprague (no photo)

Synopsis:

"The Bodie Mining District was established in 1860 after the discovery of gold deposits in the area. The boom ended just twenty years later, and the town began its long, slow decline, surviving into the twentieth century as a village supported by a few small but steady mines. Mining ended with World War II, and what remained of the town became a state park in 1964." In Bodie's Gold, author Marguerite Sprague uses a wide range of original sources to recount Bodie's colorful history: its mines and miners; demimonde of saloons and brothels; schools, churches, and other institutions of settled life; residents of many origins, including Native Americans and Chinese; women in the town's social life and economy; and the pattern of its decline. The story is illustrated with period photographs and enlivened with the reminiscences of former residents and extracts from newspapers of the period. Bodie's Gold is a vivid account of the life that once throbbed behind the now-closed doors and empty streets of California's official Gold Rush ghost town.

Discovery Of The Yosemite And The Indian War Of 1851 Which Led To That Event

by Lafayette Houghton Bunnell (no photo)

Synopsis:


This reprint of the single most important original source regarding the early history of Yosemite Valley was long out of print. Written by the medical officer of the Mariposa Battalion, the first group of Euro-Americans ever to enter Yosemite Valley, the book chronicles a number of key historical events beginning in 1851 including discovery, the Yosemite Indian conflicts, the naming of various landmarks and more. And what makes it so valuable is Dr. Bunnell's first-person perspective.

One Hundred Years in Yosemite: The Story of a Great Park and Its Friends

by Carl Parcher Russell (no photo)

Synopsis:

This book about Yosemite National Park comprises the narrative text about the Park from its discovery by non-natives in the Indian War of 1851 to the mid-twentieth century. The printed book contains dozens of early photographs and drawings, as well as an extensive timeline and bibliography, which are not here recorded. The author (1894-1967) was an ecologist, historian, and administrator. He was an officer of the U.S. National Park Service for thirty four years, serving as the Chief Naturalist of Yosemite from 1923-1929 and later as Park Superintendent.

Good job Michele and thank you for your adds. We love for folks to add to the threads.

Earthquake Storms: The Fascinating History and Volatile Future of the San Andreas Fault

by John Dvorak (no photo)

Synopsis:

It is a prominent geological feature that is almost impossible to see unless you know where to look. Hundreds of thousands of people drive across it every day. The San Andreas Fault is everywhere, and primed for a colossal quake. For decades, scientists have warned that such a sudden shifting of the Earth’s crust is inevitable. In fact, it is a geologic necessity.

The San Andreas fault runs almost the entire length of California, from the redwood forest to the east edge of the Salton Sea. Along the way, it passes through two of the largest urban areas of the country—San Francisco and Los Angeles. Dozens of major highways and interstates cross it. Scores of housing developments have been planted over it. The words “San Andreas” are so familiar today that they have become synonymous with earthquake.

Yet, few people understand the San Andreas or the network of subsidiary faults it has spawned. Some run through Hollywood, others through Beverly Hills and Santa Monica. The Hayward fault slices the football stadium at the University of California in half. Even among scientists, few appreciate that the San Andreas fault is a transient, evolving system that, as seen today, is younger than the Grand Canyon and key to our understanding of earthquakes worldwide.

Great add Michele - keep them coming. You have the mod format down too.

The Visionary State: A Journey Through California's Spiritual Landscape

by Erik Davis (no photo)

Synopsis:

With a rich cultural history and Hollywood stars publicly attesting to a wide range of faiths, it's no surprise that California's spiritual landscape is as diverse as its natural surroundings. The Visionary State weaves text and image into a compelling narrative of religion, architecture, and consciousness in California, from neopaganism to televangelism, UFO cults to austere Zen Buddhism. Acclaimed culture critic Erik Davis brings together the immigrant and homegrown religious influences that have been part of the region's character from its earliest days, drawing connections between seemingly unlike traditions and celebrating the diversity of California's spiritual composition. Michael Rauner's evocative photographs depict the sites and structures where these traditions have taken root and flourished. The Visionary State is a landmark look at what is likely the most varied locale for religious activity anywhere

Thank you Michele - keep up the good work with the postings.

The Mirage Factory: Illusion, Imagination, and the Invention of Los Angeles

by Gary Krist (no photo)

Synopsis:

Little more than a century ago, the southern coast of California--bone-dry, harbor-less, isolated by deserts and mountain ranges--seemed destined to remain scrappy farmland. Then, as if overnight, one of the world's iconic cities emerged. At the heart of Los Angeles' meteoric rise were three flawed visionaries: William Mulholland, an immigrant ditch-digger turned self-taught engineer, designed the massive aqueduct that would make urban life here possible. D.W. Griffith, who transformed the motion picture from a vaudeville-house novelty into a cornerstone of American culture, gave L.A. its signature industry. And Aimee Semple McPherson, a charismatic evangelist who founded a religion, cemented the city's identity as a center for spiritual exploration.

All were masters of their craft, but also illusionists, of a kind. The images they conjured up--of a blossoming city in the desert, of a factory of celluloid dreamworks, of a community of seekers finding personal salvation under the California sun--were like mirages liable to evaporate on closer inspection. All three would pay a steep price to realize these dreams, in a crescendo of hubris, scandal, and catastrophic failure of design that threatened to topple each of their personal empires. Yet when the dust settled, the mirage that was LA remained.

Spanning the years from 1900 to 1930, The Mirage Factory is the enthralling tale of an improbable city and the people who willed it into existence by pushing the limits of human engineering and imagination.

Thank you Michele for the add.

Southern California: An Island on the Land

by Carey McWilliams (no photo)

Synopsis:

Widely recognized as the best non-fiction book written about Southern California for the period 1920s through the 1940s.
Southern California: An Island on the Land is packed with fascinating material on the region and its galaxy of personalities--from Helen Hunt Jackson to Aimee Semple McPherson, from Huntington the financier to Hatfield the rainmaker.
Carey McWilliams provides insights into many subjects, ranging from the origins of Hollywood to the flowering of International Style architecture in Los Angeles.
This book was originally published in 1946, as American Folkways Series.

Thank you, Michele.

California: A History

by Kevin Starr

Synopsis:

California has always been our Shangri-la–the promised land of countless pilgrims in search of the American Dream. Now the Golden State’s premier historian, Kevin Starr, distills the entire sweep of California’s history into one splendid volume. From the age of exploration to the age of Arnold, this is the story of a place at once quintessentially American and utterly unique.

Arguing that America’s most populous state has always been blessed with both spectacular natural beauty and astonishing human diversity, Starr unfolds a rapid-fire epic of discovery, innovation, catastrophe, and triumph.

For generations, California’s native peoples basked in the abundance of a climate and topography eminently suited to human habitation. By the time the Spanish arrived in the early sixteenth century, there were scores of autonomous tribes were thriving in the region. Though conquest was rapid, nearly two centuries passed before Spain exerted control over upper California through the chain of missions that stand to this day.

The discovery of gold in January 1848 changed everything. With population increasing exponentially as get-rich-quick dreamers converged from all over the world, California reinvented itself overnight. Starr deftly traces the successive waves of innovation and calamity that have broken over the state since then–the incredible wealth of the Big Four railroad tycoons and the devastating San Francisco earthquake of 1906; the emergence of Hollywood as the world’s entertainment capital and of Silicon Valley as the center of high-tech research and development; the heroic irrigation and transportation projects that have altered the face of the region; the role of labor, both organized and migrant, in key industries from agriculture to aerospace.

Kevin Starr has devoted his career to the history of his beloved state, but he has never lost his sense of wonder over California’s sheer abundance and peerless variety. This one-volume distillation of a lifetime’s work gathers together everything that is most important, most fascinating, and most revealing about our greatest state

Ghost Town Living: Mining for Purpose and Chasing Dreams at the Edge of Death Valley

by Brent Underwood (no photo)

Synopsis:

A long-abandoned silver mine for sale sounded like an adventure too great to pass up, but it turned into much more—a calling, a community of millions, and hard-earned lessons about chasing impractical dreams.

The siren song of Cerro Gordo, a desolate ghost town perched high above Death Valley, has seduced thousands since the 1800s, but few fell harder for it than Brent Underwood, who moved there in March of 2020, only to be immediately snowed in and trapped for weeks.

It had once been the largest silver mine in California. Over $500 million worth of ore was pulled from the miles of tunnels below the town. Butch Cassidy, Mark Twain, and other infamous characters of the American West were rumored to have stayed there. Newspapers reported a murder a week. But that was over 150 years ago.

Underwood bet his life savings—and his life—on this majestic, hardscrabble town that had broken its fair share of ambitious men and women. What followed were fires, floods, earthquakes, and perhaps strangest, fame. Ghost Town Living tells the story of a man against the elements, a forgotten historic place against the modern world, and a dream against all odds—one that has captured millions of followers around the world.

He came looking for a challenge different from the traditional 9-5 job but discovered something much more fulfilling—an undertaking that would call on all of himself and push him beyond what he knew he was capable of. In fact, to bring this abandoned town back to life, Brent had to learn a wealth of new self-sufficiency and problem-solving skills from many generous mentors.

Wow Michele, that sounds like a very interesting book. Thank you for sharing the synopsis!

Vanessa wrote: "Wow Michele, that sounds like a very interesting book. Thank you for sharing the synopsis!"

It is a good book! The book is about history both past and current. I also follow his Youtube channel. It's called Ghost Town Living.

Michele wrote: "Vanessa wrote: "Wow Michele, that sounds like a very interesting book. Thank you for sharing the synopsis!"

It is a good book! The book is about history both past and current. I also follow his Yo..."

I'll take a look at his channel. Thanks, Michele!

Cascadia's Fault: The Coming Earthquake and Tsunami That Could Devastate North America

by Jerry Thompson

Synopsis:

There's a crack in the earth's crust that runs roughly 31 miles offshore, approximately 683 miles from northern California up through Vancouver Island off the coast of British Columbia. The Cascadia Subduction Zone has generated massive earthquakes over and over again throughout geologic time; at least 36 major events in the last 10,000 years. This fault generates a monster earthquake about every 500 years. And the monster is due to return at any time. It could happen 200 years from now, or it could be tonight.

The Cascadia Subduction Zone is virtually identical to the offshore fault that wrecked Sumatra in 2004. It will generate the same earthquake we saw in Sumatra, at magnitude 9 or higher, sending crippling shockwaves across a far wider area than any California quake. Slamming into Sacramento, Portland, Seattle, Victoria, and Vancouver, it will send tidal waves to the shores of Australia, New Zealand, and Japan, damaging the economies of the Pacific Rim countries and their trading partners for years to come.

In light of recent massive quakes in Haiti, Chile, and Mexico, Cascadia's Fault not only tells the story of this potentially devastating earthquake and the tsunamis it will spawn, it also warns us about the impending crisis almost unprecedented in modern history.

This book is mostly for Northern California, Washington and Oregon.

Golden State: The Making of California

by Michael Hiltzik (no photo)

Synopsis:

From Pulitzer Prize winner Michael Hiltzik, a definitive new history of California ‒ from the Spanish conquistadors to the state’s meteoric rise as a tech powerhouse and bulwark of progressivism ‒ and of its indelible mark on the world.

California has long reigned as the land of plenty, where the sun always shines and opportunity beckons. Even prior to its statehood in 1850, it captured the world’s imagination. We remember the Gold Rush era for bearded prospectors lured by riches; we think of its early embrace of immigrant labour during the railroad boom as prologue to its diverse social fabric today. But what lies beneath the myth is far more complicated.

Thanks to extensive research by Michael Hiltzik, one of the clearest voices on California, Golden State uncovers the unvarnished truth about the state that everyone thinks they know well. From Spanish incursions into what became known as Alta California to the rise of Big Tech, the history of California is one of stark contradictions. In rich detail, we see its earliest statesmen wreak havoc among native peoples while racing to draft their own constitution even ahead of statehood. We follow gold-hungry settlers who venture into the Sierra foothills and often leave with nothing, while a handful of their suppliers become millionaire railroad magnates. We witness water wars erupt as Los Angeles booms and see early efforts to tame the vast landscape create an arena for fossil fuel extraction and environmental conservation alike.

From its very beginnings, Hiltzik shows, the story of the United States was written in California.

In Early 2026

Firestorm: The Great Los Angeles Fires and America’s New Age of Disaster

by Jacob Soboroff (no photo)

Synopsis:

On the morning of January 7, 2025, a message pinged the phone of Jacob Soboroff, a national correspondent for NBC News. “Big Palisades fire. We are evacuating,” his brother texted within minutes of the blaze engulfing the hillside behind the home where he and his pregnant wife were living. “Really bad.” An attached photo showed a huge black plume rising from behind the house, an umbrella of smoke towering over everything they owned. Jacob rushed to the office of the bureau chief.

“I should go. I grew up in the Palisades.”

Soon he was on the front line of the Palisades fire—his first live report of what would turn out to be weeks covering unimaginable destruction, from the Palisades to Altadena. In the days to come, Soboroff appeared across the networks of NBC News as Los Angeles was ablaze, met with displaced residents and workers, and pressed Governor Gavin Newsom in an interview on Meet the Press. But no story Soboroff has covered at home or abroad—the trauma of family separation at the border, the displacement of the war in Ukraine, the collapse of order in Haiti—could have prepared him for reporting live as the hallmarks of his childhood were engulfed in flames around him while his hometown burned to the ground.

But for Soboroff, questions remained after the fires were what had he just witnessed? How could it have happened? Is it inevitable something like it will happen again? This set Soboroff off on months of reporting – with firefighters, fire victims, political leaders, academics, earth scientists, wildlife biologists, meteorologists and more – that made him keenly aware of how the misfortune of seeing his past carbonize was also a form of time travel into the dystopian world his children will inhabit. This is because the 2025 LA fires were not an isolated tragedy, but rather they are a harbinger--"the fire of the future," in the words of one senior emergency-management official.

Firestorm is the story of the costliest natural disaster in American history, the people it affected and the deeply personal connection to one journalist covering it. It is a love letter to Los Angeles, a yearning to understand the fires, and why America’s new age of disaster we are living through portends that – without a reckoning of how Los Angeles burned – there is more yet, and worse, to come.

Thank you for this great add, Michele. I don’t know if you were able to see any of Jacob Soboroff’s live televised reports. They were both excellent and heartbreaking.