California: A HistoryCalifornia 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. From the Hardcover edition. |
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LibraryThing Review
Gebruikersrecensie - shadowofthewind - LibraryThingCalifornia by Kevin Starr is the primer on California history. It covers every facet of the state in a clear and readable history. I love these kinds of histories because he doesn't cover just the ... Volledige review lezen
LibraryThing Review
Gebruikersrecensie - mrminjares - LibraryThingA wonderful read. The book flows well and is not too academic like so many other histories. Kevin Starr captures and defines key periods in California history, while identifying and narrating the ... Volledige review lezen
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African American agricultural Alta California Angeles Army Arnold Schwarzenegger arrived Baja Bay Area became Berkeley Cali Califor called Central Valley Charles Chinese cisco civil command Company County culture decade DeMille Democrat early economy elected established federal film fornia Franciscans Frémont George Gold Rush Golden Gate governor Hispanic hundred immigrants Japanese Jerry Brown Jesuit John Josiah Royce labor land landscape later Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo meanwhile ment Mexican American Mexican California Mexico military million mining mission Monterey mountain nation Native Americans newly northern organized Pacific Coast party percent political population president programs railroad ranches region Republican River Royce Sacramento sailing San Diego San Fran San Francisco Bay San José Santa Schwarzenegger ships Sierra Nevada social society Southern California Spain Spanish Stanford strike Sutter thousand tion twentieth century U.S. Senate Union United University Vallejo voters West William workers Yosemite
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