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The Browns of California: The Family Dynasty that Transformed a State and Shaped a Nation
"Miriam Pawel’s fascinating book . . . illuminates the sea change in the nation’s politics in the last half of the 20th century."--New York Times Book Review
A Los Angeles Times Bestseller
Publishers Weekly Top Ten History Books for Fall
A Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist's panoramic history of California and its impact on the nation, from the Gold Rush to Silicon Valley--told through the lens of the family dynasty that led the state for nearly a quarter century.
Even in the land of reinvention, the story is exceptional: Pat Brown, the beloved father who presided over California during an era of unmatched expansion; Jerry Brown, the cerebral son who became the youngest governor in modern times--and then returned three decades later as the oldest.
In The Browns of California, journalist and scholar Miriam Pawel weaves a narrative history that spans four generations, from August Schuckman, the Prussian immigrant who crossed the Plains in 1852 and settled on a northern California ranch, to his great-grandson Jerry Brown, who reclaimed the family homestead one hundred forty years later. Through the prism of their lives, we gain an essential understanding of California and an appreciation of its importance.
The magisterial story is enhanced by dozens of striking photos, many published for the first time. This book gives new insights to those steeped in California history, offers a corrective for those who confuse stereotypes and legend for fact, and opens new vistas for readers familiar with only the sketchiest outlines of a place habitually viewed from afar with a mix of envy and awe, disdain, and fascination.
A Los Angeles Times Bestseller
Publishers Weekly Top Ten History Books for Fall
A Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist's panoramic history of California and its impact on the nation, from the Gold Rush to Silicon Valley--told through the lens of the family dynasty that led the state for nearly a quarter century.
Even in the land of reinvention, the story is exceptional: Pat Brown, the beloved father who presided over California during an era of unmatched expansion; Jerry Brown, the cerebral son who became the youngest governor in modern times--and then returned three decades later as the oldest.
In The Browns of California, journalist and scholar Miriam Pawel weaves a narrative history that spans four generations, from August Schuckman, the Prussian immigrant who crossed the Plains in 1852 and settled on a northern California ranch, to his great-grandson Jerry Brown, who reclaimed the family homestead one hundred forty years later. Through the prism of their lives, we gain an essential understanding of California and an appreciation of its importance.
The magisterial story is enhanced by dozens of striking photos, many published for the first time. This book gives new insights to those steeped in California history, offers a corrective for those who confuse stereotypes and legend for fact, and opens new vistas for readers familiar with only the sketchiest outlines of a place habitually viewed from afar with a mix of envy and awe, disdain, and fascination.
496 pages, Hardcover
First published September 4, 2018
116 people are currently reading
586 people want to read
About the author
Miriam Pawel
5 books26 followersMiriam Pawel is a Pulitzer-prize winning journalist who spent 25 years as a reporter and editor at Newsday and the Los Angeles Times before becoming an author and independent historian. For more information about Miriam, background on "The Union of Their Dreams," photos and audio clips, check out http://www.unionoftheirdreams.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
January 10, 2025
This is a beautifully written, well-researched book.
And...I particularly appreciated the amazing research and information the author included which gave us readers an inside view into the family history that brought the Brown's to California politics.
Also...For anybody interested in the history of California, this is a must-read, because the history of the Brown family embodies California's history.
And...As a native Californian I truly enjoyed learning so much more about California’s evolution as a state.
Most importantly...It is also a very exciting read for a non-fiction book.
One of my favorite quotes was the following that was said by Governor Pat Brown on page 102:
“I gave the highest priority to education, because I felt the greatness of California would depend on an educated people.”
And...I couldn't agree more!
I think you can tell that I absolutely, unequivocally recommend this book wholeheartedly!
And...I particularly appreciated the amazing research and information the author included which gave us readers an inside view into the family history that brought the Brown's to California politics.
Also...For anybody interested in the history of California, this is a must-read, because the history of the Brown family embodies California's history.
And...As a native Californian I truly enjoyed learning so much more about California’s evolution as a state.
Most importantly...It is also a very exciting read for a non-fiction book.
One of my favorite quotes was the following that was said by Governor Pat Brown on page 102:
“I gave the highest priority to education, because I felt the greatness of California would depend on an educated people.”
And...I couldn't agree more!
I think you can tell that I absolutely, unequivocally recommend this book wholeheartedly!
April 7, 2019
This is the kind of book you want to have read but you don't really want to read. I wish somehow the information contained in the book could be injected into my brain. I think it was a really good, accurate and historically important book all about the Brown family and their great governors and the state of California. I just didn't want to read it any more than I wanted to read my American history books when I was in high school. The fault is mine, not the book's.
September 18, 2018
As a native resident of our greatest state of California I was thrilled to receive this book for review. Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley. I have admired the Brown family for generations and applaud their efforts on behalf of our great state.
This is a definitive guide to the Brown family from a historical aspect to present day. I appreciated the well researched information and family history that brought the Brown's to California politics. It is a exciting read and one that I would highly recommend to all classrooms and for those interested in California history .
The Browns of California by Miriam Pawel from Bloomsbury Publishing is exemplary writing. The author's documented history is meticulous . The research includes family archives , diaries, photos and personal interviews. We learn the history of Jerry Brown's great-grandfather August Schuckman's journey from Prussia to California. We learn of the impact of August's grandson, great grandson and great granddaughter. This entire family mutually does work for California and it's people and continues to do so today. We learn of how hard they had to fight for California against the GOP and Reagan's poor decisions. We see their devotion to duty and patriotism as integral to who they are. We learn of the policies and bills they have championed for California over the years that were great assets to our state.
This is a fascinating read and a book to keep in your personal library. I will highly recommend this book and plan on buying hardback copies for gifts. A very outstanding book,.
This is my honest review and opinions are my own personal opinions.
This is a definitive guide to the Brown family from a historical aspect to present day. I appreciated the well researched information and family history that brought the Brown's to California politics. It is a exciting read and one that I would highly recommend to all classrooms and for those interested in California history .
The Browns of California by Miriam Pawel from Bloomsbury Publishing is exemplary writing. The author's documented history is meticulous . The research includes family archives , diaries, photos and personal interviews. We learn the history of Jerry Brown's great-grandfather August Schuckman's journey from Prussia to California. We learn of the impact of August's grandson, great grandson and great granddaughter. This entire family mutually does work for California and it's people and continues to do so today. We learn of how hard they had to fight for California against the GOP and Reagan's poor decisions. We see their devotion to duty and patriotism as integral to who they are. We learn of the policies and bills they have championed for California over the years that were great assets to our state.
This is a fascinating read and a book to keep in your personal library. I will highly recommend this book and plan on buying hardback copies for gifts. A very outstanding book,.
This is my honest review and opinions are my own personal opinions.
June 2, 2019
I loved this book! Pat Brown was the governor of California most of my childhood, and my parents, especially my dad, were ardent supporters. His vision of the UCs and State Universities was free education for all Californians. He also recognized such a huge state needed a master plan for distributing water, and he got the job done. This book spoke of a time when people went into politics to help others not just to gain power and keep that power even if it meant hurting people and supporting a lying, ignorant narcissist who bumbled his way into the White House. Democrats and Republicans were friendly with one another and seemed to want similar things, believing that the poor sometimes need help and that immigrants are what make our state diverse and strong rather than an invasion of criminals.
This is also a history of California, mainly of the second half of the last century, and made me proud to be a native Californian. We are the sixth largest economy in the world, and LA country alone, with over 10 million people, is more populous than 41 states. This book demonstrates that California is big and strong enough to pursue green energy, affordable college, and humane treatment to all residents, even if our president is too immoral to care.
This is also a history of California, mainly of the second half of the last century, and made me proud to be a native Californian. We are the sixth largest economy in the world, and LA country alone, with over 10 million people, is more populous than 41 states. This book demonstrates that California is big and strong enough to pursue green energy, affordable college, and humane treatment to all residents, even if our president is too immoral to care.
November 9, 2018
For anybody interested in the history of California, this is a must-read, because the history of the Brown family IS the history of California. I have always found Jerry Brown to be a fascinating character, but there was so much I didn't know about the rest of the family. Pawel has done an extraordinary job bringing the Browns to life. Definitely recommend this absorbing book!
April 16, 2024
This is a deeply researched and excellent narrative of the history of the Browns (Governor Pat and his children: Governor Jerry and would-be governor Kathleen) interwoven with the history of California they helped shape.
I lived through six terms of Brown governorships, although I was out of the state for parts of them. But I benefit every day from Pat Brown's legacy (1959-1967): the State Master Plan for Education and his love for the University of California, the state water project, highways, and his overall enthusiasm for the potential of this state. So much more, of course, which Pawel covers with both admiration and balance. He never attended college, but rose to Attorney General and Governor via attending law school at night. His dedication to California was founded on a pioneer background. His German grandfather emigrated to the state in the 1850s and farmed in Northern California (as did my great-grandfather and great-grandmother). Pat Brown loved people and traditional politics, but he wanted to use politics to build a California for all Californians in the future. That meant fighting prejudicial laws and initiatives many times.
Jerry Brown is a different kettle of fish. I actually came away with a much more ambivalent attitude toward him than I had going in. I spent my career working for the Legislature and the University, but my perspective was usually limited to issues I was working on. I thought Jerry did a pretty good job. Seeing the whole sweep of his career from Secretary of State (1970-74) to Governor terms 1 and 2 (1975-83) to the 'lost years' of Zen and building knowledge of emerging issues to mayor of Oakland (1999-2007) to Governor terms 3 and 4 (2011 to 2019) one realizes that he was often a ideological bull in the china shop. He was the original disrupter.
Clearly he is brilliant and his Jesuit education instilled a fundamental dedication to action and improving the world. It did not instill humility. At a very young age he tackled institutions that may have needed reform, but he did it by pulling the rug out from everything, figuring whatever emerged would be better. Over and over again in his second try as Governor, when he was 73 instead of 36, he had to go in and solve the problems he had created almost forty years before.
Some he couldn't fix. When Howard Jarvis was fomenting the tax revolt in 1978 that cut property tax revenues drastically and that is still causing problems today, Jerry Brown could have worked with the Legislature while it tried to craft a reasonable alternative, a way to sideline the initiative. Everyone knew they had to cut the property taxes that had skyrocketed along with housing prices. But Jerry was too busy running an obviously doomed campaign for President, and didn't recognize the looming disaster until it was too late. Then he signed on to the disruption and told everyone it wasn't so bad to rethink spending, as public services collapsed.
Jerry Brown was visionary in trying to convince voters that they needed to address issues like global warming, long ago. He championed great causes, like farm labor rights. But he wouldn't deign to do the personal relations work to engage with people. He put issues on the table, he pushed and shoved and some of it got done. He certainly planted a lot of ideas in peoples heads that were a matter of course in ten years. But he could have been so much more effective if he had been more of the people person his father was.
Highly recommended.
I lived through six terms of Brown governorships, although I was out of the state for parts of them. But I benefit every day from Pat Brown's legacy (1959-1967): the State Master Plan for Education and his love for the University of California, the state water project, highways, and his overall enthusiasm for the potential of this state. So much more, of course, which Pawel covers with both admiration and balance. He never attended college, but rose to Attorney General and Governor via attending law school at night. His dedication to California was founded on a pioneer background. His German grandfather emigrated to the state in the 1850s and farmed in Northern California (as did my great-grandfather and great-grandmother). Pat Brown loved people and traditional politics, but he wanted to use politics to build a California for all Californians in the future. That meant fighting prejudicial laws and initiatives many times.
Jerry Brown is a different kettle of fish. I actually came away with a much more ambivalent attitude toward him than I had going in. I spent my career working for the Legislature and the University, but my perspective was usually limited to issues I was working on. I thought Jerry did a pretty good job. Seeing the whole sweep of his career from Secretary of State (1970-74) to Governor terms 1 and 2 (1975-83) to the 'lost years' of Zen and building knowledge of emerging issues to mayor of Oakland (1999-2007) to Governor terms 3 and 4 (2011 to 2019) one realizes that he was often a ideological bull in the china shop. He was the original disrupter.
Clearly he is brilliant and his Jesuit education instilled a fundamental dedication to action and improving the world. It did not instill humility. At a very young age he tackled institutions that may have needed reform, but he did it by pulling the rug out from everything, figuring whatever emerged would be better. Over and over again in his second try as Governor, when he was 73 instead of 36, he had to go in and solve the problems he had created almost forty years before.
Some he couldn't fix. When Howard Jarvis was fomenting the tax revolt in 1978 that cut property tax revenues drastically and that is still causing problems today, Jerry Brown could have worked with the Legislature while it tried to craft a reasonable alternative, a way to sideline the initiative. Everyone knew they had to cut the property taxes that had skyrocketed along with housing prices. But Jerry was too busy running an obviously doomed campaign for President, and didn't recognize the looming disaster until it was too late. Then he signed on to the disruption and told everyone it wasn't so bad to rethink spending, as public services collapsed.
Jerry Brown was visionary in trying to convince voters that they needed to address issues like global warming, long ago. He championed great causes, like farm labor rights. But he wouldn't deign to do the personal relations work to engage with people. He put issues on the table, he pushed and shoved and some of it got done. He certainly planted a lot of ideas in peoples heads that were a matter of course in ten years. But he could have been so much more effective if he had been more of the people person his father was.
Highly recommended.
October 8, 2018
It sounded like an interesting read: I have Pawel's other book on Cesar Chavez ('The Crusades of Cesar Chavez: A Biography') although I have not read it, being somewhat intimidated by the size and not being that familiar with Chavez. This came through my library queue and also required to move this up since there's a wait list. However, I'm not sure this really worked and found it very difficult to get through.
The book is very much what it says on the tin: the story of the Brown family (Jerry is currently the Governor of California) and how they changed the state. It's really a story of a changing California as the author traces the Brown family and especially their political careers in various elected offices around the state. Interwoven is also the greater historical events and a changing California.
Honestly, the history of California was far more interesting to me than the Brown family. I am somewhat familiar with each of them (and as Jerry is still in office this some of this info really wasn't new to me), but I found it more interesting to see how they fit (or not) in a rapidly changing California. I'm not entirely sure the dynasty is what transformed the state rather than the other aspects of it: the rise of Silicon Valley, the effects of greater national events on the state, the political shift of California itself, etc.
The book felt like it needed a lot more editing. One of the criticisms of her Chavez book that is referenced above is that it feels like a bunch of facts and not a story, which I think is the same issue here. Bits of the book are interesting but sometimes it goes on too long on some topics and it does feel rather disjointed. It just didn't keep my attention.
I really do think a lot of journalists are much better suited to article-length pieces and that holds here. While there was obviously a lot of research to book it needed a stronger editor to put it in a more cohesive narrative. I didn't mind borrowing it but ultimately I got to the point where I was just skimming because it was much too long.
Library borrow was best for me.
The book is very much what it says on the tin: the story of the Brown family (Jerry is currently the Governor of California) and how they changed the state. It's really a story of a changing California as the author traces the Brown family and especially their political careers in various elected offices around the state. Interwoven is also the greater historical events and a changing California.
Honestly, the history of California was far more interesting to me than the Brown family. I am somewhat familiar with each of them (and as Jerry is still in office this some of this info really wasn't new to me), but I found it more interesting to see how they fit (or not) in a rapidly changing California. I'm not entirely sure the dynasty is what transformed the state rather than the other aspects of it: the rise of Silicon Valley, the effects of greater national events on the state, the political shift of California itself, etc.
The book felt like it needed a lot more editing. One of the criticisms of her Chavez book that is referenced above is that it feels like a bunch of facts and not a story, which I think is the same issue here. Bits of the book are interesting but sometimes it goes on too long on some topics and it does feel rather disjointed. It just didn't keep my attention.
I really do think a lot of journalists are much better suited to article-length pieces and that holds here. While there was obviously a lot of research to book it needed a stronger editor to put it in a more cohesive narrative. I didn't mind borrowing it but ultimately I got to the point where I was just skimming because it was much too long.
Library borrow was best for me.
June 30, 2022
This not only tells of the two Browns who became Governor of California, Pat and Jerry, but also of Kathleen who arguably would have been the best Governor, combining her father's warm personality and love of people with her brother's intellect and love of policy. The book is also about California as the Brown ancestors came to California in the 1800s and their lives and the California of their lives are detailed. And when the book shifts to Pat and his wife Bernice, while including Pat's fascinating mother Ida, the book continues to be as much about the constantly changing California as the Browns.
And while the Browns are placed at the central of the California story others make appearances. Earl Warren and Pat Brown continued to have a genuine friendship even though they came from different political parties, though the California Republican party shifted away from Earl Warren's type of Republicanism. And Warren and Brown were united in their distaste for another Californian in the book, Richard Nixon who was beaten by Pat Brown for Governor in 1962. Ronald Reagan beat Pat Brown in 1966, his sunny personality belied his sometimes extreme politics something that Democrats seemed to underestimate during his entire career. Jerry Brown was elected to succeed Reagan and of course Linda Ronstad makes an appearance, but the author, Miriam Pawel spends much more time on Brown's policies which ran counter to conventional politics and she also details his arrogance and aloofness which limited his effectiveness. Katherine ran for Governor in 1994, handicapped by a horrible election cycle for Democrats as well as Jerry's continued unpopularity. And of course we have the redemption of Jerry, including his time as Mayor of Oakland, then Attorney General and then Governor again.
This is a great book about a compelling family against the backdrop of an ever changing state
And while the Browns are placed at the central of the California story others make appearances. Earl Warren and Pat Brown continued to have a genuine friendship even though they came from different political parties, though the California Republican party shifted away from Earl Warren's type of Republicanism. And Warren and Brown were united in their distaste for another Californian in the book, Richard Nixon who was beaten by Pat Brown for Governor in 1962. Ronald Reagan beat Pat Brown in 1966, his sunny personality belied his sometimes extreme politics something that Democrats seemed to underestimate during his entire career. Jerry Brown was elected to succeed Reagan and of course Linda Ronstad makes an appearance, but the author, Miriam Pawel spends much more time on Brown's policies which ran counter to conventional politics and she also details his arrogance and aloofness which limited his effectiveness. Katherine ran for Governor in 1994, handicapped by a horrible election cycle for Democrats as well as Jerry's continued unpopularity. And of course we have the redemption of Jerry, including his time as Mayor of Oakland, then Attorney General and then Governor again.
This is a great book about a compelling family against the backdrop of an ever changing state
September 6, 2018
The Browns of California: The Family Dynasty That Transformed a State and Shaped a Nation by Miriam Pawel from Bloomsbury Publishing is an amazing, knockout of a book. It is excellently written and excellently researched. Ms Pawel's research used family archives and diaries, photos and personal interviews. She takes you from Jerry Brown's great-grandfather August Schuckman's journey from Prussia to California during the gold rush working several jobs to buy his piece of the American dream. She covers both the history of the family and the state beautifully in an engaging way. The Browns have been an important part of California 's history and after reading this you will see what a different place California would be without the impact of August's grandson, great grandson and great granddaughter at the state's helm. This family seems to genuinely work for California and it's people.
Pat Brown brought California water and roads. He was a strong proponent of the state's education system and worked to keep tuition free at UC campuses (until the 80's despite Gov Reagan's strong fight earlier to charge tuition). Jerry championed and saw passage of the California Agriculture Labor Relations Act and had worked for education reform. There is so much more to learn in this impossible to put down book. It could easily make a great mini series.
Thank you NetGalley, Miriam Pawel and Bloomsbury Publishing for the opportunity to read an ARC. This is my honest review and opinions are my own.
Pat Brown brought California water and roads. He was a strong proponent of the state's education system and worked to keep tuition free at UC campuses (until the 80's despite Gov Reagan's strong fight earlier to charge tuition). Jerry championed and saw passage of the California Agriculture Labor Relations Act and had worked for education reform. There is so much more to learn in this impossible to put down book. It could easily make a great mini series.
Thank you NetGalley, Miriam Pawel and Bloomsbury Publishing for the opportunity to read an ARC. This is my honest review and opinions are my own.
February 9, 2019
The Brown family is Pawel's literary device to bring 150 years of selected California history together. For the most part her approach works and there is much to learn about the state's development from the Gold Rush to today. There are surprises such as reading about Governor Pat Brown's concerns in the mid-50s--ethnic and racial discrimination, population growth outstripping services, degradation of the environment, the widening gap between rich and poor-- and seeing today's problems in the mirror. What I found lacking is more understanding of the characters themselves. I was fascinated by what little I learned about the family patriarch, August Schuckman, who emigrated from Prussia in 1852. The author refers in the latter pages of the book to a diary he kept. I would have liked more insights from it. He seemed to be adept and skilled at building up his assets and making his mark. I get the feeling that she did not have access to Jerry Brown, the now retired Governor. Hence the text feels somewhat bloodless. Nevertheless anyone interested in the history of California's governance will find this book worthwhile.
July 17, 2019
THE BROWNS OF CALIFORNIA by Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Miriam Pawel is one of Publishers Weekly Top Ten History Books for Fall, for good reason. This absorbing read takes us through California’s glorious past from the Gold Rush to Silicon Valley, viewed through the scrim of the Brown dynasty at Cali’s helm for 25 years.
In this incisive narrative, we learn of four family generations ... from August Schuckman, a Prussian immigrant who settled on a northern California ranch in 1852 after traversing the Plains ... to great-grandson Jerry Brown, the youngest governor in modern times and the oldest three decades later. The author posits this axiom: as go the Browns, so goes California. Reading this fine historical portrait of an exceptional family provides invaluable insights into the California we know today. Highly recommended!
Thanks to Bloomsbury USA and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are fully mine.
#TheBrownsOfCalifornia#NetGalley
In this incisive narrative, we learn of four family generations ... from August Schuckman, a Prussian immigrant who settled on a northern California ranch in 1852 after traversing the Plains ... to great-grandson Jerry Brown, the youngest governor in modern times and the oldest three decades later. The author posits this axiom: as go the Browns, so goes California. Reading this fine historical portrait of an exceptional family provides invaluable insights into the California we know today. Highly recommended!
Thanks to Bloomsbury USA and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are fully mine.
#TheBrownsOfCalifornia#NetGalley
July 13, 2023
Colorful, broad history of (mostly) Jerry and Pat Brown. This book fills in many blanks about the Browns and provides a lot of California and family history. Personally, I came of age as Jerry became prominent and never knew much about Pat and his work beyond founding the UC system. There is a lot more to him. This fascinating work breezes through many, many topics in 450 or so . It also appears to be written with the full cooperation of the family, and isn't very critical -- it is an objective, journalistic book. Several, more definitive books need to come out. Meanwhile, this book takes its place among the really good California history books (i.e. Kevin Starr's books, Joan Didion etc).
June 14, 2019
This was an informative portrait of the Brown family that produced two notable governors Edmund “Pat” Brown and Edmund “Jerry” Brown Jr,
This family has its roots in California history beginning with the Gold Rush.
I was fascinated by the strong individuals both women and men whose members who followed California history and also shaped it.
Pavel focused on the two Brown governors who were and are influential and complex men.
I would recommend this well written book for those who want to learn more about California history.
This family has its roots in California history beginning with the Gold Rush.
I was fascinated by the strong individuals both women and men whose members who followed California history and also shaped it.
Pavel focused on the two Brown governors who were and are influential and complex men.
I would recommend this well written book for those who want to learn more about California history.
December 29, 2020
Miriam Pawel's "The Browns of California" is astonishing in its breadth, scope and engagement. I knew little about Pat and Jerry Brown and the other members of the Brown family before I started this seminal work, even though I'm a California native. Pawel took this reader on a historical tour de force of the nation's most dynamic and innovative state and did so in a gripping and lucid manner. If only all works of history could read like this. I cannot recommend this work highly enough, especially for anyone with even a passing interest in California's vibrant, rich history. Must read.
April 14, 2019
This book is definitely not for everyone. But for those with an interest in California politics and history, this is an interesting and well-written account of the Brown family. Most of the focus is on Pat and Jerry (I found the chapters on Jerry’s time in the Jesuit seminary particularly interesting in how it shaped his personality and policies) but Kathleen also gets a chapter (and I knew very little about her).
April 16, 2019
A well written, compelling history of not just the Brown family, but of California. Much of the book deals with The political development of Jerry Brown. A 4.5
April 25, 2020
Tracing the history of a state and the family that helped shape it, is an incredibly daunting task, especially given the volume of players at stake. Pawel writes clearly and is able to concisely give the history of a number of laws, elections, personal relationships and educational pursuits that paint vivid portraits of each of the Brown members featured, but also of California. The narrative is strong in providing an understanding of how we got to where we are right now, and how this family ducked into and out of the policies that shaped it.
Further, understanding the personalities of each family member enriches the story, and, to me, showed how inventive and multi-faceted this single family was in their striving to make California a leading state. The book mostly focuses on Jerry Brown, who is this amazingly curious, self-possessed and introspective person. He amazingly found a role in government that not only informed his own coming of age, but the states’ as well. It was an added bonus to get the inter-generational lessons that come from working in the same industry as parents and siblings - they all informed each other and became more whole because of it.
Loved this book, and miss Jerry Brown all the more because of it.
Further, understanding the personalities of each family member enriches the story, and, to me, showed how inventive and multi-faceted this single family was in their striving to make California a leading state. The book mostly focuses on Jerry Brown, who is this amazingly curious, self-possessed and introspective person. He amazingly found a role in government that not only informed his own coming of age, but the states’ as well. It was an added bonus to get the inter-generational lessons that come from working in the same industry as parents and siblings - they all informed each other and became more whole because of it.
Loved this book, and miss Jerry Brown all the more because of it.
June 14, 2020
It is interesting to read an autobiography and history of a time period I lived through. This book covers both governor Browns, Edmund Sr. and Jr. (always called Jerry). The description of California and especially San Francisco politics was filled with anecdotes and commentary that blended well and read as smoothly as a novel.
March 7, 2021
One of best political books I have read for a while. Detailed and sympathetic account of the Brown family. Doubles as a 20th century history of California.
November 23, 2018
This book purports to describe a portion of California history through the lens of the Brown family and to some extent it succeeds. I certainly learned a fair bit of California history and a good deal about Pat and Jerry Brown. Yet the book felt surprising flat. Neither Pat nor Jerry Brown came to life as individuals and the history, which covers important parts of the state history, seemed cursory, as events went quickly by without much analysis or insight. While I found the book reasonably interesting I kept feeling that it should have fascinating, the material was certainly there. But the author never went deep enough to move beyond the mildly interesting.
July 27, 2023
One of the best popular nonfiction books I've read in a while! California's political history is covered through the lives of Pat and Jerry Brown, the father-son duo who served a cumulative six terms as California's governor. The books covers major elections, including Pat's victory over Nixon and loss to Reagan and Jerry's several unsuccessful presidential runs. It also shows how the Browns crafted landmark policy on water, budget/education, climate/air pollution, civil rights, and immigration issues.
Pawel does a great job giving mini-biographies of important people who aren't named Brown like Earl Warren, Allard Lowenstein, Michael Picker, and Anthony Rendon. She also clearly explains tricky concepts like the links between the budget, the school districts and (formerly free) public colleges, as well as the "ballot box budgeting" initiative system (especialy Props 13 and 30). I particularly liked learning about the history of the State Water Project, which brought water from Northern to Southern California, Prop 187, which many of today's prominent Latino politicians trace their political roots to, and AB398, which extended cap-and-trade and was one of the state's first steps on climate justice.
I was most charmed by the chapters on young Jerry Brown. He wanted to become a Jesuit priest and enrolled in seminary, made immensely quotable comments that often turned the talking points of Republicans on their heads and were sometimes just oblique, became the youngest Governor in CA history -- bringing tons of young people into politics, and made his relationship with Linda Ronstadt public even though they both knew they would never work out for each other long-term.
Would highly recommend to anyone interested in California politics and policy. Only real criticism is that I wish the beginning section on August Schuckman (Pat Brown's grandfather who settled in California) had been much shorter.
Pawel does a great job giving mini-biographies of important people who aren't named Brown like Earl Warren, Allard Lowenstein, Michael Picker, and Anthony Rendon. She also clearly explains tricky concepts like the links between the budget, the school districts and (formerly free) public colleges, as well as the "ballot box budgeting" initiative system (especialy Props 13 and 30). I particularly liked learning about the history of the State Water Project, which brought water from Northern to Southern California, Prop 187, which many of today's prominent Latino politicians trace their political roots to, and AB398, which extended cap-and-trade and was one of the state's first steps on climate justice.
I was most charmed by the chapters on young Jerry Brown. He wanted to become a Jesuit priest and enrolled in seminary, made immensely quotable comments that often turned the talking points of Republicans on their heads and were sometimes just oblique, became the youngest Governor in CA history -- bringing tons of young people into politics, and made his relationship with Linda Ronstadt public even though they both knew they would never work out for each other long-term.
Would highly recommend to anyone interested in California politics and policy. Only real criticism is that I wish the beginning section on August Schuckman (Pat Brown's grandfather who settled in California) had been much shorter.
January 15, 2024
Confession: I read this book five years ago but never completed my notes. I have completed them in January of 2024.
The Browns of California gives an in-depth look at the family which produced two governors who were in office 24 years of my 70 years in California. As a family they have had a large impact on this state all the way from highway building and the building up of the University of California system to its current focus on environmental and climate policy.
Pawel’s review of the family is almost always positive-which there is a lot to justify that positiveness. She takes you through how the family immigrated from Germany to California. As the family moved to San Francisco, Pat Brown became involved with its politics, running for District Attorney, then the State’s Attorney General and finally governor. Jerry Brown took a different route having studied to be a Jesuit, ended up in politics and eventually running unsuccessfully for President while governor. Pawel takes us through the end of Jerry Brown’s second time as governor.
Most of the book Pawel does well in explaining how the Brown’s operated. But there are places where Pawel makes a statement which leaves you wondering. Such as Jerry Brown’s affinity for Zen is given only a cursory explanation. Or saying that Brown felt that the UC’s law school being a top ten school was a sign of failure. Why?
If you are interested in California politics, this is a good book to read, even at close to 500 pages. You still need to be committed to the effort.
For more of my notes and thoughts, please see mybook blog
The Browns of California gives an in-depth look at the family which produced two governors who were in office 24 years of my 70 years in California. As a family they have had a large impact on this state all the way from highway building and the building up of the University of California system to its current focus on environmental and climate policy.
Pawel’s review of the family is almost always positive-which there is a lot to justify that positiveness. She takes you through how the family immigrated from Germany to California. As the family moved to San Francisco, Pat Brown became involved with its politics, running for District Attorney, then the State’s Attorney General and finally governor. Jerry Brown took a different route having studied to be a Jesuit, ended up in politics and eventually running unsuccessfully for President while governor. Pawel takes us through the end of Jerry Brown’s second time as governor.
Most of the book Pawel does well in explaining how the Brown’s operated. But there are places where Pawel makes a statement which leaves you wondering. Such as Jerry Brown’s affinity for Zen is given only a cursory explanation. Or saying that Brown felt that the UC’s law school being a top ten school was a sign of failure. Why?
If you are interested in California politics, this is a good book to read, even at close to 500 pages. You still need to be committed to the effort.
For more of my notes and thoughts, please see mybook blog
January 30, 2021
Outstanding. As a native CA who has also never lived outside the State, although I have lived in 4 different counties, this book was a fascinating ride through political and social history. The sad part is that we are still fighting about the same damn things we were 40 years ago: climate, poverty, education access/equality. Like father like son, their values were extraordinary for public servants, at least compared to today. Sure they made some decisions that in hindsight turned out to be terrible. They were transparent and, at least in Jerry's case, he took subsequent opportunities to address those decisions. In general, their core intent was to help those whom the powerful often neglected. Pg 99: "...Pat later recalled I'd pray for the most forgotten soul in the State of California. That somewhere, the works that I did would reach out, and reach that most forgotten soul in California. Pg 221: Under Jerry's tenure, "Ed Roberts, a paralyzed polio victim who crusaded for the rights of the disabled, became head of the Department of Vocational Rehabilitation-an agency that had once deemed Roberts too disabled to hold a job." Jerry considered it not a sign of glory but of failure that the UC law schools were among the top 10 in the country, asking "...But I look at the law schools and I ask myself, how does that affect the least of the people who live in this society?" [pg 227/28] I'm quite sure this is the longest book I have ever read: it was worth it and a great way to start off 2021.
December 24, 2023
California stands out among US states and not just because of its population. The state is one of the few states with a very strong state identity and mythos (I would add Massachusetts and Texas to that list) --- an identity rooted in innovation and opportunity and forward motion. It has often been a harbinger of national shifts in politics -- around taxation, around immigration, and many more. And from 1959 to the present, for 24 years it has had a governor from the Brown family. Pat Brown and Jerry Brown -- the only Democrats so far to serve two full terms (something Jerry did twice).
Pawel's "The Browns of California" does an excellent job of capturing the evolution of California and national politics from the New Deal Era to the present through the lens of Pat and Jerry Brown (also with some forays into other members of the political family). It shows how Pat and Jerry responded to, furthered, or tried to push back against these shifts in a state whose past 20th and 21st century has been characterized by high inequality, changing demographics, racial tensions, environmental crises, and tech innovation.
There is so much in this that I was left at various points wanting to learn more about certain political fights (or feeling like ones I knew more about got too quick of treatment, e.g., Jerry Brown and cap-and-trade), but it is well-organized, well-paced, and well-researched.
My one final take is how continually confouding a political figure Jerry Brown is in how he routinely calls out problems that every time he gets into power he makes worse.
Pawel's "The Browns of California" does an excellent job of capturing the evolution of California and national politics from the New Deal Era to the present through the lens of Pat and Jerry Brown (also with some forays into other members of the political family). It shows how Pat and Jerry responded to, furthered, or tried to push back against these shifts in a state whose past 20th and 21st century has been characterized by high inequality, changing demographics, racial tensions, environmental crises, and tech innovation.
There is so much in this that I was left at various points wanting to learn more about certain political fights (or feeling like ones I knew more about got too quick of treatment, e.g., Jerry Brown and cap-and-trade), but it is well-organized, well-paced, and well-researched.
My one final take is how continually confouding a political figure Jerry Brown is in how he routinely calls out problems that every time he gets into power he makes worse.
July 22, 2024
A history of the Brown family; how they came to California, how they came to power, what their policies and motivations were.
I found this book to be really interesting. Having grown up in California (and, as a seventh generation Californian), I discovered I did not know too much about its history or politics since its formation. So sometimes I would see names pop up that are on buildings, say, but I had no idea who those people were. Or facts would pop up, like the UC system for many years being free to any Californian who qualified, and I would realize I had no idea about that. But mostly the book is about the Brown family and how they shaped (or tried to shape) the political landscape, which was equally as interesting. I found myself most interested in Jerry Brown, who I have voted for, but I did not know really anything at all about him or the things he did in his life. He is a very interesting man, with his root in Jesuit theology/philosophy, but trying to apply it to his political positions to make a difference for the people. I was impressed with his really forward thinking, especially in the 1970s, when he was governor. Things that seem commonplace now were cutting edge then and viewed as sort of wacky. It reminded me of when I read the biography of John Quincy Adams, who also had really forward-thinking ideas of what the government could do that were also dismissed and, yet, came into fruition a century later.
I found this book to be really interesting. Having grown up in California (and, as a seventh generation Californian), I discovered I did not know too much about its history or politics since its formation. So sometimes I would see names pop up that are on buildings, say, but I had no idea who those people were. Or facts would pop up, like the UC system for many years being free to any Californian who qualified, and I would realize I had no idea about that. But mostly the book is about the Brown family and how they shaped (or tried to shape) the political landscape, which was equally as interesting. I found myself most interested in Jerry Brown, who I have voted for, but I did not know really anything at all about him or the things he did in his life. He is a very interesting man, with his root in Jesuit theology/philosophy, but trying to apply it to his political positions to make a difference for the people. I was impressed with his really forward thinking, especially in the 1970s, when he was governor. Things that seem commonplace now were cutting edge then and viewed as sort of wacky. It reminded me of when I read the biography of John Quincy Adams, who also had really forward-thinking ideas of what the government could do that were also dismissed and, yet, came into fruition a century later.
December 4, 2018
This is a broad, great history of mostly Pat and Jerry Brown. Also, it is a story of their immigrant heritage, Jesuit background, and the story of California. The issues California faced with water, its startling growth, and its rise to become the most populous state are covered. So are all of the actors, business people of the day, and politicians. This book also revealed something I did not know, but should have known. How politicians are often cozy with the wealthy. The author was not always ostentatious but both the Browns were very privileged. And many opportunities just came their way. Another interesting fact, Pat Brown after his political career made a good fortune working for an Indonesian dictator. Once when Jerry Brown was asked about the dissonance between his personal finances and political virtues he said "you got me." California's new governor, Gavin Newsom, also has powerful friends, the Getty family. Money and politics, even if you are a liberal, are intertwined. Nonetheless, when Jerry Brown ran for President, his slogan was Protect the Earth; Save the People; and Explore the Universe. That sounds very Californian and appeals to me.
January 27, 2019
If you are, were or are about to be a Californian, you should read this book. I'm a native who spent the middle 36 years of his life out of state, and this puts into perspective California's massive growth in the 20th century, the circumstances and policies that brought it about and the very different approaches and thought processes of the two Governor Browns (Pat and Jerry), as well as that of Ronald Reagan in between.
It also examines the 21st century California that Jerry Brown governed in his historic second eight-year tenure in Sacramento (inheriting a record deficit and leaving office with a record surplus).
More than anything, though, it reminded me of how it felt to be a Californian when I was here the first time (birth through age 21). We've always been a forward-thinking place, and just about every new idea brought derision at first. Thirty years later, it was usually standard practice taken for granted even in the Deep South and Midwest. And Jerry Brown was/is that kind of thinker. The "Moonbeam" thing was a bad rap.
It also examines the 21st century California that Jerry Brown governed in his historic second eight-year tenure in Sacramento (inheriting a record deficit and leaving office with a record surplus).
More than anything, though, it reminded me of how it felt to be a Californian when I was here the first time (birth through age 21). We've always been a forward-thinking place, and just about every new idea brought derision at first. Thirty years later, it was usually standard practice taken for granted even in the Deep South and Midwest. And Jerry Brown was/is that kind of thinker. The "Moonbeam" thing was a bad rap.
March 31, 2022
This is an entertaining and informative about arguably the First Family of California. As Jerry Brown declared of his dad Governor Pat Brown: He defeated Nixon in 1962 (the conversation between Brown and JFK is delicious on that) and could have ended Ronald Reagan's run to power in 1966. "Dad" Brown would by the early 1970's be somewhat eclipsed by son Jerry, for state attorney general to governor to three times Presidential candidate. Embracing his earlier life as a Jesuit seminarian, Jerry then went on a spiritual quest to Asia, and embarked on a second political career. If Jerry I mirrored his dad's political rise, Jerry II mirrored Jerry I, culminating in another stint as Governor. There is also sister Kathleen, and grandmom Ida and mom Bernice, and other independent and strong Brown women. Very well written with color but always grounded in research. A good read indeed.
November 11, 2018
I was somewhat disappointed with The Browns of California. Sure, there's a lot of information in its pages about the Brown family, particularly the governorships of Pat and Jerry, but there's very little assessment of their policies and their impacts on the Golden State. There's a difference between describing a politician's policies and actions, and examining and analyzing that politician's programs and legislative agenda. Miriam Pawel does well with the former but falls short on the latter. Her coverage of Pat Brown's governorship, in particular, would have benefited from a more analytical approach.
Still, I learnt a great deal about California history which shed light on the state's present. It's a pity that Pawel passed up an opportunity to produce a more substantial work.
Still, I learnt a great deal about California history which shed light on the state's present. It's a pity that Pawel passed up an opportunity to produce a more substantial work.
December 18, 2020
This friendly, but not uncritical biography of the Brown family, the California political dynasty, portrays the family's political story against the evolution of California over the past century and one-half. Pawel goes beyond the monikers of "The Master Builder" (Pat Brown) and "Governor Moonbeam" (Jerry Brown) to render a more complete picture of each man, their politics, and their times. The book also gives due to Kathleen Brown, the former State Treasurer whose principled stand on immigration policy may have lost her the 1994 gubernatorial election.
All in all, this is a good read about an important chapter of modern American political history and a worthy addition to any biography enthusiast's collection.
All in all, this is a good read about an important chapter of modern American political history and a worthy addition to any biography enthusiast's collection.
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