The California Missions

by Dorothy Krell (Editor), Philip Spencer (Photographer), John S. Weir (Photographer)

Here is the unique story of the California missions - their dramatic founding, ruination, and eventual restoration. Never before have both the history and present-day beauty of the missions been so completely and magnificently portrayed. All twenty-one missions are shown in attractive watercolor renderings, and there are intriguing photographs from early days as well as recent times. Each mission is the subject of an individual chapter in which its meaning and contribution to our history are fully explained. A valuable reference source for the whole family, this handsome book doubles as a visitor's guide. Providing information on mission tours, museums, and libraries.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Travel

320 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 1979

Reviews

[Chad Schimke · Rating 4 out of 5]

CALIFORNIA MISSIONS – The California Missions, a Sunset Pictorial, is the story of El Camino Real. The Royal Road, first used in the late 1700’s, established missions for Spain from San Diego to Sonoma. The foot trail became a stage coach route; then a railroad and today the principal highway linking north to south. The book is packed full of photos and illustrations, a must have for anyone interested in California history. Each of the twenty one mission churches is very unique; some shoehorned into dense urban settings while others remain within a peaceful valleys, reminiscent of the mission’s pastoral history.

[Brian Hull · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now I want to visit all of the missions. I never realized how important they all are in the history of the great state of California and to the Catholic Church. Great read. So informative.

[Bernie4444 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Travel El Camino Real. See the splendor of the 21 missions.

I have visited missions across the country. And each has its attraction. Yet there is something more robust and alive about the California missions. This book attempts to bring it out to you in history, tales, and diagrams. This is a good book to carry as you visit the different missions.

The only drawback is that the bulk of the pictures is in Black and white. It looks like art more than a live place that people are in today. Some of the missions are hard to find but there is no excuse for missing the gardens in San Diego de Alcala. The first mission was founded on July 16, 1769, and has had many lives since.

There are 25 chapters and a fact section. You can even find Mission Recipes like Puchero means "a boiled pot".

[DULCE MARIA · Rating 4 out of 5]

The more that I learn about the missions, the more that I want to visit all of them, and come face to face with the history of California. This book is a bit outdated but the pictures are still great.

[Alexis Ruiz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a great resource to help visual learners in understanding what the Missions looked like in their time and today. Although the pictures work to show us the time and place, being in black and white mostly, colorized pictures could help a book like this reach new levels.

[Sherrill Watson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a Sunset book, so there are a lot of nice pictures. Printed in 1971, so it's outdated.

I've seen about half of the Missions. Some are very inspiring. I wish I could live there. You can get the feeling of the place as it was years ago -- awesome and a little eerie. I attended Mission San Fernando church for years, sometimes the rest of the buildings were open, sometimes not. There are two fountains, one inside the church grounds, the other across the street, that used to be inside the grounds.

It is the same with the other Missions, which none of the books mention. Nearly all were by rivers and had fountains. Now, some are RIGHT on the street, with nary a place to park. Others are more rural, and by poking around you get a real feel for the place. The bells -- importantly -- have nearly all been found (some restored), and if you ask nicely . . .

I've read nearly all of the books on the Missions. Why the "Indians" didn't continue to care for them -- didn't the Padres teach them supervisional skills? Why was there secularization in the middle of such successful businesses? Even business that was shorthanded because of diseases should have been viable.

[Glownthedarc · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! I learned the history behind the missions, and the connections and differences that each one have with each other. I really want to visit each mission ever since I read this book.