California: Land of New Beginnings

by David Lavender

From the earliest Spanish explorations in the late 1500s through the present, California's history and growth have been both tumultuous and phenomenal. All the historical facts are here: the missions and the Indians, the struggles between the Mexicans and the Americans, the fabulous gold rushes, statehood in 1850, railroad wars, furious labor upheavals, the disastrous scandals and bankruptcies of the 1920s, and the recent gigantic tamperings with nature. David Lavender tells, with unusual clarity and grace, the story of a beautiful state's rise to giganticism. In an afterword to this Bison Book edition, he looks at California today.

Genres: History

480 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1987

About the author

David Sievert Lavender was a well-known historian of the Western United States, nominated twice for the Pulitzer Prize, who is best remembered by many for his River Runners of the Grand Canyon.

Lavender spent most of his life in Ojai, California. An articulate and deeply knowledgeable speaker on the political and social history of the American West, he often spoke at the annual Telluride Film Festival.

Reviews

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

"From the earliest Spanish explorations in the late 1500s through the present, California's history and growth have been both tumultuous and phenomenal. All the historical facts are here: the missions and the Indians, the struggles between the Mexicans and the Americans, the fabulous gold rushes, statehood in 1850, railroad wars, furious labor upheavals, the disastrous scandals and bankruptcies of the 1920s, and the recent gigantic tamperings with nature. David Lavender tells, with unusual clarity and grace, the story of a beautiful state's rise to giganticism. In an afterword to this Bison book edition, he looks at California today."
~~back cover

This is an incredible book! It's long, but well worth the length, to find a humorous and unusual rendition of California's history. Yes, we already all knew about the missions and the Indians, and the gold rush, etc. The author has pieced all these together, along with more recent history which is just as important and crucial to understanding what California has become today. It's an easy read, in layman's language, and packed with relevant details. Well worth your time & effort!

[Adam Gossman · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book reminded me how much history this state has. He focused on new beginnings. I found his style not as much academic as personal. Mostly always good in history.