Historical Atlas of California: With Original Maps

University of California Press, 2007-10-30. hardcover. Very Good/Very Good. 9x1x12. 2007 University of California Press (Berkeley, California), 9 3/4 x 12 7/8 inches tall brown cloth hardcover in publisher's unclipped dust jacket, dark brown lettering to spine, map endpapers, copiously illustrated with black-and-white and color maps, photographs and drawings, 256 pp. Minor light staining to covers, with a bit of edgewear. Otherwise, a very good to near fine copy - clean, bright and unmarked - in a very good dust jacket which is nicely preserved and displayed in a clear archival Brodart sleeve. Note that this is a heavy and oversized book, so additional postage will be required for international or priority orders. ~SP43~ [5.0P] Using Nearly Five Hundred historical maps and many other illustrations - from rough sketches drawn in the field to commercial maps to beautifully rendered works of art - this lavishly illustrated volume is the first to tell the story of California's past from a unique visual perspective. Covering five hundred years of history, it offers a compelling and informative look at the transformation of the state from the point of European contact through the Cold Rush and up to the present. The maps are accompanied by a concise, engaging narrative and by extended captions that elucidate the stories and personalities behind the maps' creation. At once a valuable reference and an exhilarating adventure through history, the Historical Atlas of California, featuring many rare and unusual maps. Contents: The first of the Californians; Notions of a western shore; Of gold and galleons; The first New England; On the right hand of the Indies; Spain moves north; Exploring an unknown interior; Russian California; Mexican California; West to California; American California; The gold rush; The state of California; The United States coast survey; Searching for a railroad path; Building the transcontinental railroad; The southern Pacific; A geological survey; Water, wine, and oranges; The rise of urban California: 1. Los Angeles; 2. The San Francisco Bay area; 3. San Diego; 4. Sacramento; 5. Other cities; Rails for growth; The burning of San Francisco; Wildness for the people; Bringing water to the cities; From bike paths to freeways; Power for a new economy; Of airports and airlines; Boom and bust; California at war; Moving and shaking.