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NATIONAL BESTSELLER
“Superb. Hiltzik makes a compelling case that California is the heartbeat of our nation.”—Douglas Brinkley, New York Times bestselling author of Silent Spring Revolution
From Pulitzer Prize winner Michael Hiltzik, a definitive new history of California—from the Spanish conquistadors to the Gold Rush to the state’s meteoric rise as a tech powerhouse and bulwark of progressivism—and of its indelible mark on the United States and the world.
California has long reigned as the land of plenty, a place where the sun always shines and opportunity beckons. Even prior to its statehood in 1850, it captured the world’s imagination. We think of bearded prospectors lured by the promise of gold; we imagine its early embrace of immigrant labor during the railroad boom as prologue to its diverse social fabric today. But what lies underneath the myth is far more complicated.
Thanks to extensive research by Michael Hiltzik, one of our longstanding voices on California, Golden State uncovers the unvarnished truth about the state we think we know well. From Spanish incursions into what became known as Alta California to the rise of Big Tech, the history of California is one of stark contradictions. In rich, previously overlooked detail, we see its earliest statesmen wreak havoc among native peoples while racing to draft their own constitution even ahead of statehood. Gold-hungry settlers venture into the Sierra foothills only to leave with little, while a handful of their suppliers turn themselves into millionaire railroad magnates. Wars erupt in the name of water as Los Angeles booms, and early efforts to tame the vast landscape create a haven for fossil fuel extraction and environmental conservation alike. Hollywood politicians stoke fear, contributing to a centuries-long tradition of anti-Asian violence, and, remarkably, legal redlining and free higher education take root together.
Golden State brings a fresh critical eye to the origins of the state against which the rest of the country measures itself. From its very start, Hiltzik shows, the story of the United States was written in California.
Our Top Reviews
Reviewer: Brian Lewis
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: The California Multiverse
Review: I did not know it until now, but this is a book I have been looking for. Since moving to California about seven years ago, I have tried to catch up on the state’s history as much as I can. Golden State gives a very engaging overview of the California’s discovery, growth and development from the 1500s to the current day. I will say the book often jumped from chapter to chapter with no real connection. The railroad reaches California in one chapter, Los Angeles faces water issues in the next, that sort of thing. And some of the author’s choices are questionable. Lumping the development of the aircraft, film and computer industry into one chapter while devoting another solely to the rise of Richard Nixon for example. But the chapters themselves are succinct, well written summaries of the events they describe. Highly recommended, especially for those who, like me, find Kevin Starr’s seven volume history of California to be too daunting.
Reviewer: James E. Newnham
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: facts you need about your home state
Review: Excellent overview, with plenty of facts and research for the history of modern California
Reviewer: Jonathan H.
Rating: 1.0 out of 5 stars
Title: AI or Slop?
Review: After reading the sampler all I can say is the writing is unfocused and messy. It is a pain to read this.
Reviewer: Sean O’Connell
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Excellent history of
Review: thorough, well documented, most readable
Price effective as of Mar 18, 2025 15:09:04 UTC
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