Customers say
Customers find the book provides considerable insight into California history. They appreciate the book’s length, with one customer noting its well-written summaries.
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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: Ilse Lang
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Michael Hiltzik “Golden State”, The Making of California
Review: easy readvery comprehensive
Reviewer: j. ward
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: To really know how we got to be California
Review: Wonderful chronicle of California from Spanish and indigenous people right up to our current « wars over water rights » and the Palisades/Eaton fires. hiltzik is a terrific author.
Reviewer: Amazon Customer
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: good history ofCalifornia
Review: great book and great service
Reviewer: G. Jay Christensen
Rating: 3.0 out of 5 stars
Title: THE BOOK ARRIVED IN POOR PRINTING QUALITY SHAPE
Review: Amazon should be more careful about shipping a book that hqs a page hanging out of the book, p. 231. That did not add o the quality of the printing.
Reviewer: S Mullin
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Highly recommend the seller!
Review: It was delivered on time, packaged well, and it was exactly as advertised. Highly recommend the seller!
Reviewer: Jim from Valencia CA
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Great book that explains California
Review: This is an excellent book. Throughly researched and well written. The book provides considerable insight into California history and is an interesting read.
Reviewer: susan carvalho
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Book
Review: Good read for ca natives
Price effective as of Jun 18, 2025 07:14:59 UTC
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