I was in 7th grade in Aptos, CA when the Loma Prieta earthquake hit Northern California. I didn't remember a whole lot about that time, so I bought this book to refresh my memory.

Great tribute to Candlestick Park and to Lon Simmons the longtime announcer. Could have used more pictures of Candlestick but was lovingly produced.

What an incredible find this book is for anyone who is in love with San Francisco. Harriet Levy was born in The City in 1867 and lived at 920 O'Farrell Street until about 1904. Those readers who are familiar with the sights and sounds of San Francisco will be equally pleased with the unfamiliar: "Near the corner of Polk Street stood the cow barn of old man Waller, to which the anemic children of the neighborhood, glass in hand, hurried in the early morning hours to receive warm milk fresh from the cow." (3) About one-third of the chapters are named for rooms of her house. The rooms are described in great detail only to flow into some memory of an event that occurred there. For instance, before reminiscing about her sister Addie's beautiful singing voice and the songs she sang, Levy describes the room itself: "...the ceiling of the music room a lattice of bamboo intertwined with garlands of tea roses and autumn leaves, and burnished birds of copper ! and blue winging their flight..." (106) Levy's vivid description puts you right there, eyelids drooping. Familiar names also pop up, like Alice Toklas who was a friend and neighbor. This book is an absolute treasure!

This is by far, the most informative restaurant guide I have ever read for the city of San Francisco. The book includes listings of the best places to dine by category and the ratings are very close to accurate. A totally must-have book in San Francisco and the surrounding area.

This book is both a "good read" for the general reader who'd like to know about the lives and autobiographies of great activists of the African diaspora. It is also an excellent companion or introduction to the history of Black literature, especially autobiography, and to the history of American literature in particular.

A review from Wild West Magazine, June 2000:

The two largest movements of vigilantism in the American West occurred in 1851 and 1856 San Francisco during the California Gold Rush, and right in the middle of both of them--but not on the vigilantes' side--was one Charles P. ("Dutch Charley") Duane. In '51, the Committee of Vigilance banished Dutch Charley from San Francisco, saying he would face a penalty of death if he returned. Seems he had been involved in at least seven brawls, including the beating and shooting of a French actor named Amedee Fayolle. But the vigilantes disbanded that fall, and Duane was soon back in town and making trouble again. During the next several years, he was involved in at least half a dozen violent incidents. When the San Francisco Committee of Vigilance formed in 1856, it targeted Dutch Charley and once again warned him to leave and never to return under penalty of death.

There were two sides to Dutch Charley, though. He was also a fearless fireman. He played a courageous role in saving much of the St. Francis Hotel from a fiery fate in October 1853 and, less than two months after that, was elected chief engineer of the fire department. When the heat died down after his 1856 banishment from San Francisco, Duane quietly returned to town early in 1860 and, within weeks, was honored during a fire department meeting. Dutch Charley would stay put, become involved in politics again (he had once been a chief henchman for the politically powerful David C. Broderick), and outlast most of his drinking buddies.

John Boessenecker does justice to Dutch Charley's colorful story in 50 pages, which constitutes the "Introduction." It has to be one of the longest and best introductions you'll find in a Western history book and serves as more than a warm up for Duane's own memoirs, originally published in the San Francisco Examiner in 1881 and now published for the first time in book form. Duane's 100-page account, as Boessenecker describes it, "provides a firsthand viewpoint of one of the most outspoken opponents of vigilance in San Francisco." Highpoints include getting Duane's take on a double hanging by the vigilantes on May 22, 1856, and on his own capture soon afterward for refusing to "go and bow down to the Vigilance Committee." Boessenecker also provides detailed explanatory notes that help complete this fascinating look at one man's violent life and one boom city's most violent era.

Louis Hart

This magnificently photographed volume offers the reader a wonderful insight into one of the most beautiful edifices in the world. This oversized book stunningly recreates the splendor of Grenada. A treasure for any who have visited the Alhambra.

An exceptional trip down the stoned, yellow-brick road of memory. I was in San Francisco in the late 1960's and these poems brought it all back--yeah, it was a real flashback. The sadness and beauty of it all. If you were there, get this book. Peace.

If, like me, you are a California- or San Francisco-phile, then doubtless you already know of this book. It is THE classic account of the Gold Rush era, mostly because it isn't tarnished by revisionism--it was published in 1855! It has served as the first informational source for both researchers and novelists alike. But this review is intended for those who might not be familiar with the history of California, or may have read only the novels, journalism, or light non-fiction treatments. Don't be put off by the publication date or the book's level of detail--it is a very enjoyable read! The authors were not scholars or historians, but rather a doctor, a lawyer, and a journalist. It is jam-packed with anecdotes and factoids that will make you appreciate even more the accounts of Mark Twain, Joaquin Miller, Ambrose Bierce, Bret Harte, Henry George, etc. It is truly the root of the fruit.

ANOTONIO LOPEZ is profoundly respected in Spain and occupies rooms in the museums in Madrid. Known primarily to atists and art historians in this country, Antonio Lopez is a painter who deserves world acclaim. His style is representational with patience of observation of an object over long periods of time that imbues his work with an honesty that places him among the masters. So true is his perception that a fine film has been made of his prolonged painting of a Quince, proping up the branch of the selected fruit as its weight increases with maturity solely for the purpose of completing his thoughts and painting without resorting to in-studio alterations.

Any book obtainable about this artists would be a must for every sensitive artist and collector. The finest collection of his work is found in the catalogue of his exhibition in Madrid in 1993 and the elements of writing and reproduction are closely seconded by this volume by Francisco Nieve.

Antonio Lopez paints cityscapes, landscapes, protraits, still lifes, and large canvases that include some surreal elements. His palette is subtle, and his degree of observation is uncanny. If only someone would present this artist in the Americas! Until then, do what you can to obtain any book about his work. Highly recommended.