The Human Tradition in California

by Clark Davis

Book Overview

With a land mass one and half times larger than the United Kingdom, a population of more than thirty million, and an economy that would rank sixth among world nations, the history of the state of California demands a closer look.

The Human Tradition in California captures the region's rich history and diversity, taking readers into the daily lives of ordinary Californians at key moments in time. These brief biographies show how individual...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0842050272
• ISBN13: 9780842050272
• Release Date: August 2002
• Publisher: Globe Pequot Publishing Group Inc/Bloomsbury
• Length: 253 Pages
• Weight: 1.00 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Well-Assembled Collection of Biographies

Davis and Igler present a superb collection of diverse short biographical essays, arranged chronologically, which map out critical issues in the history and growth of California. A wide variety of voices is presented as the biographies cover both the famous (Caesar Chavez, John Steinbeck) and the unheralded (Guadalupe Trujillo: a Mexican woman charged with the murder of her Indian slave; Joy Neugebauer: a wife and mother seeking to purchase a home in post-WWII suburbia). Their use of a wide variety of authors and biographical subjects makes the book a delight to read. While it would not serve alone as a textbook for a course on California History, it would certainly make a highly appropriate supplement. My hope is that in a future edition they will include other voices their first edition did not have time or space to include: megachurch/Pentacostal churchmembers (like Semple-McPherson or Chuck Smith), gay-rights activists (like Milk), Orange County Republican conservatives (Reaganites or Nixonians), musicians (Selena or the Beach Boys), tax rebels (Howard Jarvis), and environmentalists (like Muir). Maybe they will put out a second volume. If so, I'll be happy to buy it and use it if I teach a course in California history!