With its great diversity of landforms, California has an unparalleled range of climate, soils, and natural vegetation. All these influence where people live, what they do with the land, and what kind of communication and transportation they have. For this book a historian and a cartographer have collaborated to record these and other aspects of the Golden State's geography and the events of its history. The narrative is illustrated with 101 excellent maps presenting information previously available only to the scholar or, in some cases, not available at all. The maps cover all the physical...

"Combines a good geography of the state with much interesting information along practically any line one might wish to follow." Navajo Times "It is a supreme treat to look at a volume so well organized. . . . T]his is a must-have book." American West "School teachers will hail this book with delight, and students at any level will wonder how anyone ever got along without it." Santa Fe New Mexican New Mexico's long and dramatic history was in many ways predestined by its location, vast size, and abundant mineral resources. Treasure-hunting Spanish explorers tramped across its plains and...