Using nearly five hundred historical maps and many other illustrations--from rough sketches drawn in the field to commercial maps to beautifully rendered works of art--this lavishly illustrated volume is the first to tell the story of California's past from a unique visual perspective. Covering five hundred years of history, it offers a compelling and informative look at the transformation of the state from before European contact through the Gold Rush and up to the present. The maps are accompanied by a concise, engaging narrative and by extended captions that elucidate the stories and...

An atlas that presents the history of the American West through more than 600 full-color maps and captions. From the earliest human inhabitants and the first European explorers to the national parks and retirement resorts of today, it chronicles the West from uncharted territory to a well-populated Eden.

America s long romance with the train has been the subject of many books, but none has used contemporary maps to comprehensively illustrate the story. Until now. Here the latest of Derek Hayes s historical atlases delves into the history of the railroad in North America, from its origins in Britain in the 1820s and short lines connecting Eastern Seaboard rivers in the 1830s to Amtrak and the modern intermodal freights driving today s railroad revival. Colorful and informative, the book covers a vast range of topics and offers an impressive array of types of railroad map, from the purely...