Bear Flag Rising: The Conquest of California, 1846 [Paperback]

Dale L. Walker (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0312875126 | ISBN-13: 978-0312875121 | Publication Date: May 5, 2000 | Edition: 1st

Bear Flag Rising traces the history of California from the Indians who inhabited the land before the first Europeans saw it. The lives of the Californios in tranquil days before the advent of trappers and the steady decline of the providence under Mexicos neglectful rule are brought to life in this epic chronicle.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

On June 14, 1846, a band of rebels calling themselves "Osos"--their name inspired by grizzly bears whose "fighting spirit" they admired--gathered in the plaza of Sonoma, California. At dawn that day, they had ridden into the town and occupied it, forcing the Mexican Colonel Vallejo to surrender. In celebration of their bloodless victory, the rebels fashioned a flag bearing their emblem: a brown bear on a white field, a red stripe along the bottom and a red star in the upper corner, and the words "California Republic"--painted in pokeberry juice. The Osos cheered as the Bear Flag was raised for the first time.

Dale L. Walker's Bear Flag Rising tells how America wrested California from Mexico, and the events that changed the map of the U.S. more radically than any event after the Louisiana Purchase. Walker enlivens California's already colorful history with capsule biographies of the heroic villains and villainous heroes that populated the area. Notable among these are Commodore Robert Field Stockton and General Stephen Watts Kearny, both ostensibly with the same purpose--to claim California and fulfill America's Manifest Destiny--but with differing methods and goals. Caught between the rival conquerors' enormous egos, celebrated explorer John Charles Frémont ended up with his career (and, possibly, his life) in danger. Thoroughly researched, engagingly written, Bear Flag Rising is an excellent addition to the growing list of books on the American West. --Sunny Delaney --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Historian Dale Walker has painstakingly chronicled one of the most significant land grabs in U.S. history. In keeping with the spirit of the philosophy of Manifest Destiny that was gripping the nation in the middle of the nineteenth century, three veteran military commanders sought individual glory and national fulfillment in the conquest of California. In vivid detail, Walker recounts both the martial exploits and the political controversies of John Charles Fremont, Commodore Robert Field Stockton, and General Stephen Watts Kearney. Although eventually at odds with each other, the combined military actions and achievements of these three charismatic leaders resulted in the annexation of California by the U.S. The author places the key battle and events of the California campaign firmly in historical context by providing a wealth of fascinating background information spanning three centuries. An electrifying account of the quest for the Pacific Coast. Margaret Flanagan --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Forge Books; 1st edition (May 5, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312875126
• ISBN-13: 978-0312875121
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,635,915 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Let the laurel light where it belongs. California 1846, November 30, 2007

By 

The Duke (Cheshire, UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bear Flag Rising: The Conquest of California, 1846 (Hardcover)

1846 - a landmark in American History - The Conquest of California. This book goes into great detail about the preceding period in California's history leading up to the conquest by Com. Robert Stockton, aided by Col. John Fremont. How the previous reviewer came to the conclusion that Com. Stockton was "puffed up" is beyond me. As the book states, the Stockton family of Princeton, NJ were blue bloods, a dynasty the equal of the Kennedys and Adams, serving the USA over many generations with Senators and Ambassadors and the confidant of Presidents. The phrase puffed up suggests someone who is trying to be something he isn't. Well Commodore Stockton was the real thing and my reading of this book leads me to the conclusion that without Stockton's valour and daring, California would still be part of Mexico. I particularly like this quotation from The Rev. John Colton who was present in California during this period in history:

Sat July 17 1847
"Com. Stockton has left us on his return home over the continent. His measures in California have been bold and vigorous and have been followed by decisive results. He found the country in anarchy and confusion and the greater part under the Mexican flag and has left it in peace and quietness beneath the stars and stripes. His position in the march of American forces from San Diego and in the battle of San Gabriel has not been changed by any subsequent information in the judgement of the candid and impartial. He tendered the command of the expedition to Gen. Kearny, which that gallant officer deferred to the Commodore out of his regard to his position at the head of the naval forces, upon which the success of the enterprise must depend. The propriety of this arrangement is seen in the fact that the general had but sixty dragoons at his command, all on foot, while the Pacific squadron poured 600 seaman and marines upon the field.

There was no confusion of orders or evolutions on the route; every general movement emanated from Com. Stockton, with the good understanding and harmonious action of Gen. Kearny. It is not my purpose to comment on this feature in the affairs of California but it is due to truth that history should be set right. To rely on 60 dragoons in the face of a thousand Californians armed with the rifle and lance and accustomed to the saddle from their birth is to trifle with the stern solemnities of war. For matter of these the Mexican flag would still be flying over these hills and valleys. The seamen of the Pacific squadron under the command of Com. Robert Field Stockton as reliable on land as faithful on deck, have wrenched this land from the grasp of Mexico, and unfurled the stars and stripes where they will wave evermore. Let the laurel light where it belongs".

As a native of England I am always amazed at the ignorance of US history books and travel guides which pay merely a passing tribute to Commodore Sloat's landing in Monterey and raising the US flag, while mentioning nothing about the real hero of California ...... Commodore Robert Field Stockton.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bear Flag Rising: The Conquest of California, 1846, June 7, 2002

By 

Derek Pan (Cerritos, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bear Flag Rising: The Conquest of California, 1846 (Paperback)

This book is about this conquest of California by the US from Mexico. It gives vivid descriptions of this conquest and tells what each great American general, Mexican general, frontiersmen, and other important people did and what they accomplish and failed. For example, Commodore John D. Sloat, commander of the navy's Pacific Squadron and his orders to seize important Mexican ports and blockade others. It compares the armies of the two warring countries and Mexico City's refusal to assist it California asset.
I chose this book to read because its cover was good looking. However, we all know the saying don't judge a book by its cover, so I took a look inside and I was immediately captivated by it. It tells the story extremely well and puts lots of description into it.
My favorite part of the book was the section called "Conquest" which describes the war against Mexico and the movements of troops and all. It is very richly told and it is the section that tells the most information in the whole book. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to know about the conquest of California.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The finest history of the conquest of California, May 18, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Bear Flag Rising: The Conquest of California, 1846 (Hardcover)

This book merits six stars, not five. It will surely become the standard work on the conquest of California. I was able to read it in advance of publication, and want to share my enthusiasm for it.

Dale L. Walker is one of the finest nonacademic historians writing in our times. His genius is manifest throughout this work.

One aspect is his gift of portraiture. He gives us unforgettable pictures of the tough martinet Stephen Watts Kearny, the star-crossed and ambitious Army map-maker John C. Fremont, and the wily and well-connected Robert Stockton, whose own ambitions burned fiercely in California.

Another of Walker's gifts is research. He has provided us with so much new material, and has unearthed so many obscure facts that help explain the mysteries of the conquest, that this book will be a powerful clarifying force in our understanding of what happened there.

He does not neglect the lesser figures, either, such as Kit Carson, and that magnificent Californio, General Mariano Vallejo.

He writes with such ease and clarity and lucidity, and with such storytelling gifts, that this book invites a look at every page, and will enthrall people of all sorts.

I give it the highest recommendation that I am capable of giving.