Customer Reviews

Gables and Fables: A Portrait of San Francisco's Pacific Heights

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I just bought this book from Amazon.com after seeing it displayed at Gumps in DT San Francisco (I had recently took a trip out there for work). Having actually lived in the Pacific Heights area (for seven years in the 1990s), I was excited to see a book about many of the houses and apartment buildings that I used to regularly walk by. I was always curious about who lived in them and what they were like on the inside.

After reading several of the book's chapters, I am thoroughly disappointed with the lack of detail. Personally, I have learned so much more by reading my old Access Travel Guide to San Francisco (the chapter about the Pac. Heights neighborhood) - Access' select entries (in just a few sentences) told me so much more about some of these homes and / or blocks.

I suggest you buy the Access - San Francisco Travel Guide (even a used one) or perhaps some other detailed travel book of The City that features this neighborhood.

Part historical piece and part gossip, GABLES AND FABLES: A PORTRAIT OF SAN FRANCISCO'S PACIFIC HEIGHTS tours over a hundred of the structures of one of San Francisco's richest neighborhoods, blending architectural observation with a social history of the city that is perfect for any California history library. Chapters survey changing ownerships, politics, and social life surrounding these structures, with line drawings by Kit Haskell rounding out the historical backgrounds.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

This is a wonderful presentation of many fabulous houses in San francisco. it is an easy read and very pleasurable.

If you love San Francisco and its neighborhoods, Gables and Fables is an outstanding entry to the list of fine books documenting Pacific Heights. This book offers a compilation of articles written with a light, engaging style reminiscent of your favorite tour guide. Pick it up, read a few vignettes and set it down entertained by an insiders' tour of some of the neighborhood's fascinating homes. Anne and Arthur Bloomfield captured the essence of San Francisco and its unique flavor that includes the stories and secrets behind the doors.

The accompanying illustrations by Kit Haskell offer superb views of each subject. Sketched with care and an eye for architectural detail and flair, the artist captures the essence of the homes, buildings and architectural gems. An Illustration precedes every structure described by the authors, highlighting the topic and bringing it to life.

Each section includes a hand-drawn map. Put on your own home tour for visiting friends and show off your knowledge of the city. This book ranks high on my list of must haves for San Francisco aficionados.