Historical Atlas of California (Hardcover)

~ Derek Hayes (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

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 personalities behind their creation. At once a valuable reference and an exhilarating adventure through history, the Historical Atlas of California, featuring many rare and unusual maps, will be a treasured addition to any library. Distilling an enormous amount of information into one volume, it presents a fascinating chronicle of how California came to be what it is today.
Copub: Douglas & McIntyre

From the Inside Flap

PRAISE FOR DEREK HAYES'S PREVIOUS ATLASES:

"A beautifully executed achievement."--Bloomsbury Review

"The kind of volume that invites repeated viewings."--Seattle Times

"A sure winner. . . . It's hard to imagine anyone who could resist getting happily lost on these glorious roads into our past."--Toronto Star

"Derek Hayes works his way from the discovery and settlement of North America to the ever-evolving maps recording America's westward push and onward to the early maps of the automobile age."--William Grimes, New York Times

"The maps show everything from how explorers conceived of the continent circa 1500 to the spread of the interstate highway system in the 1950s."--Business Week

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: University of California Press; 1 edition (October 30, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0520252586
• ISBN-13: 978-0520252585
• Product Dimensions: 12.8 x 9.7 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #105,251 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

46 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars More historical atlas excellence from Mr. Hayes, October 31, 2007

By	Glen C. Creason (Los Angeles, Ca. United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The Historical Atlas of California is truly a drink of ice water in the desert of map history for the golden state. Certainly, nothing existing can compare with the pure visual appeal of this latest addition to Derek Hayes' wonderful historical atlases. This book is a very impressive blend of solid scholarship and impeccable taste in cartographic materials covering the state from the "California as an island" representations to the whimsical joys of Jo Mora's pictorial masterpieces. This work is a much needed historical overview of the geographic representations of the area and a real map page turner featuring beautiful works of art that also happen to be maps. It never skimps on illustration which makes it a genuine coffee table book and the text makes it a worthy addition to any first-class reference collection. The "Historical Atlas of California" not only fills a great void in historical information on mapping in California, it is just plain fun to page through time and time again. As a map librarian for almost twenty years I have seen few atlases as impressive as this one.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommended, March 1, 2008

By	Lorenzo D. Garcia - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I was delighted with the book. It is a treasure trove of information provided you use it properly. I use a magnifying glass to view the maps in close detail to get the most out of the book. If you look closely at the maps you are treated to an "evolution" of the state from the time that it was thought to be an island to the present. By inspecting each map very closely you see places that now don't exist, lakes that have disappeared, and roads that have gone from dirt paths to super highways. If you love history as I do, you'll love this book, I also recommend "the Historical Atlas of the United States" by the same author. Same format, same great look at the nation through time.

24 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars this is not a historical atlas, December 17, 2007

By	Mariusz Ozminkowski (Pasadena, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

True, the book is impressive, but it is not a historical atlas. It is a collection of original maps organized in chronological (and occasionally topical) order. There are also old aerial drawings and photographs. If you want to see the history of the state through old maps, the book is for you. If you love old maps and are fan of cartography, you will like the book. However, the maps, though colorful and interesting, do not explain much. They would be excellent as an addition, but not the main maps. First, the maps, of course, are made with the knowledge and interest of the people who made them. This would be similar to writing history of California using articles and books written during the times that are being covered. As you can imagine, that would not explain much except what people knew at the time of the writing. Even if we could accept the old maps as showing California at a particular time, the atlas needs more. What is missing is a graphic representation of historical development of the state. For example, the first discoveries, various explorers and their movement, the location of native tribes, their languages, economic development, the oil exploration, transportation routes, and much more.