Customer Reviews

History of Alta California: A Memoir of Mexican California

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book should be required reading in every public high school in California. It provides a perspective not commonly found in American history books. There was a migration of civilization from south to north that is largely overlooked by the east to west manifest destiny found in American history textbooks.

This book was intriguing as at first I just saw names and towns I didn't recognize, then, I realized that this was true history of a man who saw the coming changes to the Mexican state of Alta California, or Californio. This was a man who embraced the changes, and looked forward to America possessing the land. He thought that Californio would then prosper and he would get rich at the same time. I was dumbfounded how different this first hand account was compared to the history I was taught in school, and compared to what I hear my fellow Mexicans tell me is the history of California...I am happy someone was smart enough to write down what really happened.
Giving it 4stars because though the historical aspect is enlightening. The reading of it can be rather dry.