A vibrant history of San Francisco through the activities of the renowned writers who lived in one of the world's favorite cities. Few regions in America can equal the rich literary history of San Francisco and its surrounding areas with authors such as: Bret Harte, Mark Twain, Robert Louis Stevenson, Isadora Duncan, Jack London, Robinson Jeffers, Dashiell Hammett, John Steinbeck, William Saroyan, Henry Miller, and Lawrence Ferlinghetti. Realms of Gold gives us a fresh look at the lives of these writers and portrays the development of the city from a Gold Rush boom town through its rapid growth as a commercial port and rail head, its destruction in 1906, its rebirth, to its post-World War II status as a major urban center.
| |||||||||||||||
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Review
The flamboyant literary history of San Francisco has fascinated scholars and critics since the turn of the century. In Realms of Gold, George Rathmell takes a distinguished place in the roster of those who have chronicled the special relationship between San Francisco and its writers. Here is a vivid and compelling story, solidly researched and told with a verve and wealth of detail worthy of its ever intriguing subject. -- Dr. Kevin Starr, State Librarian of California
About the Author
George Rathmell received his BA from UC Berkeley in 1956 and his MA from San Francsico State University in 1970. His specialty is California history and literature, and his articles and short stories have appeared in The Californians, Soundings, and Coast magazines. He is the author of Bench Marks in Reading and The Tender and Faithful Heart.
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
More About the Author
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Entertaining descriptions of CA Gold Rush era & writers.,
By A Customer
This review is from: Realms of Gold : The Colorful Writers of San Francisco, 1850-1950 (California Literary Heritage) (Paperback)
Fast, fun read (239 pages with photos) of the bohemian writers of San Francisco area between 1850 and 1950. I Read it in 2 days and couldn't put it away. Especially interesting descriptions of San Francisco and the Bay Area during this period. Excellent for anyone who enjoys the wit and wisdom of Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain).
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A history of famous writers and California in its golden heyday,
By Betty Gelean "nightreader" (Smithers, BC) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Realms of Gold: The Colorful Writers of San Francisco 1850-1950 (Paperback)
A history book with a twist, we learn about the beginnings and growth of San Francisco as seen by its many famous writers and poets through a century. I thought this was a novel way to learn the fullness and diversity of this early city. From the '49ers scrambling for gold to the post-WWII era, George Rathmell has covered a lot of ground. I was surprised to find that the early writers were primarily poets, even those who went on to writing articles and books..
This book definitely has been well-researched, the city and inhabitants raucous and lively. The author makes use of plausible conversation and real quotes, working with these to form his own brand of writing, entertaining yet informative. To get so much history of these great writers all in one book is quite an accomplishment. The problem is that it is neither here nor there, not just a history of the city and not just a history of the more famous writers who either lived for some time in the city or visited. Don't expect the book to feature one or the other exclusively. This is also a work showing how different California was, especially prior to statehood, from the east and the south of the country. Different climate, cultures, entertainments, freedoms, and possibly more opportunity for women. I enjoyed meeting these characters of the early days. Some of the authors and entertainers who have stood the test of time were featured in this book: Rudyard Kipling, Robert Louis Stevenson and Samuel Clemens, visitors to historic San Francisco. Clemens went by his own name for a very long time, and rarely used his Mark Twain persona until later. I must also include young Jack London, born in San Francisco, Bret Harte, and the famous dancer Isadora Duncan. All wonderful entertainers in their own right. To read the progressions in the lives of these people, combined with the progress of the city, brings the book alive. As the century changes, so too does the city and its people. Several local and world events take place over the next 50 years changing San Francisco forever. The Great Earthquake of 1906 and the ensuing maelstrom of fire destroying the city, and many of the authors' manuscripts, is vividly described from the eyes of these authors. The Panama-Pacific International Exposition of 1915 with the International Congress of Authors, underscores a new breed of writer and the aging of the original group. World War I, and the Spanish Influenza, authors Dashiell Hammett and John Steinbeck. The death of Ina Coolbrith in 1928, the last of the original Bohemian group. The Depression of the `30s, bringing people from the Dust Bowl of the central States into San Francisco, and new authors such as William Saroyan. The Golden Gate Exposition 1939-1940 followed by the attack on Pearl Harbour which threw the United States into World War II. A mix of devastation and exhilaration. The early days are laid to rest but the earliest writers and poets of San Francisco are immortalized in parks and monuments, the spokespersons of the Golden Era of San Francisco. What a challenge this story must have been. The author has managed to squeeze a century into this book, bringing the city to life through the writings of these "Bohemians" who saw and documented these earliest days. Considering the volume of information he must have accumulated, this book is well written. Disclaimer: Book given to me, courtesy of the author. Review words and rating are my own.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
For Serious History Buffs,
By Teri-K (TN) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Realms of Gold: The Colorful Writers of San Francisco 1850-1950 (Paperback)
From the short description I read of Realms of Gold on a website, I was expecting to find pieces about San Francisco written by people such as Mark Twain, Brett Hart, and Henry Miller. Having lived in San Francisco, I was looking forward to this. If I'd had the chance to read the back of the book I would have known differently. As this is clearly not the writers fault, I put my expectations aside as I read this book. This is, instead, a history of one century of SF, told via the lives of it's writers and artists. Incredibly detailed, George Rathmell has obviously spent a tremendous amount of time researching the those living in or visiting SF from 1850 -- 1950. It appears he has not left one fact out. Rathmell's style is not that of the typical academic tome. This book is interesting to read. The reader sees, hears, even smells the city as he moves through streets and neighborhoods. Unfortunately for the casual history fan, the book is packed with minutia and lacks a narrative focus. As an historian at heart, his structure is strictly chronological, so a brief mention of Jack London leaving for Alaska, for instance, isn't followed by more of his life, but by intervening facts about other people. I found this disjointed style frustrating, especially since equal or more space and emphasis was given to the obscure vs. the well known. (Joaquin Miller and Ina Coolbrith, for example, compared with Mark Twain or Ambrose Bierce.) This lack of distinction between familiar with and the less well known characters makes Realms of Gold tough going for the more casual reader. I would have preferred to follow one person throughout the book. An index would have been helpful here. Taken as a detailed, chronological compendium of the activities of writers and artists who populated SF during that decade, however, I would judge Realms of Gold a readable success. (I received this book without charge in exchange for a review. I don't review books that I wouldn't consider reading anyway, and don't give special consideration to books I receive for free. All opinions are my own. Honestly.)
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
|
|
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
