Up and Down California, in 1860-1864, The Journal of William H. Brewer, Foreword by William Bright
“Like a trip in a time machine--intimate, vivid, and full of adventure and discoveries.”
--Tom Steinstra, San Francisco Chronicle
In 1860, William Henry Brewer joined a team in the very first geological survey of California.
A recent and very young widower, impressionable William wrote letters home, back East, to his brother-- this is his extraordinary diary. Brewer's stories let us look at California in a way that is virtually erased from modern-day eyes.
William's letters are both touching and full of jaw-dropping description, telling of the virgin beauty of the land, the original (and soon to be annihilated) Native culture and relationships he formed, and the beginning of the revolution that would transform California forever.
A primary document like this is priceless and entertaining primary history. It's the kind of story families treasure from generation to generation, saying, “You have to hear about this.” No son or daughter of the West should live without reading this once.
Note: Susie Bright's father, Bill Bright, edited the new edition and wrote the recent foreword, endearing himself to the Brewer cult… and believe me, there is one.
Superbly narrated by Tom Stechschulte. You may know him from Cormac Mcarthy's The Road and No Country for Old Men
--Willow Pennell