Presidio of San Francisco - Books

San Jose’s Historic Downtown (Images of America Series) Lauren Miranda Gilbert From the Publisher: San Jose is the "Capital of the Silicon Valley," the high-rise, economic engine of advanced technology. Yet it was once a verdant valley, inhabited by wildlife, waterfowl, and the native Ohlone people. The Spanish who founded California’s first civilian settlement here in 1777 named it for Saint Joseph, the patron saint of the Spanish Expedition. Their farms fed the soldiers at the Monterey and San Francisco presidios, beginning an agricultural industry that thrived for nearly 200 years. Although serving briefly as California’s first state capital, for many decades downtown was the somewhat sleepy commercial center of the Santa Clara Valley. A housing and population expansion that began in the 1950s exploded with San Jose’s rebirth as a technological mecca. Our Price: $19.99

Dynamite Road Andrew Klavan From the Publisher: "Jim Bishop is a hard man, as cold as the wind off the water and tough to the point of brutality. Scott Weiss is Bishop’s boss, a world-weary ex-cop who runs a private detective agency out of a concrete tower in the heart of San Francisco. Weiss sends Bishop to investigate corruption at a Northern California airport - and so sets in motion events that will lead both men on a desperate hunt for a master assassin." "Bishop’s assignment is to investigate the airport and report back to Weiss. But Bishop prefers to make up the rules as he goes along. He’s willing to beat any man into the ground and draw any woman into his bed in order to get the answers that he’s after. A pilot himself, he takes to the air to check out the illegal flights of a thug named Chris Wannamaker. Then he cooly seduces Wannamaker’s lonely wife in order to find out more." "Back in the city, as Weiss struggles to rein Bishop in, he begins a connected investigation of his own. A death in a mansion in Presidio Heights, a seemingly random murder South of Market, an apparent suicide off the Golden Gate Bridge, all seem to bear the mark of Weiss’s old nemesis, an expert gun-for-hire who goes by the name of the Shadowman. It’s a trail of blood, and each step of it seems to bring Weiss closer to Julie Wyant, a mysterious beauty who captures the imaginations of every man she meets." Soon Bishop has found his way into the center of a massive criminal conspiracy, a plan set to climax with an act of audacious violence and a murder that would be impossible for any killer but one. With his operative’s life in danger, Weiss begins a race against time to outsmart the murderer who stalks his nightmares and to rescue the woman who haunts his dreams. From The Critics: Publishers WeeklyWhat a shrewd manipulator Klavan is. The author of True Crime and Don’t Say a Word again pushes our buttons with unerring finesse. In San Francisco, there’s a detective agency, Weiss Investigations, run by Scott Weiss, an ex-cop whose "deep, baggy, sympathetic eyes" have seen it all. When Weiss finds out that Bernie Hirschorn, co-owner of an aviation company several miles north, is up to his propellers in skullduggery, he dispatches one of his operatives, Jim Bishop, to find out what’s up. (In one of Klavan’s acerbic, cut-to-the-chase observations, Hirschorn is introduced as a VBM-Very Bad Man-with "lots of money, drug connections. A lot of dead bodies on his way to the top.") Adding to the highly charged scenario, Bishop gets involved in a steamy affair with the wife of Hirschorn’s chief pilot, another rogue in a lengthy cast of villains that would do Raymond Chandler proud. Meanwhile, back at the agency, Weiss continues to nurse a crush on a mysterious beauty named Julie Angel-or is she really Julie Wyant, and did she take a header off the Bay Bridge, as rumor has it? And just who is the nefarious Shadowman (who "was real whether he was real or not"), and will he find Julie before Weiss can? Klavan’s riveting blend of mystery, wiseass attitude and old-fashioned moralizing makes for a wild ride. (Nov.) Forecast: This novel from two-time Edgar winner Klavan marks the launch of a series starring Weiss and Bishop. Klavan’s visibility is on the rise, especially since the 2001 movie version of his Don’t Say a Word, which starred Michael Douglas, racked up strong numbers at the box office and on DVD rental lists, so expect added interest. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information. Our Price: $7.99

Piece of My Heart: The Stories of 26 American Women Who Served in Vietnam Keith Walker From the Publisher: "Records the memories of a war in the words of those women courageous enough to walk into hell." --San Francisco Chronicle Our Price: $16.95

Walking San Francisco Liz Gans From the Publisher: With its stunning natural setting, San Francisco is one of the most congenial American cities for those who love to walk. This vividly written guide features 18 great strolls, including 9 in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, the world’s largest urban national park. From Fisherman’s Wharf to Chinatown, Golden Gate Park to the Cliff House, the Presidio to the Marin Headlands, cover the City by the Bay on foot, with Walking San Francisco in hand. Our Price: $10.95

San Francisco’s Marina District, California (Images of America Series) William Lipsky From the Publisher: When driving into San Francisco across the Golden Gate Bridge, the sweeping vistas and greenery gradually give way to the city’s charming and inviting Marina District. This area is undoubtedly one of San Francisco’s most picturesque and best-known neighborhoods and is famous for its aesthetic and historic appeal. Adjacent to the Presidio, the Golden Gate, and Chrissy Field, the Marina hosts a large number of Art Deco structures and the famed Palace of Fine Arts, a resplendent collection of buildings originally designed for the Panama Pacific International Exposition of 1915. The exposition was held to celebrate the opening of the Panama Canal, but also to show the world that San Francisco had recovered and rebuilt from the 1906 earthquake. The Marina rose from the site of the Pan Pacific to become one of the city’s most desirable and recognizable districts, known for its architecture, culture, and dramatic waterfront setting. Our Price: $19.99

San Francisco’s 49 Mile Scenic Drive: The Guidebook Joseph M. Lubow From the Publisher: At last, a guide to the Drive. The best tool for seeing all of San Francisco in a day is a gem called the 49 Mile Scenic Drive, which has been leading locals and tourists to the city’s major sights, fascinating neighborhoods, and breathtaking vistas since 1938. San Francisco is an ideal destination, but navigating the city can be tricky. The 49 Mile Scenic Drive is a hidden key to San Francisco that hands travelers a ready-made way to organize a day, or several days. Like having a friendly, knowledgeable local in the passenger seat, this guidebook helps visitors follow those distinctive seagull signs and shares trivia, history, local stories, and lore along the way.Author Biography: Joseph M. Lubow is a freelance writer and editor who focuses on travel writing and lives in Santa Cruz.; Native San Franciscan Lauren Rosen is a freelance writer and researcher. Her work has appeared in many publications, including the San Francisco Chronicle and Seventeen. Synopsis: Ever since 1938, San Francisco’s well-named Scenic Drive has been sweeping tourists and locals around the city’s major sights. The drive, almost 50 miles long, introduces you to the Golden Gate Bridge, Fisherman’s Wharf, Golden Gate Park, Chinatown, North Beach, Union Square, the Presidio, and scores of other city landmarks. Even residents who were San Francisco born and bred will enjoy the history and trivia lurking behind those distinctive seagull signs that this lively book offers. Our Price: $15.95

Dynamite Road Andrew Klavan From the Publisher: "Jim Bishop is a hard man, as cold as the wind off the water and tough to the point of brutality. Scott Weiss is Bishop’s boss, a world-weary ex-cop who runs a private detective agency out of a concrete tower in the heart of San Francisco. Weiss sends Bishop to investigate corruption at a Northern California airport - and so sets in motion events that will lead both men on a desperate hunt for a master assassin." "Bishop’s assignment is to investigate the airport and report back to Weiss. But Bishop prefers to make up the rules as he goes along. He’s willing to beat any man into the ground and draw any woman into his bed in order to get the answers that he’s after. A pilot himself, he takes to the air to check out the illegal flights of a thug named Chris Wannamaker. Then he cooly seduces Wannamaker’s lonely wife in order to find out more." "Back in the city, as Weiss struggles to rein Bishop in, he begins a connected investigation of his own. A death in a mansion in Presidio Heights, a seemingly random murder South of Market, an apparent suicide off the Golden Gate Bridge, all seem to bear the mark of Weiss’s old nemesis, an expert gun-for-hire who goes by the name of the Shadowman. It’s a trail of blood, and each step of it seems to bring Weiss closer to Julie Wyant, a mysterious beauty who captures the imaginations of every man she meets." Soon Bishop has found his way into the center of a massive criminal conspiracy, a plan set to climax with an act of audacious violence and a murder that would be impossible for any killer but one. With his operative’s life in danger, Weiss begins a race against time to outsmart the murderer who stalks his nightmares and to rescue the woman who haunts his dreams. From The Critics: Publishers WeeklyWhat a shrewd manipulator Klavan is. The author of True Crime and Don’t Say a Word again pushes our buttons with unerring finesse. In San Francisco, there’s a detective agency, Weiss Investigations, run by Scott Weiss, an ex-cop whose "deep, baggy, sympathetic eyes" have seen it all. When Weiss finds out that Bernie Hirschorn, co-owner of an aviation company several miles north, is up to his propellers in skullduggery, he dispatches one of his operatives, Jim Bishop, to find out what’s up. (In one of Klavan’s acerbic, cut-to-the-chase observations, Hirschorn is introduced as a VBM-Very Bad Man-with "lots of money, drug connections. A lot of dead bodies on his way to the top.") Adding to the highly charged scenario, Bishop gets involved in a steamy affair with the wife of Hirschorn’s chief pilot, another rogue in a lengthy cast of villains that would do Raymond Chandler proud. Meanwhile, back at the agency, Weiss continues to nurse a crush on a mysterious beauty named Julie Angel-or is she really Julie Wyant, and did she take a header off the Bay Bridge, as rumor has it? And just who is the nefarious Shadowman (who "was real whether he was real or not"), and will he find Julie before Weiss can? Klavan’s riveting blend of mystery, wiseass attitude and old-fashioned moralizing makes for a wild ride. (Nov.) Forecast: This novel from two-time Edgar winner Klavan marks the launch of a series starring Weiss and Bishop. Klavan’s visibility is on the rise, especially since the 2001 movie version of his Don’t Say a Word, which starred Michael Douglas, racked up strong numbers at the box office and on DVD rental lists, so expect added interest. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information. Our Price: $25.95

Reclaiming San Francisco: History, Politics, Culture James Brook (Editor) From the Publisher: San Francisco’s history, politics, and culture here receive fresh appraisals: Popular resistance to the corporate agenda, waterfront labor struggles that reshaped the City and set the stage for economic globalization, the need to preserve the library (and the book) as a public resource, the dynamics of Presidio redevelopment, the gay leather scene, the role of tycoons in imperial city building, and the new Civic Center as a symbolic emblem.Here too are the stories of artists, writers, and neighborhood activists who have contributed to San Francisco’s self-awareness and have been vital to the growth of organic communities in Chinatown, the Tenderloin, Manilatown, the Fillmore, the Mission, and North Beach. Our Price: $17.95

The Presidio: From Army Post to National Park Lisa M. Benton From the Publisher: Lisa M. Benton places her analysis within the context of the rich military and cultural history of the Presidio, the interdependence between San Francisco and the base, and the conventional missions of the National Park Service. She thoroughly examines the Park Service’s recommendation to manage the Presidio with a public-private partnership - an unusual proposal that sparked heated and highly politicized debate in Congress. Benton, who observed many of the hearings and negotiations firsthand, examines the economic, political, social, and environmental complexities raised by the plan, and shows how grass-roots organizations, philanthropists, business and political leaders, and other advocates ultimately helped preserve the Presidio as a showcase for both nature and culture. Our Price: $29.95

The First Year of the War Patricia Carter From the Publisher: Beginning in December of 1941, the San Francisco Bay area was fully involved in the changes brought about by World War II. Although these are not battle stories, they are war stories, set on the home front during those days after Pearl Harbor when life changed for soldier and civilian alike. The first story, "San Francisco Dance" is set at the Presidio of San Francisco, a venerable U.S. Army installation. Here a girl named China and her friends face the changes of war as they must move beyond their sheltered lives on the army post. There is an innocence and a tragedy to those days which is sometimes overlooked in the memories of that time. The second story, "Berkeley Boarding" takes place on the University of California campus at Berkeley, just across the bay from San Francisco. At one of the university boarding houses, the housemother discovers that she is experiencing much the same reaction to the war as her young boarders. These young, and not so young, women come of age in a time when many of the men are headed for war. Our Price: $17.95

Interview with the Radar Ranger D. Railleur From the Publisher: Interview With the RADAR Ranger is a story of epic proportions—stretching from a deserted warehouse in the San Francisco Presidio to a haunted stretch of beach along the Sonoma Coast and back to a dark, abandoned tunnel on the forested slopes of Mt. Tamalpais in Marin County.Author Biography: D. Railleur is a 1968 graduate of Mercer County Community College in Trenton, New Jersey. She studied Communications and Political Science before joining the Highway Patrol in Crested Butte, Colorado. After leaving the Patrol and moving to California in 1975, Ms. Railleur obtained a Ph.D. in Shamanism from John F. Kennedy University in Orinda, California. Our Price: $20.99

San Francisco’s Presidio, California (Images of America Series) Robert W. Bowen List Price: $$19.99 Our Price: $17.99