This illustrated history of the California coastal navy will intrigue any with a special affection for either Southern California or the Navy: San Diego's Navy provides over a hundred fifty years of maritime history and traces a relationship between the city and the navy which began during the opening days of the Mexican War and continues to modern times. Anticipate many black and white photos, a centerfold of color photos, and much detail on San Diego.

If you are a California history fan or a Naval history fan - or both - this is an innovative, colorful treatise on the Navy in San Diego. Bruce Linder clearly knows his stuff, and this book shows his inimitable style.

Definitely not a 'coffee table book', and well worth the read, I recommend it highly. :)

One day, my San Francisco 5th-grade class went to visit an exhibit about the 1906 Earthquake and Fire. While there, we met some survivors, old and ancient, but still alive with vivid memories of the disaster. To us, it had always been just something you read about. But, the survivors made the horror come alive, and suddenly we were quiet with awe and fright. This book gave me the same impression. Broken into a chronological pattern, we relive the days before, the days during, and the days after the conflagration. I couldn't put this book down! The book also told us something our beloved City always tried to hush up, and that was regarding the Bubonic Plague. The rats overran the City, due to broken sewer pipes and destruction, and with them they carried the fleas of the Plague. Astonishing. It can all happen again and reminds us how lucky Baghdad-By-The-Bay really was (only a few plague cases and no tsunami even though the Bay was lowered by four inches). You gotta get a hold of this book.

Gordon Thomas and Max Witts take the reader in detail, minute by minute into a living hell. They trace the damage done by the earthquake from its starting point out in the Pacific, ripping up onto the California coast and into the city by the bay. The earthquake broke the water and gas lines and because San Francisco was, and still is, built so close, a small fire spread. The military took over and some of the soldiers shot people without trial for looting and even not moving fast enough. And yet, the military looted items that they were suppose to guard, even the relief supplies. This book makes you feel like you are right in the middle of the action. The reader will feel like fighting the fire with the firemen, helping the common citizen trying to safe his home, or serching for a lost child for a frighten mother...not knowing if the child is dead or alive. One word comes to mind after reading this book...WOW!!!

This is my favorite and most cherished cookbook even though I am a Virginian and this is a decidedly Californian cookbook. I picked up by chance in a used bookstore and began making recipes from it and was soon quite impressed. After 5 years, I have yet to find a bad recipe in the book. Furthermore, the recipes are elegant and somewhat fancy while not being too out of the mainstream or too exotic -- or too difficult for that matter. Interestingly, many of the recipes in here have become "standards" (Khalhua pie, baked brie, Indonesian rice salad) with variations on them popping up in other cookbooks and on the web. These are the original, simple versions that first began to define California cooking. You'll enjoy this.

I have always looked for recipes that are fairly easy but that produce delicious results. This cookbook meets my criteria! Every recipe I have tried has been a success.

This is a super cookbook and one that I have known about for more than 30 years. I just located a replacement copy after looking everywhere (but the web.) As a native San Franciscan I have seen my share of wonderful food, often in the most unusual places. This delightful book gives new meaning to the words home cooking.

San Francisco firemen are world famous. If you are lucky enough to locate a copy of this cookbook, you'll see why more local policemen try out for the Fire Exam each year. I wish I could.

As a firefighter, this is a terrific traditional old style firehouse recipe cookbook. My father is even shown in the pictorial section of the book doing an exterior attack in 1965. I recommend it heartily, but prefer the cooks at the Presidio Firehouse

For the first time in a long time I have found a travel book that tells me exactly what I need to enjoy my vacation.

Paula Tevis deliverys the goods. No more flipping through page after page to search for information I need. Tevis has put together a book for the true road warrior. With clarity and brevity she brings San Fransico alive. Its obvious that Tevis knows this town inside and out.

I bought this book back in February for a trip to San Francisco with my husband. I've been to San Francisco before around 13 years ago, but it was my husband's first trip to San Francisco. We carried the book with us all the time and the tips that it gave us were excellent, everything worked out great. For example, we did not rented a car and we made it all the way to the Golden gate bridge outside the city, following the book's tips to use the public bus. Another great tip, was to buy a three-day ticket to the MUNI (and it worked for bus, cable cars and electric cars). The restaurant suggestions for Chinatown and The Mission District were great. Good tips on how to avoid tourists traps. Great tips on planning itineraries and we felt like we saw all the most important attractions/sights in San Francisco. We hit a rainy afternoon and all we had to do was turn our book on the page on what to do if it's raining, great! I will defenetily buy books from these series again.

Have fun in your trip!

What a great book packed with pictures. The design is very modern and unconventional (read expensive). This is a very fun book to review. If you can't afford the architecture costs there are many ideas you can incorporate into a more typical home design.

Coffee table book showing all the nicest spots in the Bay Area. The spread on the family compound in Sonoma is worth the price alone!

This little book pays for itself with the first recommendation one chooses to visit. All of the recommendations for restaurants regardless of price range reflect that the author has actually eaten there. Accommodation recommendations turn San Francisco into both and enjoyable and affordable experience. Using this guide allows one to spend their money fulfilling expectations rather than the too typical vacation experience of financing disappointments. As my heading clearly states, "other investment purchases should be so good!"

In a city where just a cup of coffee can cost you $5, this book will show you where to get an entire meal for half that. $200 a night to stay near Union Square? Not with this book in your pocket. It won't be the Hilton, but for $45, who cares?

We've never had a bad experience at any of the places in these books. Note that in order to give the best possible coverage of the subject, restaurants rotate, so buy as many editions as you can ... just because a restaurant is not in the current edition does not mean it's gone out of business.

Often I'll enjoy a design book the first time I read through it, but I won't find myself interested in a second perusal. This book , however, is one I find myself drawn to time after time. Not only are the rooms beautifully photographed and fascinating to look at, but the glimpse at lives of the people who live in them is compelling. There are also enough different and unique styles covered by the book that each one doesn't begin to blur with the previous one as sometimes happens in design books that restrict themselves to a particular style. Highly recommended.

This book has beautiful and stylish photos that really capture the essence of San Francisco. It is a great gift for anyone who lives in San Francisco or has visited the area. It's a good coffee table book.

Where was this book when my kids were smaller?! This is the resource I wish I'd had then. Every parent, or anyone who spends time with kids, should have one. It's complete, fun, and indispensable.

Ever wondered where to go, with or without kids, for fun in the greater South SF BAy area (San Jose / Santa Clara region, 5 counties)? This handy little book has all the answers: attractions, sports & rec, parks etc., music, b'day party ideas, beaches, free & rainy day activities...you name it! The perfect resource for teachers, GS leaders (field trips), parents, grandparents (got the kids for the weekend?), etc...anyone who likes to explore and have fun. It even tells you if you need special clothing, or reservations, or water bottles...they've thought of everything

There is no other guidebook focusing on the coastal mountains immediately south of the city of San Francisco, a rich mosaic of open-space preserves. Taber's diligent research and love of the area make this an essential reference

This is a great book for people living (or intending to visit) the bay area, who like to go hike, bike, picnic and camp.

I've bought several books in the past, but this one covers a lot more of the trails in the area and with better detail. It tells you if trails are open to bikes and/or horses, talks about the camping facilities, details how long a walk you will have and the types of things you can expect to see out there.

There are also little sections on the local history, how the geology stuff works and many more useful snippets of info.

Definately the best book I've found for picking places to go walk, but then, it is somewhat targetted to the area where I live.