Synopses & Reviews
Review
“In this fine set of essays on Sacramento, a distinguished group of historians ask what made and makes the city unique. The collection provides fascinating snapshots of agriculture, the gold rush, railroads, urban planning, boosterism, flood control, the New Deal, military bases, nuclear power, Old Sacramento, the American River Parkway, Indians, and Indian gaming. The collection will appeal to urban historians as well as to specialists in the West, California, and the environment.”
—Donald Pisani, University of Oklahoma
Review
“River City and Valley Life makes a valuable contribution to the environmental history of America’s cities. Individually, its well-written chapters bring an essential environmental perspective to topics as diverse as gold mining, flood control, nuclear power, and suburbanization. Together, they paint a compelling portrait of a city firmly embedded in the natural world.”
—Michael Rawson, Brooklyn College and the CUNY Graduate Center
Synopsis
Often referred to as “the Big Tomato,” Sacramento is a city whose makeup is significantly more complex than its agriculture-based sobriquet implies. In
River City and Valley Life, the contributors reveal the major transformations to the natural and built environment that have shaped Sacramento and its suburbs, residents, politics, and economics throughout its history. This environmental history provides a compelling case study of urban and suburban development in California and the American West.
About the Author
Christopher J. Castaneda is professor of history at California State University, Sacramento. He is the author or coauthor of numerous books, including:
Dedication. Vision. Heart: The CalPERS Story; Keeping the Promise: A History of the California Department of Justice; and
Invisible Fuel: Natural and Manufactured Gas in American History, 1800–2000.
Lee M. A. Simpson is professor of history at California State University, Sacramento. She is the author, coauthor, or editor of several books, including: Selling the City: Gender, Class, and the California Growth Machine; Fair Oaks, California; and Sacramento’s Oak Park.