EasterBlack-owned or founded brands at TargetGroceryClothing, Shoes & AccessoriesBabyHomeFurnitureKitchen & DiningOutdoor Living & GardenToysElectronicsVideo GamesMovies, Music & BooksSports & OutdoorsBeautyPersonal CareHealthPetsHousehold EssentialsArts, Crafts & SewingSchool & Office SuppliesParty SuppliesLuggageGift IdeasGift CardsClearanceTarget New ArrivalsTarget Finds#TargetStyleTop DealsTarget Circle DealsWeekly AdShop Order PickupShop Same Day DeliveryRegistryRedCardTarget CircleFind Stores

Sponsored

Golden State - by Michael Hiltzik (Hardcover)

Golden State - by  Michael Hiltzik (Hardcover) - 1 of 1
$26.00 sale price when purchased online
$32.50 list price
Target Online store #3991

About this item

Highlights

  • NATIONAL BESTSELLER "Superb.
  • Author(s): Michael Hiltzik
  • 448 Pages
  • History, United States

Description



Book Synopsis



NATIONAL BESTSELLER

"Superb. Hiltzik makes a compelling case that California is the heartbeat of our nation."--Douglas Brinkley, New York Times bestselling author of Silent Spring Revolution

From Pulitzer Prize winner Michael Hiltzik, a definitive new history of California--from the Spanish conquistadors to the Gold Rush to the state's meteoric rise as a tech powerhouse and bulwark of progressivism--and of its indelible mark on the United States and the world.

California has long reigned as the land of plenty, a place where the sun always shines and opportunity beckons. Even prior to its statehood in 1850, it captured the world's imagination. We think of bearded prospectors lured by the promise of gold; we imagine its early embrace of immigrant labor during the railroad boom as prologue to its diverse social fabric today. But what lies underneath the myth is far more complicated.

Thanks to extensive research by Michael Hiltzik, one of our longstanding voices on California, Golden State uncovers the unvarnished truth about the state we think we know well. From Spanish incursions into what became known as Alta California to the rise of Big Tech, the history of California is one of stark contradictions. In rich, previously overlooked detail, we see its earliest statesmen wreak havoc among native peoples while racing to draft their own constitution even ahead of statehood. Gold-hungry settlers venture into the Sierra foothills only to leave with little, while a handful of their suppliers turn themselves into millionaire railroad magnates. Wars erupt in the name of water as Los Angeles booms, and early efforts to tame the vast landscape create a haven for fossil fuel extraction and environmental conservation alike. Hollywood politicians stoke fear, contributing to a centuries-long tradition of anti-Asian violence, and, remarkably, legal redlining and free higher education take root together.

Golden State brings a fresh critical eye to the origins of the state against which the rest of the country measures itself. From its very start, Hiltzik shows, the story of the United States was written in California.



Review Quotes




"California's big, storied past gets a nuanced, superbly researched retelling in one volume... Hiltzik also excels at creating subtle, almost invisible master narratives." -- Los Angeles Times

"Michael Hiltzik's Golden State is a monumental history of California brimming with fierce national implications for today. With astonishing detail and elegant prose, Hiltzik masterfully delineates Spain's brutal conquest of Indigenous peoples in the early sixteenth century; the 1848 Gold Rush; the railroad revolution; the San Francisco earthquake of 1906 and so much more. His accounts of Hollywood, Big Agriculture, and Silicon Valley innovation are superb. Hiltzik makes a compelling case that California is the heartbeat of our nation." -- Douglas Brinkley, New York Times bestselling author of Silent Spring Revolution

"No other state than California has a history so large, so colorful, so full of hope, misery, and the unexpected. It is almost America in microcosm, and Michael Hiltzik tells its tale beautifully." -- Adam Hochschild, New York Times bestselling author of American Midnight

"Michael Hiltzik's Golden State: The Making of California turns the lens on the powerful global and national figures and personalities--familiar and hitherto unknown--that built the Golden State. Hiltzik moves crisply across borders, territories, and states to reveal California as a space where demanding visions were contested but often realized, through conflicting visions of power, water, land, people, and profit. Forceful personalities--from Junipero Serra to Walt Disney to Richard Nixon to Cesar Chavez--crossed cultural and political borders to build a state of their own, a place that sat upon a volcano of utopian social dreams and apocalyptic political tremors." -- Jean Pfaelzer, author of California: A Slave State

"This engaging Pulitzer Prize-winner is perfectly placed to argue that there is something exceptional about this state. . . What Hiltzik does so well here though is get behind the mystical allure of the 'golden state.'" -- The Guardian

"Engrossing... [Hiltzik is] an able narrator, with an eye for telling detail." -- New York Times Book Review on Iron Empires

"An accomplished journalist with a knack for storytelling, Mr Hiltzik delves into dense financial details to present an engaging read about the beginnings of America Inc." -- The Economist on Iron Empires

"Hiltzik examines the rise and fall of the American railroad industry in this colorful, wide-ranging account... Hiltzik writes with verve, providing meaningful insights into the shocking inequalities of the Gilded Age. Business history buffs will be enthralled by this character-driven account." -- Publishers Weekly on Iron Empires

"Absorbing and expansive.... Beyond the sheer thrill of the story, Hiltzik's delightful book is invaluable as a basis for reckoning how Big Science can persevere and evolve." -- Los Angeles Times on Big Science

"Masterly. In the grand tradition of David McCullough. [Hiltzik] fixes the endeavor in its time and captures the personalities of the people involved. May inspire in readers a longing for something...that will summon up once again America's famous self-confidence and daring." -- Wall Street Journal on Colossus


Dimensions (Overall): 9.21 Inches (H) x 6.38 Inches (W) x 1.4 Inches (D)
Weight: 1.26 Pounds
Suggested Age: 22 Years and Up
Number of Pages: 448
Genre: History
Sub-Genre: United States
Publisher: Mariner Books
Theme: State & Local, West (AK, CA, CO, HI, ID, MT, NV, UT, WY)
Format: Hardcover
Author: Michael Hiltzik
Language: English
Street Date: February 18, 2025
TCIN: 91898584
UPC: 9780358539346
Item Number (DPCI): 247-18-2543
Origin: Made in the USA or Imported
If the item details above aren’t accurate or complete, we want to know about it.

Shipping details

Estimated ship dimensions: 1.4 inches length x 6.38 inches width x 9.21 inches height
Estimated ship weight: 1.26 pounds
We regret that this item cannot be shipped to PO Boxes.
This item cannot be shipped to the following locations: American Samoa (see also separate entry under AS), Guam (see also separate entry under GU), Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico (see also separate entry under PR), United States Minor Outlying Islands, Virgin Islands, U.S., APO/FPO

Return details

This item can be returned to any Target store or Target.com.
This item must be returned within 90 days of the date it was purchased in store, shipped, delivered by a Shipt shopper, or made ready for pickup.
See the return policy for complete information.

Get top deals, latest trends, and more.

Privacy policy

Footer

About Us

About TargetCareersNews & BlogTarget BrandsBullseye ShopSustainability & GovernancePress CenterAdvertise with UsInvestorsAffiliates & PartnersSuppliersTargetPlus

Help

Target HelpReturnsTrack OrdersRecallsContact UsFeedbackAccessibilitySecurity & FraudTeam Member Services

Stores

Find a StoreClinicPharmacyOpticalMore In-Store Services

Services

Target Circle™Target Circle™ CardTarget Circle 360™Target AppRegistrySame Day DeliveryOrder PickupDrive UpFree 2-Day ShippingShipping & DeliveryMore Services
PinterestFacebookInstagramXYoutubeTiktokTermsCA Supply ChainPrivacyCA Privacy RightsYour Privacy ChoicesInterest Based AdsHealth Privacy Policy