INVENTING THE DREAM California Through the Progressive Era

California's individuality began during the Gold Rush and was fomented by the Transcontinental Railroad. The mixture of such things as movies, mountains, Mexico, and money created a unique culture just asking for this analysis. Lloyd James has a soft and quiet voice, sometimes a little below the hearing threshold, which often butchers the abundant Spanish vocabulary to the point of distraction. His job entails moving through an unusually organized history that throws time to the wind but leaves readers with a good appreciation of the source of the state's eclectic origins and personality. Listeners seeking interesting details of turn-of-the-century California will not be disappointed. J.A.H. © AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine [Published: APR/MAY 01]