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• SAN FRANCISCO'S PLAYLAND AT THE BEACH: The Early Years

  $24.95 $14.97 0 review(s)

  
  

  Playland at the Beach was a magical place, revered in the hearts of San Franciscans and all who visited. Playland wasn?t just another amusement park?it had a special identity that encompassed socialization, dining, playing, strolling and sight-seeing that was purely San Francisco. From the 1920s to the 1970s, Playland enthralled generations. Everyone who visited it recognized its uniqueness, and its pioneering rides and attractions inspired the designers of the amusement parks that followed. ?San Francisco?s Playland at the Beach? is a comprehensive photographic record of Playland at the Beach from its construction in 1920 through its glorious heyday in the 1930s and 40s. The book presents over 350 rare photographs of Playland and the surrounding neighborhood, including 250 unique, never-before-seen photos drawn from the private archive of ride designer Laurence ?Laurie? Hollings. ?San Francisco?s Playland at the Beach? leads the reader through a chapter-by-chapter tour of the setting and evolution of Playland during its formative era. Photographs trace the development of the site from steam shovels carving the bare sand dunes of Ocean Beach and the construction of the main Playland buildings. Each of Playland?s famous rides receives its own chapter, with photographs showing both how the rides were built and how they looked in their prime. Other chapters cover Playland?s attractions, arcade amusements, restaurants, and nightclubs. Incidental photographs depict the clothes, cars, people, and customs of the time. The book also covers some of the most notable events that happened at Playland in the 1930s, including the Century of Progress exhibit of 1934 and a labor strike that paralyzed the park in the mid-30s. The book includes a complete timeline and history of Playland from its beginning to its destruction in 1972. ?San Francisco?s Playland at the Beach? gives readers an enchanting vision of the fun, sights, sounds, and flavors of a glamorous and care-free time. Take a turn on the Big Dipper roller coaster, the Shoot the Chutes water ride, the DodgEm bumper cars, and the six-story giant slide at the Fun House. Taste a Pie Shop blackberry pie, Topsy?s chicken, and a Bull Pupp enchilada. Listen to the staccato of the four shooting galleries, the rumble of the wooden roller coaster and the screams of its passengers, the orchestrion playing marching tunes, and the raucous laughter of Laffing Sal. Richly illustrated and painstakingly researched, ?San Francisco?s Playland at the Beach? is a time machine fun ride through little-known history.

• THE SANDS OF TAMANRASSET [LSI]

  $17.95 $10.77 0 review(s)

  
  

  The biography of Charles de Foucauld, a French nobleman who put off the trappings of nobility and a career in the military to take on the ascetic life of a desert priest. An amazing story of self discipline, courage and self sacrifice. Foucauld transformed himself from a high living nobleman to a desert priest who found his life work in the deep Sahara.

• SHOWDOWN!: LIONHEARTED LAWMEN OF OLD CALIFORNIA

  $15.95 $9.57 0 review(s)

  
  

  ?Showdown!: Lionhearted Lawmen of Old California? is a engaging collection of six biographies of early California lawmen: Sheriff John Bogard of Tehama County, Detective Emil Harris of Los Angeles, Deputy Sheriff Hiram Rapelje of central California, William J. Howard of Mariposa County, Sheriff David Douglas of Nevada County, and Lafayette Choisser of Mariposa County. Punctuated by gunshots and posse hoofbeats, these true tales illustrate, in both words and illustrations, the perilous lives of Old California?s brave lawmen, and vividly describe a time now gone forever. The courageous men profiled in this book were all colorful personalities. Hiram Rapelje rose to the heights, and depths, of his profession, while Emil Harris was a widely known detective throughout the state. William J. Howard was a member of Harry Love?s California Rangers that tracked down Joaquin Murrieta. Sheriffs Bogard and Douglas were both killed in the line of duty in dramatic showdowns.

• SAN JUAN BAUTISTA: THE TOWN, THE MISSION & THE PARK

  $19.95 $11.97 0 review(s)

  
  

  Step into the vibrant past of San Juan Bautista and encounter gentle Mustune Indians, hardworking Franciscan Monks, fierce outlaws and a host of other fascinating characters.

• FRESNO'S ARCHITECTURAL PAST VOL. II

  $26.95 $16.17 0 review(s)

  
  

  Downtown Fresno?s historic architecture comes to life once more in this review of remarkable buildings. Stunning watercolor portraits, paired with brief passages that address each of the 24 buildings? rich past, highlight a variety of extant structures. Images of buildings familiar to local residents, including City Hall, the Brix Mansion, and Fire Department Station #3, accompany other landmarks famous even beyond the city limits, among them the original McDonald?s restaurant and the Russ Clements Service Station. A useful glossary of architectural terms and additional images of key architectural points complete a fascinating look at Fresno?s charming local heritage.

• SIX GUN SOUND

  $18.95 $11.37 0 review(s)

  
  

  "The Early History of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department". The dusty and lawless frontier of Los Angeles - a combustible mixture of Civil War veterans, failed gold prospectors, and desperadoes - experienced the highest recorded murder rate in U.S. history. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department was created to bring law and order to this treacherous, rough-and-tumble town.