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• THE HUNT FOR THE BURU [LSI]

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  This firsthand account of a 1948 journey to a treacherous valley in northern India in search of a mysterious creature is both a classic travel adventure and a graphic record of an amazing expedition. The Buru, an elusive, monstrous reptile, was well documented by the natives of the area. Like the Yeti, Bigfoot, and the Loch Ness monster, the Buru has captured the imagination of adventurers for years.

• Choose Your Weapon

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  Choose Your Weapon: The Duel in California, 1847–1861 describes in graphic detail the major figures, causes, and means by which the Golden State’s 75 “affairs of honor” of that timeframe were fought. The number of shootouts between these “gentleman” was greater than that of any other state during those years. Because so many duels were fought over politics, the book reveals much about the major politicians and newspaper editors of that era. In addition, there is a great deal of irony. For example, in 1850 Assemblyman George Penn Johnston crafted a bill that provided severe penalties for anyone convicted of dueling. Still, it remained impossible to empanel a jury that would convict a duelist. Eight years later this same legislator sent a challenge to a member of the State Senate, and, in the shootout that followed, killed him. Though found not guilty, he was the first duelist to be tried under the very statute he had written. New evidence also reveals there was far more paradox than previously imagined regarding the infamous duel between U.S. Senator David C. Broderick and State Supreme Court Justice David Terry. One of the most grueling duels ever to take place on the frontier was the 1853 faceoff between U.S. SenatorWilliam Gwin and Congressman Joseph W. McCorckle. Fought in the hills above bucolic San Mateo with 54 caliber Mississippi Yagers at forty paces, by dint of several miracles neither was killed. In summary, Choose Your Weapon provides readers with an invaluable historical primer on California’s Golden Era, as well as the tumultuous temperament of its pioneer politicians and newspaper editors. Audience: California history readers. About the Author: Christopher Burchfield has been researching and writing about the Gold Rush Era of California for more than thirty years. Over this period he and his wife, Genendal, have traveled up and down the state, scouring its libraries and history centers, from Barstow to Yreka, often camping out under some very inclement weather conditions. He has had over 100 articles published in various magazines. $16.95 ($21.95 Canada) • Trade Paperback • 6" x 9" • 260 pages ISBN 978-1-61035-277-2

• LEGENDS OF THE CALIFORNIA BANDITOS

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  "California Banditos" presents extraordinary, little-known tales of the infamous bandits and highwaymen who plied their trade in early California.

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

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  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.

• PRODIGAL SONS- PB

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  In the late 19th century, Christopher Evans, a former scout for George Custer?s 7th Cavalry, and John Sontag, an ex-railroad man, became the most wanted criminals in all of California. What series of events could have transformed such men into despised outlaws? How did Evans and Sontag end up in a frenzied life and death struggle with the law? Prodigal Sons tells the exciting and entertaining saga of these two men, detailing their lives from childhood until the aftermath of their violent collision with the powerful interests controlling California at that time. The cast of real-life characters enmeshed in this lurid account include the Dalton gang, U.S. Marshal Vernon C. Wilson (who boasted he had 27 notches on his gun and Evans and Sontag would make 29), Pelon and Jericho, the Southern Pacific Railroad, and Wells Fargo & Co.

• CALIFORNIA DISASTERS [LSI]

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  It was another time. Deadly earthquakes, steamboat explosions, floods, train wrecks, and other tragedies were a part of everyday life in nineteenth-century California. Yet, the men and women of the day licked their wounds, mourned their dead, picked up the pieces, and plunged ahead to build a great prosperous new state that took its place in the forefront of our great Union. This is their stories, in their own words. First-person accounts of the major 19th century California catastrophes. Includes scores of contemporary period photographs and other illustrations.