"This new English translation from the Castilian of Montalvo's chapter in The Adventures of Esplandian, first known printing in 1510, tells the fable of Queen Calafia and her island of California filled with gold, Amazon warriors and unusual beasts. Included are rare medieval woodcuts from 16th century French folio editions of Amadis de Gaule. Most historians believe Montalvo's popular book about the coast of the New World portrayed in this Spanish tale caused the Western frontier to be named California. The Castilian writer created a battle in which Christian knights defended Constantinople against the island of California's Amazon forces. Today, 500 years later, this 16th century mythical conflict still holds lessons about negotiation and tolerance, as well as feminine power and humor"--Cover.

In Queen Calafia's Paradise, Ken Scambray explains that California offers Italian American protagonists a unique cultural landscape in which to define what it means to be an American and how Italian American protagonists embark on a voyage to reconcile their Old World heritage with modern American society. In Pasinetti's From the Academy Bridge (1970), Scambray analyzes the influence of Pasinetti's diverse California landscape upon his protagonist. Scambray argues that any reading of Madalena's Confetti for Gino (1959), set in San Diego's Little Italy, must take into account Madalena's homosexuality and his little known homosexual World War II novel, The Invisible Glass (1950). In his chapters covering John Fante's Los Angeles fiction, Scambray explores the Italian American's quest to locate a home in Southern California. Ken Scambray teaches courses in North American Italian literature and Los Angeles fiction at the University of La Verne.

Blending the iconoclastic feminism of The Notorious RBG and the confident irreverence of Go the F**ck to Sleep, a brazen and empowering illustrated collection that celebrates inspirational badass women throughout history, based on the popular Tumblr blog. Well-behaved women seldom make history. Good thing these women are far from well behaved . . . Illustrated in a contemporary animation style, Rejected Princesses turns the ubiquitous "pretty pink princess" stereotype portrayed in movies, and on endless toys, books, and tutus on its head, paying homage instead to an awesome collection of strong, fierce, and yes, sometimes weird, women: warrior queens, soldiers, villains, spies, revolutionaries, and more who refused to behave and meekly accept their place. An entertaining mix of biography, imagery, and humor written in a fresh, young, and riotous voice, this thoroughly researched exploration salutes these awesome women drawn from both historical and fantastical realms, including real life, literature, mythology, and folklore. Each profile features an eye-catching image of both heroic and villainous women in command from across history and around the world, from a princess-cum-pirate in fifth century Denmark, to a rebel preacher in 1630s Boston, to a bloodthirsty Hungarian countess, and a former prostitute who commanded a fleet of more than 70,000 men on China’s seas.

Social history of California's growth and development, that stresses its population influx since 1940. Facts and myths about the Golden State.

Summoned by Queen Calafia to the island of California, twenty-six animals of the state of California introduce themselves, their homeland, and the people who dwell there.

“A California classic . . . California, it should be remembered, was very much the wild west, having to wait until 1850 before it could force its way into statehood. so what tamed it? Mr. Starr’s answer is a combination of great men, great ideas and great projects.”—The Economist From the age of exploration to the age of Arnold, the Golden State’s premier historian distills the entire sweep of California’s history into one splendid volume. Kevin Starr covers it all: Spain’s conquest of the native peoples of California in the early sixteenth century and the chain of missions that helped that country exert control over the upper part of the territory; the discovery of gold in January 1848; the incredible wealth of the Big Four railroad tycoons; the devastating San Francisco earthquake of 1906; the emergence of Hollywood as the world’s entertainment capital and of Silicon Valley as the center of high-tech research and development; the role of labor, both organized and migrant, in key industries from agriculture to aerospace. In a rapid-fire epic of discovery, innovation, catastrophe, and triumph, Starr gathers together everything that is most important, most fascinating, and most revealing about our greatest state. Praise for California “[A] fast-paced and wide-ranging history . . . [Starr] accomplishes the feat with skill, grace and verve.”—Los Angeles Times Book Review “Kevin Starr is one of california’s greatest historians, and California is an invaluable contribution to our state’s record and lore.”—MarIa ShrIver, journalist and former First Lady of California “A breeze to read.”—San Francisco