Books For Sale
In addition to our regular publications, the San Francisco Historical Society offers several books for sale in our store, listed here along with a form to select and securely purchase them. Availability of some titles may be limited.
Frisco: A Novel
Daniel Bacon’s debut novel is a tale of romance, betrayal, and redemption set against the backdrop of the labor strife of the San Francisco of 1934 (Softcover, 2014).
Walking San Francisco on the Barbary Coast Trail®
Daniel Bacon’s definitive guide to the trail through the historic heart of San Francisco (2nd Edition, 2002).
California Style: The Joe Koret Story
Reed Bunzel’s story of Joe Koret, who overcame a childhood of poverty and hunger in New York City to found the iconic Koret of California after a move to San Francisco. Never forgetting his humble origins, he dedicated his fortune to helping the downtrodden in the Bay Area and Israel. (Hardcover, 2018).
North Beach: The Italian Heart of San Francisco
Historian Richard Dillon’s lively history of “a self-sufficient mile-square Italian village” in the middle of the city of San Francisco. Illustrated by previously unpublished photographs by J. B. Monaco, the “dean of North Beach Photographers,” from the 1880s to the 1930s (Hardcover, 1985, out of print).
The San Francisco Civic Center: A History of the Design, Controversies, and Realization of a City Beautiful Masterpiece
In The San Francisco Civic Center, James Haas tells the complete story of San Francisco’s Civic Center and how it became one of the most complete developments envisioned by any American city. Originally planned and designed by John Galen Howard in 1912, the San Francisco Civic Center is considered in both design and materials one of the finest achievements of the American reformist City Beautiful movement, an urban design movement that began more than a century ago. (Hardcover, 2019).
Nothing Seemed Impossible: William C. Ralston and Early San Francisco
David Lavender’s biography of William Ralston, founder of the Palace Hotel and the Bank of California, as intertwined with the story of San Francisco immediately after the Gold Rush. (Hardcover, 1975/1981, out of print).
Note: Due to age and past storage conditions, the paper jacket is very delicate and may have tears and other cosmetic issues.
Mystical San Francisco
See man-made beauty and the wonders of nature intersect in brilliant photographs by award-winning San Francisco Chronicle photographer Frederic Larson, illuminated by the prose of Pulitzer Prize winning columnist Herb Caen. (Hardcover, 2005).
When the Water Came Up to Montgomery Street: San Francisco During the Gold Rush
SFHS Founder and President Emeritus Charles A. Fracchia’s latest book telling the story of San Francisco from 1848 through 1859 (Hardcover, 2009).
The San Francisco Century
San Francisco Chronicle reporter and columnist Carl Nolte’s fascinating examination of the San Francisco story from the 1906 Earthquake to the first years of the Twenty-First Century (Hardcover, 2005).
SELECT YOUR BOOK CHOICE BELOW – if more than one book is desired, please enter the total for all books and note the specific titles and number in the comments field.
* Please allow 14 days for delivery of books, as they are sent by Media Mail and are generally shipped once a week. Some books are available in limited quantities.