Product Description

A comprehensive yet easy-to-read history about the colorful 300-year-old town that was California's first Capital. "Loreto, Baja California" contains a wealth of historical information, and, skillfully woven into the narrative, authentic voices from the past century, taken from interviews with those who lived through the town's growth from tiny pueblo to popular tourist destination. Dozens of rare photographs and illustrations enliven the text, and a thorough Baja California bibliography and index complete this indispensable reference.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #989742 in Books
• Published on: 2001-11
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 286 pages

From the Publisher
This story of the "Plymouth Rock of California" begins with the lives of the indiginous population of the Baja peninsula and goes on to describe the Spanish and European settlement of the area, and the various Catholic Orders' efforts to establish a mission system. The book brings the reader into the 21st century with a rich collection of oral histories of life and change in this fascinating region.

From the Author
This book is the result of our love of the history, beauty, and people of Loreto. Don and I met in Loreto over 25 yeras ago, married a few years later, and lived in Loreto for over 20 yeras. We never lost the thirst for more knowledge about the area, and began reasearching and writing this book twelve years ago. After Don's passing in 1998, I completed the work we had begun together. I hope it will inspire more people to travel to this wonderful part of the world.

Customer Reviews

For love of Baja
I was looking for a book on one of my favorite spots in Baja California and this is what I came up with. I was a litle dissapointed because it is a little too much like a text book. There are parts of the book that resemble case studies of the indigenous population that you might encounter in a history course at a university. The historical information is worhtwhile but the writting style is a little on the dry side. The colorful past of Loreto does not really come to life but rather is presented in black and white(as are the pictures) for one's imagination to work extra hard. The details about some things bog down the flow of the book to the point where interest is lost which results in skipping around to find something a little more interesting. That is really the way to read this book. Find a section that interests you and read. Reading chapter by chapter, page by page is just too tedious. I found the section on the Franciscans and Jesuits to be good but one again there were too many meticulous details about life in early Loreto. Personally I needed a little more lively of a narrative but than again there is not much out there about Loreto. Only recommended for readers with a love of Loreto and a thirst of knowledge about this beautiful place in Baja California that has the honor of being the first Mission and Capital of Spanish California.

History with Charm
Ms O'Neil has compiled an incredible amount of information, spanning several centuries, and has presented it with organizational and narrative finesse. Her love of the area shows on every page and is contageous. The pictures she paints of the different times long linger, making the reader richer for the reading. And while she keeps her focus quite carefully clear, much can be learned about the historical changes throughout all of MesoAmerica from this little neighborhood within it. A wonderful book.