I will be at Barnes & Noble in Chico this Saturday, October 11th, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., with piles of my biography of John Bidwell, ready to sell and sign and chat about books and history. I hope I see you there!

This is the book that started my career as a writer. A friend of mine, also a librarian, said, “Somebody ought to write a book about John Bidwell.” There was an old biography by Rockwell Hunt, John Bidwell: Prince of California Pioneers (1942), and there is the excellent book by Michael Gillis and Michael Magliari, John Bidwell & California (2004). But we didn’t have a book for the general reader who wanted an introduction, or the young reader who wanted to know more about the man who built that big beautiful mansion.

I took up that challenge, and the more I learned about John Bidwell, the more I liked and respected the man. In reading the book by Gillis & Magliari, I discovered a man who epitomized California history from 1841 to 1900, a man who could truly say:

“The history of California lies like a map before me. Somewhat confused it may be, but I have seen it all.”

So please stop by Barnes & Noble on Saturday. Come in and say “Hello!” and chat with me for a while about the man who put Chico on the map, and so much more.