The enterprising spirit that led to Sonoma County's storied agricultural heritage defined its earliest denizens. Sail the seas with Captain Bodega y Quadra, whose name graces the coast and beyond, and wave farewell to the last train out of the redwoods. Discover the fate of Charles Henley, spirited from the county jail in 1876 by masked vigilantes. Learn about the rise and fall of Sonoma's tobacco growers and the historic opening of the Jenner Bridge as the automobile rose in popularity. John Schubert and Valerie Munthe reveal Sonoma County's enthralling history.

The Russian River has drawn tourists to its colossal redwoods, picturesque seashore and idyllic resorts for more than a century. This collection of John C. Schubert's "Stumptown Stories" columns relates the history of this California river valley through in-depth research and firsthand stories. Ride the first train to chug across the Hacienda Bridge and wave farewell to the town's last train in 1935. Swing around in the many dance halls to the big bands of the 1930s, '40s and '50s. Let the entertaining stories behind once stately, now hidden, landmarks carry you into Stumptown's past. Reconnect over coffee at Pat's Cafae and discover the rich history that formed the Russian River's communities.

To a region flush with the success of alcohol, Prohibition was a sobering thought. Against the backdrop of national events, author Lin Weber introduces a cast of Napa Valley's leading citizens, embroiled in a fight for their livelihood with temperance champions and federal agents. Theodore Bell filed a Hail Mary suit to stop California's ratification of the Eighteenth Amendment. Vintner Georges de Latour made money hand over fist on altar wine. The Nichelini winery hid a cache of contraband under the floorboards, and the Blaufuss Brewery avoided prosecution when the law turned a blind eye. Join Weber as she relates a wry tale of cherished vines, widespread corruption and alcohol-inspired mayhem during a time when "morality" tightened the noose around Napa's prized alcohol industry.

Napa Valley is known for its wine and winemakers, but just beneath the fertile soil lies another, more complex version of its history. Uncover the story of Napa's first Chinatown--once home to nearly five hundred immigrants--that dwindled to fewer than seventeen residents before the last buildings were razed in the early twentieth century. Meet the small but determined group of African American farmers and barbers who called Napa home and the indomitable May Howard, a successful businesswoman and brothel owner. Learn about the Bracero Program that kept many of Napa's wineries, including Krug, Beaulieu and Stag's Leap, thriving during World War II. Join author Alexandria Brown as she explores these lesser-known stories of the ordinary people who helped shape modern-day wine country.

How can the “father of the California wine industry” still be walking around after more than 160 years? Why do thousands of beer lovers flock to Sonoma County from across the US once a year? Where can we play “top gun” in a real fighter jet? And why are Snoopy, Woodstock, and all the Charlie Brown gang standing around all over the place? Countless curiosities, icons and hidden treasures fill the pages of Secret Sonoma: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure. From hidden beaches on a world-famous coastline to wineries unknown even by oenophiles, from the tallest trees on the planet and NASCAR stars to rollicking tales of 18th and 19th century California, this is your ticket to adventure and surprises in the California Wine Country. A veteran author and Sonoma County native, Karen Misuraca reveals her deepest, darkest secrets of where she sees ghosts of centuries past, buys fetishes to vanquish her enemies, and bellies up to the bar in Gold Rush-era roadhouses. Where does she fly through the treetops, stargaze through powerful telescopes, and loll in geothermal hot springs? Even if you and your friends have been here before, and especially if you live here, Secret Sonoma is your new book of wonders.

Beth Winegarner became the first to apply British and European concepts of earth energy and sacred alignments to the Sonoma County landscape when she began researching the region's historic and haunted sites in 1995. She then became the first to publish that research when she took "Sacred Sonoma" to the Web in 2000. Now, Winegarner presents "Sacred Sonoma," completely revised and updated with new sites, for the first time in print. This volume also includes all new photographs and a new introduction from the author, as well as the original maps drawn by illustrator Matt Berger. Now, "Sacred Sonoma" is something locals and travelers can carry with them as they visit the unusual sites and alignments it describes. Take it with you and explore the beauty, history and mystery of Sonoma County.

After an abrupt move across the country to San Francisco, sixteen-year-old Livvy is shocked to find that her mother has lied to her. Instead of looking for work at a bakery, her mom is taking care of Adelle, Livvy’s grandmother, who Livvy thought was long dead. Suffering from Alzheimer’s, Adelle shouts out startling details, mistakes her own name, and seems to relive moments that may have taken place in a concentration camp. When Livvy and her new friend Franklin D. find journal entries from the Holocaust in Adelle’s home, Livvy begins to suspect that her grandmother may have a shocking link to a notable figure -- Anne Frank.