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Rating: 
Summary: A rare treat from a talented historian
Review: A native of Fresno, California, William B. Secrest lived in the San Joaquin Valley. A veteran of the Korean War, he returned home to earn a B.A. in education. He served as art director for a Fresno advertising firm for many years. His interest in history was a sideline, but as his knowledge grew he began researching and writing his own articles in the 1960's. He eventually began writing about California history, and has produced hundreds of articles; monographs on California themes; and finally began publishing books. He has at least six titles to his credit besides his history of Isaiah W. Lees.Isaiah W. Lees (1830-1902) was the Sherlock Holmes of California. He had a career which spanned almost fifty years with the San Francisco police department which began at its inception and finished with his titles of Chief of Police and, finally, Police Commissioner. Lees was attracted to California during the famous Gold Rush, during a time when the city was filled with troublemakers, adventurers, con-men, outlaws, and desperadoes. Lees was one of the chief innovators and left behind an impressive rogues gallery of daguerreotypes which he paid for out of his own pocket. He was a contemporary of Mark Twain, and their paths crossed in sometimes unexpected ways as Twain tried his hand at being an in-depth reporter...not his forte: "Lee must have smiled. There was some truth to what Twain wrote, of course, yet so much he didn't know. Certainly there was an inept element on the force, and there always would be so long as politics were involved in police affairs and appointments. And wouldn't the soon-to-be-great humourist have been delighted to learn that Chief Burke was a paid agent of the French government, charged with preventing recruiting efforts in San Francisco against Maximillian's Mexican government?" Including fascinating pictures from the actual rogues gallery, Secrest does a superb job of putting together the threads of Isaiah W. Lees' career. Each chapter includes endnotes describing Secrest's exhaustive research. His writing is not boring, either, as he brings Lee's life and exploits of derring-do. He doesn't neglect Lees' home life, as he captures the essence of the private man behind heroic feats and unassailable logic. A rare treat from a talented historian. Shelley Glodowski
Reviewer
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant!
Review: This is a brilliant book centering on the life and career of Old San Francisco's greatest detective, I. W. Lees. This biography was obviously well-researched by California historian, William B. Secrest. His rendering of Lees' character is so complete that the reader relives history. In the book, San Francisco evolves from a stick and mud-shanty town to a modern metropolis. As Lees refines his detective skills, he creates one of the most outstanding police departments in the country. Extremely well-written. I highly recommend this book.
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant!
Review: This is a brilliant book centering on the life and career of Old San Francisco's greatest detective, I. W. Lees. This biography was obviously well-researched by California historian, William B. Secrest. His rendering of Lees' character is so complete that the reader relives history. In the book, San Francisco evolves from a stick and mud-shanty town to a modern metropolis. As Lees refines his detective skills, he creates one of the most outstanding police departments in the country. Extremely well-written. I highly recommend this book.
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