Presidio of Monterey (Images of America)

Rating:
Summary: Incredible Images of an Ever-Changing Landscape
Review: Being able to walk around Monterey and see the sights of this amazingly beautiful and diverse area we live in will only add to the enjoyment of the images encapsulated in this book. From its humble beginnings as a Spanish fort (1770-1822), to the Mexican occupation (1822-1846), and into the United States (1846 to present day), this little spit of land has seen a lot of activity - and a bit of fame.

James Doolittle (of the Doolittle raiders) was on-hand at The Presidio in April of 1988 during a WW II commemoration ceremony. And with him came Brig. General James (Jimmy) Stewart (you know him, right?).

If you've ever wondered how certain roads in and around The Presidio got their names (Giggling, Bolio, etc.), you'll get some keen insights about where they came from. If you've ever wanted to know what The Presidio looked like before 1950, this book will show you some great images; including soldiers in full dress.

My only beef with the book was that I felt it was a bit too heavy in pictures and didn't have enough historical information. I know, I know. The title of the book is "Images of America". But still, I would've liked a tiny bit more detail about the area to round out the flavor of the times.

But great images. You'd be hard-pressed to find another book out there with the picture quality of this one.