In California in the 1920s and 1930s, kidnapping — nicknamed the "snatch racket" by a cynical newspaperman — was the most booming criminal enterprise around. Driven by greed, desperation and sometimes plain stupidity, ransom artists preyed indiscriminately on Hollywood socialites, wealthy heiresses and even poor people who couldn't pay a dime. Every new disappearance sold more newspapers, but for both the kidnappers and their unfortunate victims, even the simplest caper often went tragically wrong.

The California Snatch Racket brings this dark and forgotten era into shockingly vivid life. Richly illustrated, this book reflects the newspaper, police, court and prison accounts of the times written in a style that places the reader on the scene. Avoiding supposition and sensationalism, the book offers true accounts of the crimes and the people. (Read More)

People who recall San Francisco's prior days bemoan that it just isn't the same... and they're right. San Francisco will always remain one of the world's great cities, but yesterday's San Francisco, with its personalized style and charm, had no rival.

With long-forgotten stories and evocative photographs, San Francisco's Lost Landmarks showcases the once-familiar sites that have faded into dim memories and hazy legends. Not just a list of places, facts and dates, this pictorial history shows why San Francisco has been a legendary travel destination as well as one of the world's premier places to live and work for more than one hundred and fifty years.

It not only tells of the lost landmarks, but also dishes up the flavor of what it was like to experience these past treasures. (Read More)

Playland at the Beach was a magical place, revered in the hearts of San Franciscans and all who visited. Not just another amusement park — Playland had a special identity that encompassed socialization, dining, playing, strolling and sight-seeing that was purely San Francisco. From the 1920s to the 1970s, Playland enthralled generations.

San Francisco's Playland at the Beach is a comprehensive photographic record of Playland at the Beach from its construction in 1920 through its glorious heyday in the 1930s and 40s. The book presents over 350 rare photographs of Playland and the surrounding neighborhood, primarily never-before-seen photos drawn from the author's private archive. Richly illustrated and painstakingly researched, San Francisco's Playland at the Beach is a time machine fun ride through amusement park history. (Read More)