Season of the Witch: Enchantment, Terror, and Deliverance in the City of Love [B1851]

2013 PB in nice clean condition. A riveting history of San Francisco's transformation-from the Summer of Love to the AIDS crisis-told through the lives, struggles, and triumphs that defined an era. From the founder of Salon comes a San Francisco Chronicle bestseller that captures one of America's most extraordinary cities at its most volatile and visionary.

In Season of the Witch, David Talbot chronicles the cultural and political evolution of San Francisco from the late 1960s through the early 1980s-a period of upheaval, idealism, and rebirth. Against the backdrop of protests, assassinations, and radical change, the city emerges as a microcosm of the nation's own growing pains. Through a sweeping narrative rich with unforgettable figures-Harvey Milk, Janis Joplin, Jim Jones, Bill Walsh, Dianne Feinstein, and more-Talbot reveals how San Francisco transformed from a haven for dreamers and outcasts into a symbol of modern American progress. From the psychedelic haze of Haight-Ashbury to the violence of Jonestown and the hope of the gay rights movement, this is the story of a city that lost its innocence and found its soul. Both gripping and deeply human, Season of the Witch is a masterwork of narrative history-an essential chronicle of rebellion, tragedy, and triumph that reshaped the City by the Bay.

From recent Amazon/GoodReads reviews: "I thought I knew a little about San Francisco from the 'free love' years of the mid 60's until 1980 but it turned out to be just that, I knew very little. This is a fascinating read. The San Francisco story is so real, so culturally advanced and so entertainingly presented here by David Talbot. Music, lots of politics, and the good, bad and the ugly of this time period all come very alive in these pages. I thought it was really educational and big fun. Good stuff."; "SF is a special place, and a living example of what choosing humanity looks like. The 70s were wild and dark and this was a reminder to look for the helpers and things can (and will!) get better. And when in doubt, drop acid"; "Wonderful story of a formative stretch of San Francisco during the mid/late 20th century. The author brings to life the city's transcendent history of music, culture, and progressiveness. The stories of the characters at the forefront are exhilarating."