British author Gavin Menzies’ controversial book, 1421, The Year China Discovered America — which claims America was discovered by Chinese explorers 70 years before Columbus arrived — lands in U.S. bookstores this week. Menzies says the proof lies beneath about 40 feet of mud in Glenn County, Calif. Salon calls the book a “mishmash of off–base conclusions drawn from amateurish research and wide–eyed ‘discovery’ of well–known facts,” while a Christian Science Monitor report offers a milder review of the retired seaman’s claims. Interested in hearing more? Listen to National Public Radio’s interview with Menzies.
November 20, 2008
From CaliforniaAuthors editor Donna Wares, Great Escapes: Southern California is a collection of exceptional road trips with suggestions for the perfect books to take along. Highlights include first-person passages from Pico Iyer, T. Jefferson Parker, Judith Freeman, Veronique de Turenne and other great guides, plus cover images by renown photographer Rick Rickman. Learn more at Donna’s SoCal So Cool blog or buy yours here
It took a remarkable outpouring of generosity to make My California: Journeys by Great Writers a reality. This anthology of travel and adventure stories donated by 27 of California’s most talented writers benefits the beleaguered California Arts Council and writing programs for children statewide. Learn more about the project and author events at mycaliforniaproject.org or buy the book here.
Meet the authors of the California Authors Directory. Visit the directory to discover writers like Andrew Sean Greer, a San Francisco novelist whose latest book, The Story of a Marriage, was released this spring. Learn more and make the connection with Andrew and other exciting California talents in our author directory.
You can shop online from your local independent booksellers. Click to find a store near you.