The Island of California: A History of the Myth

To early explorers and geographers California represented a terrestrial paradise. It was Atlantis, Arcadia, Avalon, El Dorado, the Garden of Eden, the Land of Milk and Honey, the Pleasure Dome of Kublai Khan. It was always a magnet for dreamers. In this fascinating book Dora Beale Polk examines the dreams and myths that influenced the discovery and exploration of California.

Throughout, Polk treats the long-held concept of California as an island, going back to medieval lore that filled a...