Western Times and Water Wars - (Centennial Book) by John Walton (Paperback)

About the Book

"Walton first uses his magnifying glass to capture images of struggle in a California valley during a century and a half of transformation, then inverts it to scrutinize the American state, popular politics, and collective action in general. The maneuver is bold, the outcome stimulating."--Charles Tilly, New School for Social Research
"A passionate and first rate historical adventure. The plot is as intricate, fascinating, and full of intrigue and detail as a Dickens or a Tolstoy novel."--John Nichols, author of "The Milagro Beanfield War"

Book Synopsis

Western Times and Water Wars chronicles more than a hundred years of tumultuous events in the history of California's Owens Valley. From the pioneer conquest of the native inhabitants to the infamous destruction of the valley's agrarian economy by water-hungry Los Angeles, this legendary setting is a microcosm of the development of the American West.

From the Back Cover

"Walton first uses his magnifying glass to capture images of struggle in a California valley during a century and a half of transformation, then inverts it to scrutinize the American state, popular politics, and collective action in general. The maneuver is bold, the outcome stimulating."--Charles Tilly, New School for Social Research

"A passionate and first rate historical adventure. The plot is as intricate, fascinating, and full of intrigue and detail as a Dickens or a Tolstoy novel."--John Nichols, author of The Milagro Beanfield War

Review Quotes

"One of the most provocative and rewarding recent works about social movements and collective action in the United States. . . . A fascinating story of the American West; "Western Times and Water Wars deserves high praise."--David Plotke, "Contemporary Sociology

About the Author

John Walton is Professor of Sociology and Anthropology at the University of California, Davis.