California has long reigned as the land of plenty, a place where the sun always shines and opportunity always beckons. Even prior to its statehood in 1850, it captured the world’s imagination. We think of bearded prospectors lured by the promise of gold. We imagine its early embrace of immigrant labor during the railroad boom as prologue to its diverse social fabric today. But what lies underneath the myths is far more complicated.

Thanks to his extensive research, Michael Hiltzik uncovers the unvarnished truth about the state we think we know well. From the Spanish incursions into what became known as Alta California to the rise of Big Tech, the history of California is one of stark contradictions. In rich, previously overlooked detail, we see its earliest statesmen wreaking havoc among native peoples while racing to draft their own constitution prior to statehood. And gold-hungry settlers venturing into the Sierra foothills only to leave with little, while a handful of their suppliers turn themselves into millionaire railroad magnates.

Wars erupted over water as Los Angeles boomed, and early efforts to tame the vast landscape created a haven for fossil fuel extraction and environmental conservation alike. Hollywood politicians stoked fears, contributing to a centuries-long tradition of anti-Asian violence. And, quite remarkably, both legal redlining and free higher education took root at the same time.

Hiltzik brings a fresh critical eye to his historical accounts—from the Spanish conquistadors to the Gold Rush to the state’s meteoric rise as a tech powerhouse and bulwark of progressivism—demonstrating why California has left an indelible mark on the United States and the world.