1991, 6x9, 251 pp., paper, $12.50, ISBN: 0-940168-27-8

DESPITE a revival of interest in the Civil War, the labors of Thomas Starr King are largely forgotten. Lauded in the 19th century as "the man who saved California to the Union," King's contributions were both more subtle and far flung. In just four years, King became one of California's most eminent citizens. He led his floundering San Francisco Unitarian congregation to strength and stability, overcoming a $20,000 debt in the process. King traveled widely, exerting a civilizing effect throughout mining camps in Gold Rush territory. Though small in stature, King won powerful friends--and enemies. His oratory, fired with his convictions and personality, changed the course of history. Starr King's story, retold with the aid of previously unpublished writings, is one of the most compelling to come out of the time when California was truly part of the Wild West.