Two peaks, one in New Hampshire's White Mountains and one in Yosemite National Park, are named after Thomas Starr King. He left a brilliant career in Boston to go to San Francisco in 1860, where his convincing oratory was credited with keeping California firmly on the Union side in the Civil War. Along with his commitment to emancipation and the Northern cause, he had a sharp wit and an enviable prose style, which this volume illustrates well.