Few families are as closely intertwined with the history of California as the Browns. In a multigenerational saga that focuses on governors Pat and Jerry Brown, veteran journalist Miriam Pawel has written a vivid history of a political dynasty that has governed the Golden State for nearly a quarter century. “The Browns of California” begins in 1852, when Prussian immigrant August Schuckman arrived seeking his fortune as a transporter of goods for gold miners. He soon settled on a ranch in the rattlesnake-infested hills near...

Source: Wall Street Journal September 16, 2018 20:26 UTC