This work is a sweeping history of the region from the time of its indigenous people to the 21st century. Chapters cover the Spanish, Mexican, Victorian, WWI and WWII eras and the postwar boom, up to Petco Park and the 2004 mayoral election. Includes a chronology of events, plus bibliography and index. Spanning the eras of Spain, Mexico, and the United States, the history of San Diego―the eighth largest city in the nation―is intricate and colorful. No one knows its complexity and drama better than University of San Diego historian Iris Engstrand; and no one has written a better one-volume history of this important American city. --Kevin Starr, California State Librarian Emeritus Professor of History at the University of San Diego, received her BA, MA and PhD in history from the University of Southern California. She is the author of 25 books including Reflections: A History of the San Diego Gas & Electric Company (1991); San Diego: Gateway to the Pacific (1992); Inspired by Nature: The San Diego Natural History Museum after 125 Years (1999); The San Diego Yacht Club: A History 1886-2000 (2000); Harley Knox: San Diego’s Mayor for the People (2002).Dr. Engstrand’s academic honors include the University of San Diego’s distinguished University Professorship and the Davies Award for Faculty Achievement. She has also received fellowships from the Fulbright Commission, American Philosophical Society and Huntington Library, and research grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the California Council for the Humanities.