Season of the Witch

Enchantment, Terror, and Deliverance in the City of Love

By: David Talbot

Narrated by: Arthur Morey

Audie Award Nominee, History, 2013

Season of the Witch is the first book to fully capture the dark magic of San Francisco in this breathtaking period, when the city radically changed itself - and then revolutionized the world. The cool gray city of love was the epicenter of the 1960s cultural revolution. But by the early 1970s, San Francisco’s ecstatic experiment came crashing down from its starry heights. The city was rocked by savage murder sprees, mysterious terror campaigns, political assassinations, street riots, and finally a terrifying sexual epidemic. No other city endured so many calamities in such a short time span.

David Talbot takes us deep into the riveting story of his city’s ascent, decline, and heroic recovery. He draws intimate portraits of San Francisco’s legendary demons and saviors: Charles Manson, Patty Hearst and the Symbionese Liberation Army, Jerry Garcia, Janis Joplin, Bill Graham, Herb Caen, the Cockettes, Harvey Milk, Jim Jones and the Peoples Temple, Joe Montana and the Super Bowl 49ers. He reveals how the city emerged from the trials of this period with a new brand of “San Francisco values”, including gay marriage, medical marijuana, immigration sanctuary, universal health care, recycling, renewable energy, consumer safety, and a living wage mandate. Considered radical when they were first introduced, these ideas have become the bedrock of decent society in many parts of the country, and exemplify the ways that the city now inspires us toward a live-and-let-live tolerance, a shared sense of humanity, and an openness to change.

As a new generation of activists and dreamers seeks its own path to a more enlightened future, Season of the Witch - with its epic tale of the wild and bloody birth of San Francisco values - offers both inspiration and cautionary wisdom.

©2012 David Talbot (P)2012 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

So Much Fun!

For anyone who is a San Francisco native, or anyone (like me) who moved to SF more than 20 years ago, this is a fun reminiscence of the SF people, politics and events of SF's recent past. For all listeners, David Talbott weaves together notable people and events (the Halinans, Herb Caen, Harvey Milk, Jim Jones/People's Temple, Patty Hearst/SLA, the AIDS crisis, the rise of the 49ers, to name just a few) that formed the trajectory that defines the unique politics, diversity, people, culture and fun of present day San Francisco.

Awesome

I’ve lived here my whole life and so appreciated hearing a recounting of the City and region that I have known, at times from afar and at times closer. What a special place to be.

Excellent Book

An incredible account of history and stories that helped create and evolve San Francisco into the city it is today.

"Bagdad on the Bay"!!!

Great story telling, harsh with truthful memories, gentle with compassion! Captivating, impossible to put down!

Truly hard to put down

This is one of the best books about San Francisco’s history I’ve ever listened to