Mission San Luis Rey: A Pocket History

Mission San Luis Rey: A Pocket History engages readers with a quick and complete overview of the "king" of the California missions. The narrative encompasses 200 years of mission history, and features a complete tour guide of the mission buildings and grounds.

The story begins with the native Luiseño people, their encounters with Spanish explorers, and the arrival of the Franciscan friars establishing Mission San Luis Rey in 1798. The author documents the building of the mission compound, culminating in the completion of the impressive church -- called "a palace" by one foreign visitor soon after its completion. The routines of daily life at the mission and its surrounding lands soon give way to decline and then abandonment due to secularization. The book concludes with the restoration and reconstruction of the mission over the past century, leaving the whole mission quadrangle today looking almost as it did when the Luiseños first completed it almost 200 years ago.

Written in an accessible style well suited to young readers as well as adults, this short book will appeal to anyone interested in early California history. The text is enhanced by 23 historic photos, maps and illustrations, bringing the story to life.