Season of the Witch

A riveting history of San Francisco’s transformation—from the Summer of Love to the AIDS crisis—told through the lives, struggles, and triumphs that defined an era. From the founder of Salon comes a San Francisco Chronicle bestseller that captures one of America’s most extraordinary cities at its most volatile and visionary. In Season of the Witch, David Talbot chronicles the cultural and political evolution of San Francisco from the late 1960s through the early 1980s—a period of upheaval, idealism, and rebirth. Against the backdrop of protests, assassinations, and radical change, the city emerges as a microcosm of the nation’s own growing pains. Through a sweeping narrative rich with unforgettable figures—Harvey Milk, Janis Joplin, Jim Jones, Bill Walsh, Dianne Feinstein, and more—Talbot reveals how San Francisco transformed from a haven for dreamers and outcasts into a symbol of modern American progress. From the psychedelic haze of Haight-Ashbury to the violence of Jonestown and the hope of the gay rights movement, this is the story of a city that lost its innocence and found its soul. Both gripping and deeply human, Season of the Witch is a masterwork of narrative history—an essential chronicle of rebellion, tragedy, and triumph that reshaped the City by the Bay.

David Talbot, author of the New York Times bestseller Brothers: The Hidden History of the Kennedy Years, is the founder and CEO of Salon. He lives in San Francisco.