California State Park Rangers Association
Recently Published Park Authors
Listed below by most recent date of notification, with cover image, source and description where available. Send published title additions and details for this listing to the CSPRA Webmaster
Many More Published Authors Listed HERE
Insignia of the California State Parks Lifeguard Service
by Michael G. Lynch, 14 pages, 2.3 MB, August 2025.
Produced as a free publication for the Lifeguard 75th Anniversary
This booklet commemorates the 75th anniversary of the California State Parks Lifeguard Service, established on June 1, 1950, at Huntington State Beach. It provides a detailed history of the lifeguard service, its uniforms, insignia, and contributions to aquatic safety.
Key highlights include: Origins and Growth, Uniforms and Insignia, Specialty Patches, Junior Lifeguard Program, Timeline of Uniforms and Patches, and Lifeguard Badges. Celebrating the history, contributions, and accomplishments of the lifeguard service, emphasizing its critical role in ensuring aquatic safety for millions of visitors to California's state parks.
The Island Effect: A Romantic Murder Mystery
by Dave Van Cleve
Charlie McAdams, a seasoned park superintendent, thought he’d seen it all—until he’s assigned to manage the breathtaking Santa Maria Island State Park, largest of the Channel Islands off the coast of Santa Barbara, California. But this rugged paradise comes with its own set of challenges that test Charlie’s resolve at every turn.
This gripping, romantic murder mystery is packed with humor, suspense, love, and an off-beat yet brilliant set of characters reminiscent of Richard Osman’s The Thursday Murder Club. From an impending resort development threatening the park’s pristine landscapes, to a herd of feral cattle spreading deadly diseases, to the discovery of the skeleton of a pygmy mammoth, Charlie’s plate is more than full. As if the environmental crises weren’t enough, Charlie finds himself caught between the affections of two captivating women, while dealing with a local deputy sheriff of questionable integrity.
Just when things couldn’t get more complicated, the island’s peaceful façade is shattered by murder. Charlie must unravel the truth behind the crime while continuing the staff's mission to protect the island’s delicate ecosystems and rich history. The Island Effect not only offers not only a thrilling ride but also fascinating insights into the unique biogeography, geology, paleontology, and history of Santa Maria Island.
Home of the World’s Largest Ocean
By Ron Brean, published March 8, 2023, available on Amazon
I’ve published another book. "Home of the World’s Largest Ocean" is now available from Amazon as either a paperback or in Kindle format. What my State Park friends will find in it is an amazing parallel between our park careers and management of a small city. What my colleagues in city government everywhere will find is the passion we share for doing our best for of our towns. What my friends and neighbors from Yachats, Oregon will find is a reminder of how special their hometown is, though the ideas found here could be from any park or any small town. Well, any special park or small town anyway. I hope you’ll enjoy it.
Santa Barbara’s Royal Presidio: The Rise, Fall, and Rebirth of Spain's Last Adobe Fortress
by Dr. Jarrell Jackman
Unique in California history--and beloved by visitors and residents alike--the city of Santa Barbara boasts three great historical properties: the Mission, the Courthouse, and the Presidio. Least known is the Presidio.
This book fills this vacuum, beginning with the story of its adobe construction between 1784 and 1790. This itself was preceded by the construction of three other Spanish forts: Monterey (1770), San Diego (1773), and San Francisco (1776). All four Presidios helped secure the Spanish settlement of Alta or Upper California, as the mixed-racial soldiers and their families became the first Spanish settlers of the region. The Santa Barbara Presidio was the last Spanish fort founded and built not only in California, but in all of Spanish North America, an area that, in its day, covered much of the southern portion of the modern United States from Florida to California. This book celebrates the Santa Barbara Presidio's place in not only American history but also that of Spain, and honors the community that came together to ensure its preservation and faithful reconstruction. On Amazon.com.
The Trial of Lee Harvey Oswald
by Hon. William Alsup
Published September 15, 2022, on Amazon Kindle $20.99, Hardcover $23.31
The assassination of Lee Harvey Oswald by Jack Ruby robbed the nation of the closure it so desperately needed following the death of John F. Kennedy. The Trial of Lee Harvey Oswald asks what might have happened if the assassin had lived to stand trial for his murder of America’s beloved president. This meticulously researched and riveting courtroom drama follows prosecutors Abe Summer and Elaine Navarro as they work to bring Oswald to justice despite the legend in Oswald’s corner: famed attorney Percy Foreman. With mysteries and coincidences swirling around the case, Oswald’s conviction doesn’t seem set in stone. After Ruby fails to assassinate the assassin, can Summer and Navaro bring peace of mind back to the American people by sending a murderer to prison?
Author William Alsup’s fair and thrilling novel is all the more compelling thanks in no small part to his experiences and expertise as a federal judge. With his background in research and jurisprudence, Alsup has become an expert on the Oswald case. From newspaper clippings to the Warren Report, The Trial of Lee Harvey Oswald is based on real and complicated history. Readers with a passion for the procedural will relish the details Alsup provides behind the scenes of a prosecution, demonstrating just how much time and effort goes into even cases that seem cut and dry. America never recovered from the killing of its king of Camelot, but The Trial of Lee Harvey Oswald provides a window into what might have been.
A Greatness of Spirit: Tales of Extraordinary Rangers at the Heart of California's State Park System
by David Van Cleve
A compelling chronicle of 14 remarkable men and women rangers in California's Department of Parks and Recreation who deliberately focused their talents as "field" rangers within one state park - making that landscape a special place.
They taught thousands of school children and led numerous interpretive programs. They flew airplanes, rafted whitewater rivers, and snowshoed the wilderness in order to make parks safe for visitors. They jumped out of helicopters to help sustain endangered species populations. They wrote books, stories, and poems to help the public understand parks. Some rangers served in groundbreaking roles - within a Department that encouraged them to achieve lofty goals, creating a blueprint for future successes.
All 14 heroes accomplished positive change. As self-taught experts on their local region and its natural and cultural history, they achieved miracles while honoring the highest standards of public service - protecting our state parks and serving park visitors. Although it was serious work, they were able to share a little humor and fun along the way. 120 photographs
Not My First Rodeo: Tales of the Rodeo Monday Fly Fishing Cowboys
by Ron Brean and Scott Elliott
Independently published September 10, 2022, On Amazon, Kindle $7.99, Paperback $14.90
Not My First Rodeo is a collection of stories about six fly fishing friends who have spent decades getting to know the fish of the "Holy Waters" (a nickname for their favorite lake), the character of each other, and a lot about themselves. These stories (and the occasional line poetry) tell humorous tales while providing an opportunity for the reader to be there in vicarious waders, casting vicarious flies, and laughing for real along with the cowboys. Their annual fishing contest became known as "the Rodeo" through the unique twists of fate that are common to this group. It was a short step from there to playful and abundant overuse of the cowboy themes found throughout this book.