Oyster Pirates on San Francisco Bay : A Brief History of San Francisco Bay, Plus an Overview of Oysters Including Their Historical and Cultural Significance

This well-researched and unique book comprehensively covers Jack London's days as an oyster pirate sailing San Francisco Bay and includes lots of information on oysters--their historical and cultural significance plus some great recipes. San Francisco Bay is acclaimed worldwide as one of the world's most beautiful harbors, an estuary where ocean tides mingle with the cold, fresh water that has traveled downhill from the mountains, rivers, and streams, Sacramento and San Joaquin watersheds, eventually flowing through the Carquinez Strait into the Bay. Thousands of species of insects, birds, plants, and mammals--including Homo sapiens--depend on its wetland habitats. Amongst these species is the bivalve mollusk known as the oyster. In this book, you will: Discover what an oyster pirate is; read about the oyster pirates on the Bay, including the "Prince of the Oyster Pirates", Jack London; learn about the history of San Francisco Bay; find a description of oysters and their significance throughout history; examine some amazing facts about oysters and some fun trivia; figure out how to shuck an oyster; Understand the causes of native oysters' near-extinction and the threats to their restoration; peruse some poems and jokes about oysters; and view some great illustrations, many vintage, including the anatomy of an oyster.