"Langellier integrates historical trends outside of the presidio and a broader historical context into the close focus story of the development, events, people, and physical history of the place itself. I am particularly impressed by the depth of research. The use of primary sources is extraordinary and testifies to the author's command of the subject. The significance of the presidio lies not only in the structure/landscape or the events that happened there but also in the tenants that it housed: This is the place where Bobby Kennedy was shot, where Enrico Caruso sang, where a historic treaty was signed, and where Harry met Sally."-- Stephen A. Haller , author of Post and Park: A Brief Illustrated History of the Presidio of San Francisco and Last Word in Airfields: San Francisco's Crissy Field "In Bastion by the Bay , historian John P. Langellier reminds us why the Presidio of San Francisco, California, is not only one of America's most significant Army posts but also a world landmark to the settlement of North America. A must read for scholars and students of the American West.

"-- Stuart Rosebrook , editor-at-large, True West magazine "Drawing on decades of archival research and his own experience as the Presidio of San Francisco's curator and historian from 1973 to 1980, John P. Langellier examines how each nation (Spain, Mexico, and the United States) adapted to this strategic location. The book covers military operations, architectural development, daily garrison life, and the presidio's role in broader American expansionism. It also addresses the impact on the Ohlone people who originally inhabited the land. Bastion by the Bay provides a highly readable biography of one of the West Coast's most significant military sites as it evolved from frontier outpost to active Army post to protected public space."-- Jennifer L. Jenkins , author of Celluloid Pueblo: Western Ways Films and the Invention of the Postwar Southwest.