In December 1915, San Diego's leaders claimed the town's reservoirs were
nearly dry. Knowing the city would not survive and grow unless it had
water, they hired Charles Mallory Hatfield, whose skills at making rain
were legendary. But when torrents and torrents of rain came, disaster
struck. Roads were closed, people drowned, and dams burst. The town
elders blamed Hatfield and refused to pay him. Was Hatfield really a
rain wizard, or simply a fraud? Renowned author Larry Dane Brimner
examines the man and the myth by relying on personal recollections from
growing up in California, as well as extensive research. Readers will be
captivated by Hatfield--a man once known as the Frankenstein of the
air--and his secret rainmaking formulas. Includes author's note, source
notes, and bibliography.