Peter J. Holliday is Professor of the History of Art and Classical Archaeology, California State University, Long Beach. Trained as an historian of classical art and archaeology, Holliday has received awards for his research and writing from the American Academy in Rome, Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, J. Paul Getty Trust, Samuel H. Kress Foundation, and National Endowment for the Humanities.

"Many works have considered classicism in America, but American Arcadia is the first to explore its manifestation in the Golden State. Peter Holliday details how Californian dreams were filled with Corinthian columns and temple pediments as well as palm trees and surf boards. This well-researched study is enriched by Holliday's deep knowledge of the classical world, extensive research, and a wonderful eye (and ear) for details and engaging stories." -- Diane Favro, University of California, Los Angeles

"What a wonderful contribution American Arcadia is to the cultural history of California. All around us, for all this time, California has been teeming with reference to the classical cultures of Greece and Rome--from place names like Pomona and Arcadia, to the Roman goddess of wisdom and war alongside the grizzly on our state seal, to that funny old state motto, 'Eureka, I've found it!' And yet nobody before the indefatigable Peter J. Holliday has had the scholarly acumen to sleuth out all the cultural sources and meanings of our classically-inspired architecture, public art, and city planning to shed new light on our collective Californian past, present, and future. A gift to the scholarship of our state!" -- Daniel Duane, author of Lighting Out: A Golden Year in Yosemite and the West, and Caught Inside: A Surfer's Year on the California Coast

"An eminent and absorbing contribution to the literature of California." -- Library Journal

"Well-researched and all-encompassing, this is a thoughtful analysis of how contemporary Californian culture came to be." --Publishers Weekly

"Before (and after) Spanish Revival, there was a dream of our state as a Grecian Eden. Holliday makes his case surprisingly well, starting with the state seal's declaration "Eureka" before moving on to movie star homes, civic centers and the over-the-top classicism of Hearst Castle and Getty Villa. Academic but picturesque, with a Southern California focus and no freeway gridlock in sight."--San Francisco Chronicle