Author and historian Dr. Abraham Hoffman will give a talk on his new book, “California’s Deadliest Earthquakes: A History,” at the Old Town Newhall Library on Saturday, August 12 starting at 2 p.m.

During the talk, hosted by the Santa Clarita Valley Historical Society, Hoffman will detail personal accounts from and the aftermath of California’s most destructive tremors.

More than 3,000 people lost their lives during the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. Long Beach’s 1933 earthquake caused a loss of nearly $50 million in damages. And the 1994 Northridge earthquake injured thousands and left a $550 million economic hit.

Home to hundreds of faults, California leads the nation in frequency of earthquakes every year. Despite enduring their share of the natural disasters, residents still speculate over the inevitable big one.

Dr. Abraham Hoffman was born in Los Angeles. He attended Los Angeles City College and received B.A. and M.A. degrees from Los Angeles State College (now California State University, Los Angeles). He earned his doctorate in History at UCLA. Dr. Hoffman taught in Los Angeles schools for more than 30 years and has also been an adjunct professor at Los Angeles Valley College since 1974. He serves on the board of editors for Southern California Quarterly, reviews books, and contributes articles to history publications.

Dr. Hoffman’s books include “Unwanted Mexican Americans in the Great Depression: Repatriation Pressures, 1929-1939,” “Vision or Villainy: Origins of the Owens Valley-Los Angeles Water Controversy” and “Mono Lake: From Dead Sea to Environmental Treasure.”

“California’s Deadliest Earthquakes: A History” was published by Arcadia Publishing/The History Press and can be ordered here.

In addition to being a member of the Los Angeles City Historical Society, Dr. Hoffman is a member of the Historical Society of Southern California, the Organization of American Historians, the Western History Association, the Western Writers of America, and the Los Angeles Corral of Westerners.

The general public is welcome. Admission will be free. For more information on this and other upcoming programs from the SCVHS, call Alan Pollack at 661-254-1275 or visit www.scvhs.org.

The Old Town Newhall Library is located at 24500 Main St., Newhall 91321.