The history of explosives manufacturing in Hercules began in 1879, when the California Powder Works acquired a site on San Pablo Bay, 20 miles northeast of San Francisco. The powder works, subsequently owned by DuPont and the Hercules Powder Company, produced one of the first internationally branded products: Hercules dynamite. It became the world's leading producer of TNT during World War I.

The town of Hercules was incorporated in 1900, and for nearly 75 years its population remained under 300. The company-owned village had no retail district, but its employee clubhouse was the anchor for the city's social life. After the explosives plant closed, buildings comprising a small historic district were restored, while a diverse residential suburb grew rapidly around it. Hercules chronicles the city's industrial past and a vanishing way of life.

The book was written by Jennifer Posedel and Stephen Lawton with the assistance of the Hercules Historical Society. Jennifer Posedel's (nee Dowling) previous books include Rodeo and Theatres of Oakland. Stephen Lawton is a past board member of the Contra Costa County Historical Society and is chair of the Contra Costa County Historical Landmarks Advisory Committee. They collaborated with the Hercules Historical Society, using images from corporate archives and the family albums of former company personnel. The authors' royalties from the sale of each book will benefit the Hercules Historical Society.

The Images of America series celebrates the history of neighborhoods, towns, and cities across the country. Using archival photographs, each title presents the distinctive stories from the past that shape the character of the community today. Arcadia is proud to play a part in the preservation of local heritage, making history available to all.

The book is a new, trade paperback, published in 2004 by Arcadia Publishing. It measures 9" x 6" and weighs 0.65 pounds.