Chuck McFadden, Gov. Jerry Brown’s biographer, will speak at this month’s Channel City Club luncheon. The luncheon begins at noon July 23 at Fess Parker’s DoubleTree Resort in Santa Barbara.

McFadden’s new book, Trailblazer: A Biography of Jerry Brown (UC Press, May 2013), traces Brown’s childhood, his time studying for the priesthood, his romances, and his political career, from his first two terms as governor to his most recent.

Showy, idealistic and contradictory, California has never before seen a governor who was such a contrasting amalgam of religious questing, down-and-dirty politics, and consistent, fervent ambition.

Check-in for the Channel City Club luncheon begins at 11:30 a.m. July 23 and the luncheon starts at noon in the Santa Ynez Room at Fess Parker’s DoubleTree Resort, 633 E. Cabrillo Blvd. Advance reservations are required, and the cost is $35 for members and $40 for nonmembers. Click here for more information, or email channelcity@earthlink.net or call 805.884.6636.

— Sharon Donovan is a publicist representing Chuck McFadden.