Our past certainly does make a great present. A perusal of area bookstore shelves uncovers six terrific volumes about our city that make ideal holiday gifts.

Nothing says “wish you were here” like “Greetings from Cleveland, Ohio 1900 through 1960s” (Schiffer Publishing Co.), a colorful chronicle of more than 250 postcards purchased by tourists to remember “The Best Location in the Nation.” Author Robert Reed has selected images ranging from pastoral scenes of Gordon Park in 1909 to the futuristic wonders on display at 1936’s Great Lakes Exposition to the changing skyline –– all points of view worth exploring.

For more than a century, we’ve lived and died with the boys of summer. “The Cleveland Indians: Yesterday & Today” (West Side Publishing) by Akron Beacon Journal scribe Phil Trexler, recalls the hits –– as well as the heartbreak fans have cheered through. From the Major League beginnings of the Naps, through the glory days of the World Series, from the old stadium to the new, this coffee-table-worthy book is a fitting tribute to the home team.

Throughout his career as a photographer, Ron Kuntz never failed to be where the action was. Whether it was at the Reagan-Carter presidential debate, with Prince Charles as he planted a tree on Public Square, on the golf course next to Arnold Palmer or in the throes of May 4, 1970, at Kent State University, he served as an eyewitness to history. “A Cleveland Original: 50 Years Behind the Lens” (Cleveland Landmarks Press Inc.) by Kuntz and veteran sportswriter Burt Graeff, serves as a testament to the talents of this renowned shutterbug.

More than just a slogan on a license plate, “our great lake” has ebbed and flowed through good times and bad. “Lake Erie: A Pictorial History” by Julie Macfie Sobol and Ken Sobol (The Boston Mills Press), spotlights its rightful place as a hub of industry and commerce and its crucial role in the War of 1812, as well as the storms and shipwrecks that have become legendary.

Their music rocked the world. But even if you weren’t lucky enough to be one of the fans who jammed Cleveland’s Public Auditorium and Cleveland Municipal Stadium to hear the Beatles in 1964 and 1966, you can still feel the magic. Dave Schwensen gives you a front-row seat during the Fab Four’s visits in “The Beatles in Cleveland” (North Shore Publishing), with pictures and reminiscences from the city’s noteworthy DJs.

Take a trip down Memory Lane during downtown’s heyday as a shopper’s paradise. Richard Karberg and James Toman remember “Euclid Avenue: Cleveland’s Sophisticated Lady, 1920-1970” (Cleveland Landmarks Press), with a retrospective of the beloved stores, restaurants and entertainment venues still talked about today.