Customer Reviews (2)

So-so
I wouldn't recommend this book for new residents.Too dry, facts are slanted toward the monetary rather than the "interesting" side of history.

The history of the state of Nevada.
I picked this book up while I was in a museum in Reno.The author is the brother of the former U.S. Senator from Nevada, Paul Laxalt.I took a few tours while I was in Reno (along with some gambling)and when I later read this book, I knew what book my guides had read, prior to doing their job with the tourists.I doubt if any state's history can be made interesting, but Laxalt does a good job.Nevada is an interesting state compared to the rest of the nation, and the author relates why: precious metals, prize fighting, easy divorce, legal hooking and gambling.All in a state that is at heart very conservative.
This is a short read, and for those who travel to Vegas or Reno often, a necessary read.Why did Nevada become the way it did?The book answers this question and details some of the interesting characters of Nevada (Mark Twain, Bugsy Seigal, along with a number of politicos).At a little over 130 pages, this is a great read to take on the plane to Vegas. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

One of the better researched books out there
I don't know what the other two reviewers read, but this is one of the better written southern Nevada histories I have read. Well documented, and it exposes some of the more unpleasant parts of Pahrump history.

Don't bother with it.
Poor writing.Inadequate research and documentation.Limited + skewedsample of interviewees.

One would expect this quality from aself-published book.

One Star Rating Because There's No Zero Star Rating
Lackluster prose.Research Lite. Curious choice of interviewees, to begenerous to the author.

Those who know Nye County (NV) better, knowbetter.The real history of Pahrump will probably be written by ahard-working graduate student armed with a tape recorder, a shoestringbudget, and keen judgement.

This supposed "history" wasultimately funded by Department of Energy as part of its obiligation tolocal communities that will be affected by the proposed high-level nulcearwaste repository nearby Yucca Mountain.Your tax dollars at work. Ugh....

The University of Nevada Presses don't exactly match Yale's orHarvard's, but you've got to wonder about standards and why they agreed toact as distributor, once this volume and the rest of the series wereprinted.

An embarrassment all around. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A facinating history of women's suffrage and Nevada politics
Anne Martin's story is of interest to anyone who enjoys reading of history or politics, particularly of Nevada's history, or of women's struggle to gain suffrage rights.Anne Martin grew up in Nevada in the late 1800's and came of age in the early 1900's.She attended Stanford University, and then worked in England, Washington D.C., and throughout Nevada to attain voting rights for women.(Nevada women gained the right to vote in 1914.)After attaining that goal, Ms. Martin ran for Senate, traveling through the rough countryside to various mining camps and small railroad towns -- a daring feat for a women at that time.After abandoning her own political career, she became active in the peace and equal rights movements on a global scale, decades ahead of the 1960's peace movement.This book is somewhat cumbersome to read, since every fact and reference is painstakingly documented in detail, but the effort is worthwhile. ... Read more

Product Description
General Books publication date: 2009Original publication date: 1918Original Publisher: Nevada Historical SocietySubjects: TaxationBusiness ... Read more

Product Description
This book is part of the Our Name in History series, a collection of fascinating facts and statistics, alongside short historical commentary, created to tell the story of previous generations who have shared this name.The information in this book is a compendium of research and data pulled from census records, military records, ships' logs, immigrant and port records, as well as other reputable sources. Topics include:

• Name Meaning and Origin
• Immigration Patterns and Census Detail
• Family Lifestyles
• Military Service History
• Comprehensive Source Guide, for future research

Product Description
In 1968, 10 idealistic, young San Francisco Bay Area academics and professionals buy 20 acres of gorgeous mountain land in the Sierra Nevada. The group never develops the land but for one of them, an easterner, this particular rectangle of western wilderness becomes the object of a life-long--life-warping--preoccuption. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A story of a man possessed with a piece of the Sierra Nevada
Reviewed by Debra Gaynor for Reader Views (1/07)

Brent Harold and nine of his friends buy a piece of the Sierra Nevada in 1968.The ten friends buy twenty acres of undeveloped land surrounded by national forest high in California's gorgeous Sierra Nevada range.They picture themselves in a gathering for reunions.The land was to be a link that would always bond them together.It was an ideal, a fantasy to keep them youthful. But they each grew up, found jobs, started families and grew apart. The land lay undeveloped four decades later. However, for Brent Harold the land remained a passion.Brent moved to the east coast but still dreamed of yearly journeys to the Sierra.

We all have dreams; we place something on a pedestal and think that if we own it all will be perfect.But the question is what are we willing to sacrifice to possess it?Brent spent his life idolizing a piece of land.This book is about more than owning a land or about a young man's dream.This book is about growing up, moving on in priorities.The land is a look at life and the tragedy of if moving onward.

Brent Harold is a talented author.He retells his story as a memoir.He seems to be looking deep inside himself and sharing retrospect with his readers.The cover is interesting but not bold.I particularly enjoyed the title and subtitle.The plot flows smoothly telling of Brent and his friend's idyllic dream through the heartache his obsession brings him. I recommend "Owning the Sierra Nevada" to those that enjoy reading non-fiction and autobiographies.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A Survey of San Francisco Prostitution in the time of the Barbary Coast
Barnhart's collection of valuable sources and material on sex workers own words, own conceptions, and own practices of their trade is an invaluable addition to the literature on pre-progressive era sex work in the United States, but also a an immensely detailed snap shot of San Francisco past!

Great Book
I used this book among others to do a research paper on the history of San Francisco, specifically, Prostitution which took place during the gold rush days. The core of my paper was based on the useful information provided in this book.It was well written.Barnhardt does a superb job to illustrate that the prostitutes were the true pioneers of San Francisco.She further illustrates how these "ladies" played an important role in the development of the City. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Every town has a story . . . here's Amargosa Valley's
Just east of Death Valley and ninety miles north of Las Vegas, Amargosa Valley is one of those dusty little desert towns. Located between Death Valley Junction and US 95, Amargosa Valley isn't even a blink-and-you-miss-it town since most travelers take more direct routes to and from the driest National Park. Those who aren't connected to the mining industry typically make their way out to the area to explore Ash Springs and Big Dune, one of the few 'singing sand dunes' in the world. "A History of Amargosa Valley, Nevada" is an examination of this place. This book is a result of the Nye County Town History Project. In addition to appreciating existing research, a focal point of the NCTHP is to conduct extensive interviews with residents who can add light to the area's story. Robert D. McCracken is uniquely qualified to document this project having experience in local mining and a degree in Cultural Anthropology. This title first looks at how Indians originally used the area. The key feature to the parched landscape is Ash Meadows. Great detail is given to how the Paiute and Shoshone were the first to use this oasis. Afterwards, the author examines the period of exploration, including a summary of the Forty-Niners' ordeal. Included are actual accounts by the brave men who traveled through this challenging land. Farmers and ranchers eventually worked the land with varying degrees of success. The reader meets such laborers, outlaws, homesteaders and miners. Included are pieces on Jack Longstreet and Dad Fairbanks. The railroads played an important part in connecting residents with the outside world. While agriculture and ranching has struggled in light of water issues, mining has been (and is) the area's primary money maker. Used to process petroleum based oils, clay has been one of the most profitable finds. McCracken looks at life in a small isolated town. The author describes how people lived in such a hot environment prior to electricity, local schools and good roads. The Amargosa Valley Improvement Association eventually led to the area's evolution as an unincorporated town. "A History of Amargosa Valley" looks at the roots of contemporary situations. Various sides are looked at with regards to the ban on large scale development in the hopes of protecting the endangered pupfish. Also, Amargosa Valley is about 30 miles from the Nevada Test Site. It seems that there was as little controversy then as there is now for the impending Yucca Mountain nuclear waste deposititory. At 110 pages, "A History of Amargosa Valley" is an enjoyable read on the area, especially when considering the larger, broader and more academically inclined "Death Valley and the Amargosa: A Land of Illusion." The only significant drawback to this book is the total absence of maps and images that would have been helpful in making connections between places and showing people. It seems that there is an alternate version of this book entitled "The Modern Pioneers of the Amargosa Valley" which includes all of this title's text and 70 photographs. While I haven't seen that book, it must be preferential to this abbreviation. All in all, "A History of Amargosa Valley" is a enjoyable read about this dusty yet vibrant town.

Forget about it.
Poorly written. Not much research depth. Vanity press level stuff.

GetLingenfelter's book, if you want the early history of Amargosa Valley.The more recent history has yet to be written. ... Read more

Product Description
From DJ flap: Book examines the ten major campaigns to legalize casino gambling in America that were waged between 1976 and 1986 and proposes an explanation for why legalization of casino gaming lags behind legalization of other forms of gambling. The authors suggest that the limits of legal gambling may be reached in the near future and that states which have grown to depend of gambling revenues may be adversely affected. (Description by http-mart) ... Read more