Nevada Books

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 87 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." There is an alternative version to this book entitled "A History of Amargosa Valley, Nevada" which is slightly more in depth but it does not include any of this title's maps or photographs. Comparing the two books, the content seems remarkably similar. In addition to the images, the text and letter size is larger in this version, making it a much friendlier read. Considering that the other version only has 110 pages, it seems odd that Nye County Press bothered with two versions as the publisher should have just released a single version with the 110 pages of text and all illustrations. When it comes to the story of this town, 99% of readers will find this to be the choice version. All in all, "A History of Amargosa Valley" is a enjoyable read about this dusty yet vibrant town.

This is a one-of-a-kind guidebook for the Mojave Desert area. It's invaluable for the detailed directions to local desert haunts that aren't in any other guidebooks. This is the place for a history lesson and some local hidden culture throughout Southern CA's Mojave. I used it to tour Randsburg, Johannesburg, and get directions to Burrow Schmidt's tunnel. I couldn't find any of these places in my other guidebooks.

The book is obviously done in a vanity press, but that's forgiveable because there probably wasn't any other way to get this information out. For the price, you get a book chock-full of off beat places you aren't going to learn about unless you find a local historian to give you directions.

It is supplemented with the authors' own photos of many attractions (in b&w), which is very helpful.

Another good Nevada Barr mystery, also released as "Ill Wind"

"Murder in Vegas" is an interesting anthology of short stories set in and around Las Vegas, all of which contain a murder. The similarity between the stories stops there, with the authors choosing a number of plot lines to tell their tale. We have stories of desperate gamblers, beautiful show girls, down and out druggies, and even a story about bird-watching in the desert. My favorite story was "Killer Heels Kill Twice as Dead", by T.P. Keating, an author who I'd not read before. In this wicked tale of revenge, a smart show girl tries to get out of an unfair contract she signed under duress. She's out for revenge, and the story is a good one.

One of the most enjoyable things about reading an anthology such as this is the exposure to new authors. In addition to T.P. Keating, I also really enjoyed the stories by Wendy Hornsby and Ruth Cavin, other authors whose work I'd not read before.

Not every story in this collection really appealed to me, but there were enough good ones to definitely recommend the collection. If you're looking for to immerse yourself in the glamour and desperation of Las Vegas (without risking your money at the gambling tables), definitely read this book.

"Neon Nevada" is as glitzy and eye-popping as the lights that line Las Vegas. It's also a collection of photographs of a cultural phenomenon - neon lights.

Neon signs have long illuminated the road sides and cities of Nevada, perhaps more impressive because they wink against a still desert sky. What would the Las Vegas strip be without the multi-colored lights that pop and swirl above it? Or, who would recognize Reno without the giant red art deco letters that proclaim it is the biggest little city in the world?

The accompanying text offers a short history of neon sign making from its origins in Paris to its spread across the United States. While bright with humor, Neon Nevada is also a valuable commentary on our cultural heritage.

- Gail Cooke

A wonderful introduction to Nevada. Easy to read, very nice photos.

"The Nevada Desert" is another quality read by Sessions S. Wheeler. If you're familiar with Wheeler's other work like "the Desert Lake," you already know that the author likes to inject original sources. After doing a lifetime of research and analysis on the desert experience, the idea behind this title is to publish a book of the most interesting primary documents. Chapter topics include the Forty-Mile Desert, the Black Rock, the Mojave, Gold Mining and Ranching. The initial chapter offers a brief history and overview of the State. The next chapter looks at the Forty-Mile Desert, a difficult wagon road for early emigrants. The actual stretch is east of Reno in the north-western part of Nevada. As one of the most compelling narratives in the book, Sarah Royce retells the chronology of her family's Forty-Mile hardship. The next chapter is a look at the Black Rock. Much of the section looks at the fighting with Native Americans. In terms of brutality and bloodshed, Wheeler believes that the great scale of these conflicts has not been fully appreciated. The Mojave chapter recounts the adventures of John C. Frémont. 'Memories of the Desert's Gold Seekers' offers entertaining stories of desert folk. Claude Laund's story about death and belated justice is a highlight. The ranching chapter focuses on John G. Taylor, a cattle baron. "The Nevada Desert" is generally successful as a Sessions Wheeler book with more primary sources and less interpretation. The Indian Wars section wanders and the John G. section offers too many, similar accounts of the same man. So while the dynamic usually works well, there are cases when Wheeler should have been more assertive as an editor. At the end of the day, I'm not sure that I wouldn't have just preferred to read a conventional book by Sessions Wheeler. Combining quality research, artistry as a writer and passion for his subject, Wheeler inspires faith that when he writes about a topic, it will contain the essential information. The book has something many similarly minded titles lack -a good map with details that connect the reader with the geography. The inclusion of copious black and white photographs help to tell the story of those who lived so long ago. All in all, "the Nevada Desert" offers first hand accounts of what the Silver State was like back in the olden days.

From Hollywood blockbusters to obscure, direct-to-video titles. From obvious, Las Vegas-lensed features such as _Casino_ and _Leaving Las Vegas_, to films shot in lesser-known locales, such as _The Shootist_, John Wayne's last picture, filmed in the area around Carson City, Gary DuVal's _The Nevada Filmography_ does a comprehensive job of profiling films shot in the state between 1897 and 2000. The book covers both films that used Nevada as a primary location, as well as those which shot only briefly in the state for brief sequences.

The book is arranged alphabetically by title, and each entry provides complete information on cast and crew, as well as technical information and production credits. Also included in each entry is information on the locale. There are five appendices that cover locations, chronological listings of the films in the book, awards the films received, an extensive listing of alternative titles, and films available on videocassette. There are also a number of black-and-white photos of behind the scenes moments on some of the films.

This is an interesting book, with a lot of good information and behind-the-scenes anecdotes about the films. For example, the entry for the original _Ocean's Eleven_ (1960) includes mention of the fact that Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack made the film during a two-week engagement at the Sands casino, performing at night and filming during the day: "all the Las Vegas scenes were completed during the Rat Pack's two-week engagement at the Sands, which made for very long days for the stars."

Unfortunately, not all entries are as informative. The careful attention to detail in the cast and crew information, material which could be easily researched using the Internet Movie Database, often overshadows a one-sentence mention of the locations where a film was made. And the extended anecdotes and notes are rather few and far between, reserved only for the highest profile pictures.

It is hard to gauge who the intended audience is for this book. It would most likely be of interest to Nevada libraries, for general or film reference collections. It would also be of use to any library with a comprehensive collection of film books or Western memorabilia. But the cover price probably rules it out for most general collections.

A well written book on Virginia City and the silver mines. A good history of the whole area around Reno and Lake Tahoe.

This map atlas can't compare in appearances to the DeLorme Nevada Atlas, but it contains different information. These maps are compiled by the Nevada Dept. of Transportation and show the status of dirt roads to a far more refined degree than the Delorme atlas, which doesn't distinguish good roads from bad. The maps in this atlas cover 30' of latitude and longitude at a scale of 1" = 4 miles. The map are blank and white and show only roads, water features and land boundaries. When exploring in the Nevada outback, I would carry both atlases.