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Nevada Books sorted by
Average customer review: high to low
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War of the Godfathers
Published in Mass Market Paperback by Ivy Books (1991-10-21)
List price: $6.99
Used price: $0.49
Collectible price: $25.00
Collectible price: $25.00
Average review score: 
Modest Tale of Fiction
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-01-16
Review Date: 2007-01-16
I was a great book
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2004-11-17
Review Date: 2004-11-17
you people who critzed this book are stupid and it was a great book , i have read severl books written by the auther and they are great get off his back like you could write any better
Re: Joseph from Quebec
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2003-02-12
Review Date: 2003-02-12
Have to agree with Lars: Accardo is by far the most powerful mob boss in the history of this country. Where the New York mob was split and disorganized and ran a relatively small part of the country, Accardo and the outfit ran practically every other area, not just Chicago, but LA to Vegas to Kansas City and most points in between. The fact Accardo never spent a night in prison is enough to show you how good he was at what he did. Of course, Bonanno was small potatoes compared to the other NY Godfathers, so we'll never be able to tell who would have won a "real" war.
Cheap Lurid Fiction
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2006-07-09
Review Date: 2006-07-09
I used to wonder how a crack former FBI agent and organized crime specialist like Bill Roemer could write glowing reviews praising the accuracy of Jay Robert Nash's sensationalist works. Then I ran across War of the Godfathers. What a novel idea--to write a novel using real people as characters. If this is any example, however, the late Mr. Roemer displayed little talent in creative fiction and the plot, revolving around a fictional gang war over Las Vegas between the Bonanno Family and the Chicago Outfit, is totally absurd. War of the Godfathers is way over the top and the nearest thing to restraint is Roemer's untypically immodest disguise of himself as a pseudonymous character. It's not especially well written and on top of everything else, the publisher didn't make it abundantly clear that this was a work of fiction. A large number of folks have been taken in by it, with fictional events such as the murder of Moe Dalitz even being reported as fact in several so-called "true crime" books. I don't understand the point of it to this day.
what happened roemer?
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2005-03-29
Review Date: 2005-03-29
While the way the book is attempted to be written is clever, as it is almost like a Hollywood script of real events, the book is farfetched and is downright untrue in several instances.One glaring falsehood is that Moe Dalitz was shot down an then was later poisoned in a hospital.Roemer a former FBI agent, should have known better,escpecially considering he wrote briefly about Dalitz real demise in another book.If one takes this book for what it is, a story , it is enjoyable.The one interesting factual aspect about this book is the details given to the famous "STRAWMAN" cases which largely crippled organized crime in the midwest.
Diary Of A Legal Prostitute: Nevada Brothels
Published in Paperback by Brown Walker Press (FL) (2004-10-27)
List price: $14.95
New price: $13.45
Used price: $16.87
Used price: $16.87
Average review score:
Interesting book
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-09-07
Review Date: 2007-09-07
I bought this book and read it one day. I found it to be quite interesting, but it isn't exactly the best written book and there are also typos - I would have thought the author would've had it polished it up a bit before it went to print.
But, all in all, I would recommend this book to anyone interested in knowing about how a prostitute who works at a brothel lives. It is told straight from the woman herself. It is also an easy read, so if anyone is looking for a quick book to read, then this is definitely one of them.
But, all in all, I would recommend this book to anyone interested in knowing about how a prostitute who works at a brothel lives. It is told straight from the woman herself. It is also an easy read, so if anyone is looking for a quick book to read, then this is definitely one of them.
Michelle tells it like it is!
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-04-13
Review Date: 2007-04-13
This is a frank and honestly written book of ones view of the sexual adult work place on the inside. The writer has taken a trip on the wild side and transformed her personal exploits in her diary to the pages of this book. The book is honestly written and shows the typical days of a legal prostitute. One who reads this will feel as if they are in fact Michelle telling her story and living the lifestyle that has its literal ups and downs.
While the diary is transformed into a book one can feel the daily rollercoaster of pleasure and turmoil. Yes, the book has many misspellings as should that is how the dairy was written without a spelling checker and the transformation of the written style is as naked as the subject on a daily basis
While the diary is transformed into a book one can feel the daily rollercoaster of pleasure and turmoil. Yes, the book has many misspellings as should that is how the dairy was written without a spelling checker and the transformation of the written style is as naked as the subject on a daily basis
A realistic view from a nevada brothel
Helpful Votes: 10 out of 12 total.
Review Date: 2005-07-30
Review Date: 2005-07-30
If you're looking for a bedtime story, don't read any further. This book tells it like it is. Working in a brothel is no fairy tale. This book is exactly what it represents itself to be-"a diary"--written first hand by a young woman who happens to like what she does for a living and has chosen to work in a legal brothel rather than as a criminal.
This is not a drama, but a documentary of several months of work. While it is not written to be erotic, it will undoubtedly be for some because of its explicit accounts. If you already know what goes on in a Nevada brothel (or you've been to one, like I suspect one of the unsatisfied reviewers here has), it may not be particularly enlightening.
On the other hand, if you are curious about what kind of person would want to go to work in a brothel and why, then will be an interesting read. You will find that Michelle is typical in every respect (happily married, mother, homeowner, etc.) except that she does not buy into the stigma of prostitution, and instead sees it for what it really is.
This timely account includes recent experiences with military men going to and from Iraq, as well as experiences with men from many other walks of life. Most of the encounters are uneventful; others are interesting, thought provoking. This book is an objective look at the business of prostitution. It can be interesting from the layman's point of view, as well as ethnographic transcript suitable for academic work.
This is not a drama, but a documentary of several months of work. While it is not written to be erotic, it will undoubtedly be for some because of its explicit accounts. If you already know what goes on in a Nevada brothel (or you've been to one, like I suspect one of the unsatisfied reviewers here has), it may not be particularly enlightening.
On the other hand, if you are curious about what kind of person would want to go to work in a brothel and why, then will be an interesting read. You will find that Michelle is typical in every respect (happily married, mother, homeowner, etc.) except that she does not buy into the stigma of prostitution, and instead sees it for what it really is.
This timely account includes recent experiences with military men going to and from Iraq, as well as experiences with men from many other walks of life. Most of the encounters are uneventful; others are interesting, thought provoking. This book is an objective look at the business of prostitution. It can be interesting from the layman's point of view, as well as ethnographic transcript suitable for academic work.
This book is a Joke
Helpful Votes: 26 out of 28 total.
Review Date: 2006-01-02
Review Date: 2006-01-02
Do not waste your time or money on this book. There is nothing in this book most people do not already know about prostitution or a brothel.
The book contains many spelling and grammar errors. Simply typing the manuscript in MS Word would have caught these glaring mistakes.
The book is in a diary form by date of a prostitute's eight months spent in a brothel. Most of the entries are mundane and fail to tell the reader what we would really want to know about life in a brothel.
Examples include: "January 9, 2004. Woke up and got breakfast. Took a shower and got ready for the day." That was no different than what you or I might do on a typical day.
From Februay 9, 2004: "One of my earrings broke. I had a matching bracelet that broke in another session." How revealing that was! I can't wait until we find out when she breaks a nail.
From April 23, 2004: "I got up, had breakfast, and showered. It was about nine thirty am."
I could go on but I think you get the picture. What I would like to have read was stories about customers and life in a brothel that no one but an insider would know about.
The author seems to be an intelligent person, but she complains on page 100 about a ring, given to her by a customer, turns her finger green. She surmises the ring must be gold plated and not 18 "karate" gold as the customer told her. Anyone familiar with jewelry knows that a gold plated ring will turn turn your finger green. Only genuine gold will do that as it reacts with the acid in one's system. She said she threw the ring away. This makes me question how intelligent she really is. Plus, the ring is 18 "karat" gold, not 18 "karate" gold. This is a perfect example of the lack of proofreading that was not performed for this book.
I was greatly disappointed in the book and I imagine most anyone else will be also. There is nothing of substance in the book, just one mundane entry after another.
The book contains many spelling and grammar errors. Simply typing the manuscript in MS Word would have caught these glaring mistakes.
The book is in a diary form by date of a prostitute's eight months spent in a brothel. Most of the entries are mundane and fail to tell the reader what we would really want to know about life in a brothel.
Examples include: "January 9, 2004. Woke up and got breakfast. Took a shower and got ready for the day." That was no different than what you or I might do on a typical day.
From Februay 9, 2004: "One of my earrings broke. I had a matching bracelet that broke in another session." How revealing that was! I can't wait until we find out when she breaks a nail.
From April 23, 2004: "I got up, had breakfast, and showered. It was about nine thirty am."
I could go on but I think you get the picture. What I would like to have read was stories about customers and life in a brothel that no one but an insider would know about.
The author seems to be an intelligent person, but she complains on page 100 about a ring, given to her by a customer, turns her finger green. She surmises the ring must be gold plated and not 18 "karate" gold as the customer told her. Anyone familiar with jewelry knows that a gold plated ring will turn turn your finger green. Only genuine gold will do that as it reacts with the acid in one's system. She said she threw the ring away. This makes me question how intelligent she really is. Plus, the ring is 18 "karat" gold, not 18 "karate" gold. This is a perfect example of the lack of proofreading that was not performed for this book.
I was greatly disappointed in the book and I imagine most anyone else will be also. There is nothing of substance in the book, just one mundane entry after another.
should be 0 stars
Helpful Votes: 6 out of 24 total.
Review Date: 2006-01-09
Review Date: 2006-01-09
any female who can admit to sleeping with 2 or 3 men without a shower or brushing her teeth has a real personal problem in my opinion. she also states that she leaves her husband every so often to travel to Nevada to work.....nice man that husband, I wonder, does she also have intimacy with him without showering and brushing her teeth?
Needless to say, I was left with no repect for this woman, and regardless of her choice of profession, she obviously doesn't respect herself.
Needless to say, I was left with no repect for this woman, and regardless of her choice of profession, she obviously doesn't respect herself.
Killer Bodies: A Glamorous Bodybuilding Couple, a Love Triangle, and a Brutal Murder (True Crime (St. Martin's Paperbacks))
Published in Mass Market Paperback by St. Martin's Paperbacks (2007-08-28)
List price: $6.99
New price: $1.97
Used price: $0.01
Used price: $0.01
Average review score:
not Fleeman's best work, but ok
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-15
Review Date: 2008-05-15
I really enjoy Fleeman's book. This book is just "ok". I think if you have an interest in bodybuilding this book would be more interesting.
The author focuses to much on the sport then on the victim herself.
The author focuses to much on the sport then on the victim herself.
knew Craig & Kelly
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-07
Review Date: 2008-02-07
I'm almost done with this book...it's not as bad as some people say. But having known Craig & Kelly for the past 10 years, I do laugh at some of the glossed over details in the book. The wild lifestyle was mentioned only to be "rumored", however many close friends knew that it was true.
I guess the author could have dug alot deeper and went farther afield to get additional information. He seemed to stick to the same characters from which to gather his information. A few were Craig & Kelly's enemies...some were indifferent and some were well-meaning but clueless and coming more from the "fan" viewpoint.
It is true however that many of their longtime friends lost touch, especially as they sunk deeper into partying and drugs and "alternative" activities.
One thing not mentioned was that Craig & Kelly offered Weekend Training Getaway Packages for sale at their home ...the person who bought this type of package would get to train with them at their house, hang out with Craig & Kelly...get to use the pool and "private" jacuzzi...and hopefully something more would happen...that was Craig's big idea.
Craig & Kelly did end up living a troubled life mostly due to Craig. In my own opinion Craig was and is a psychopath. Before Kelly met Craig she was a dynamic, talented, warm and loving individual. Her friends miss and care about her very much. Kelly's mother passed away recently, many say due to the horrible stress from this case.
All I can say is that when Kelly met Craig and they got married, all of us who knew them both, and knew the type of person Craig was understood that nothing good would come of the marriage...but we never envisioned anything like this.
Most importantly, drugs and wild lifestyles lead to tragedy and my heart truly goes out to Melissa James and her entire group of friends and family and it was very nice of the author to include some very lovely pics of Melissa in the book as tribute.
I guess the author could have dug alot deeper and went farther afield to get additional information. He seemed to stick to the same characters from which to gather his information. A few were Craig & Kelly's enemies...some were indifferent and some were well-meaning but clueless and coming more from the "fan" viewpoint.
It is true however that many of their longtime friends lost touch, especially as they sunk deeper into partying and drugs and "alternative" activities.
One thing not mentioned was that Craig & Kelly offered Weekend Training Getaway Packages for sale at their home ...the person who bought this type of package would get to train with them at their house, hang out with Craig & Kelly...get to use the pool and "private" jacuzzi...and hopefully something more would happen...that was Craig's big idea.
Craig & Kelly did end up living a troubled life mostly due to Craig. In my own opinion Craig was and is a psychopath. Before Kelly met Craig she was a dynamic, talented, warm and loving individual. Her friends miss and care about her very much. Kelly's mother passed away recently, many say due to the horrible stress from this case.
All I can say is that when Kelly met Craig and they got married, all of us who knew them both, and knew the type of person Craig was understood that nothing good would come of the marriage...but we never envisioned anything like this.
Most importantly, drugs and wild lifestyles lead to tragedy and my heart truly goes out to Melissa James and her entire group of friends and family and it was very nice of the author to include some very lovely pics of Melissa in the book as tribute.
Heavy on Bodybuilding! Not much else!
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-11-06
Review Date: 2007-11-06
This book is not one of the author's best works. It is mediocre at best to describe it. It does reveal a world of bodybuilding that I have never been much of a fan about. This book describes bodybuilders, Craig Titus, and Kelly Ryan, who appeared like the ideal couple, in love and devoted to each other. They are guilty of murdering young Melissa James who was employed and lived with them in Las Vegas and Los Angeles. Sadly, Melissa's dreams were crushed by her killers' cruelty. They cared more about the jaguar than they did about Melissa James. The author could have shown more pictures featuring Craig and Kelly. The only photo of them together is pretty vague. Melissa had her problems but she was going home and for whatever reason, Craig and Kelly couldn't let her go or lose. They hate losing. The book is an easy read for me but it's not that interesting unless you are in the sports scene.
Incomplete but Readable
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-23
Review Date: 2008-01-23
I wanted to give this book three stars but since everyone else is so hostile toward it, I'm adding another star because it's not as bad as the other reviews say.
Yes, KILLER BODIES is about an ongoing murder trial that hasn't hit the courtroom yet. At this time, Titus and Ryan aren't scheduled to go to trial until April of 2008, so this book is definitely not the definitive answer on this case.
It is rushed but doesn't feel as sloppy as other books (certainly not as slapdash and hurried as the first book on the Titus-Ryan murder, FIRE IN THE DESERT, a hasty publication that can't even decide on a common margin for each page--but good photos though!). The only mistake that jumped out at me in KILLER BODIES was that Kelly's car is identified as a Corvette in the photo pages instead of a Jaguar (have you ever tried to put a dead body in the trunk of a Corvette?). The photo section is the lamest aspect since Titus and Ryan, bodybuilding and fitness stars who appeared on dozens of magazine covers, are shown in only one photo.
The writing itself is lean and fast-moving, for the most part. I know some of the people in the book personally, so I might be looking at this in a completely different light than others.
I hope anyone reading this book isn't expecting the final word on this sad drama. It's only a competently written overview of the case with modest glimpses into the characters, no more, no less.
As it is, it's not as bad as the other reviews are saying but you'll need to wait until judgment falls before reading anything more conclusive.
Yes, KILLER BODIES is about an ongoing murder trial that hasn't hit the courtroom yet. At this time, Titus and Ryan aren't scheduled to go to trial until April of 2008, so this book is definitely not the definitive answer on this case.
It is rushed but doesn't feel as sloppy as other books (certainly not as slapdash and hurried as the first book on the Titus-Ryan murder, FIRE IN THE DESERT, a hasty publication that can't even decide on a common margin for each page--but good photos though!). The only mistake that jumped out at me in KILLER BODIES was that Kelly's car is identified as a Corvette in the photo pages instead of a Jaguar (have you ever tried to put a dead body in the trunk of a Corvette?). The photo section is the lamest aspect since Titus and Ryan, bodybuilding and fitness stars who appeared on dozens of magazine covers, are shown in only one photo.
The writing itself is lean and fast-moving, for the most part. I know some of the people in the book personally, so I might be looking at this in a completely different light than others.
I hope anyone reading this book isn't expecting the final word on this sad drama. It's only a competently written overview of the case with modest glimpses into the characters, no more, no less.
As it is, it's not as bad as the other reviews are saying but you'll need to wait until judgment falls before reading anything more conclusive.
Big on Bodybuilding, Little on Murder or Scandal
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2007-09-27
Review Date: 2007-09-27
I CANNOT believe that St. Martin's published this as a true crime! This latest publication by Michael Fleeman served more as a quick printed biography about two of bodybuilding's famed members than it was about the alleged murder of Melissa James.
The book begins with the finding of Kelly Ryan's burning jaguar in the desert and the finding of a body in the trunk. The next few pages are dedicated to the autopsy findings (which proved nothing more than James had high amounts of drugs in her system and "some" evidence of what could be strangulation) and then the reader must go through 150+ pages of Fleeman relaying the story of Craig Titus' and Kelly Ryan's life as bodybuilders. There is NO mention of Melissa James during these pages.
Once the reader FINALLY returns to story of the "scandal" as promised on the cover, the information is nothing more than "he said, she said" dribble; with fellow bodybuilder friends providing "evidence" for the police.
And, sadly enough, the book is rushed to publication before the trial. As it stands, Titus and Ryan remain in jail awaiting trial. A quick search on Google shows that, to date, the trial is set for October 18, 2007.
Don't waste your money on this one; at least not until the updated version is released that actually provides a finale. Even then, I'd only recommend reading it if you're really into bodybuilding as that it the majority topic of the book.
The book begins with the finding of Kelly Ryan's burning jaguar in the desert and the finding of a body in the trunk. The next few pages are dedicated to the autopsy findings (which proved nothing more than James had high amounts of drugs in her system and "some" evidence of what could be strangulation) and then the reader must go through 150+ pages of Fleeman relaying the story of Craig Titus' and Kelly Ryan's life as bodybuilders. There is NO mention of Melissa James during these pages.
Once the reader FINALLY returns to story of the "scandal" as promised on the cover, the information is nothing more than "he said, she said" dribble; with fellow bodybuilder friends providing "evidence" for the police.
And, sadly enough, the book is rushed to publication before the trial. As it stands, Titus and Ryan remain in jail awaiting trial. A quick search on Google shows that, to date, the trial is set for October 18, 2007.
Don't waste your money on this one; at least not until the updated version is released that actually provides a finale. Even then, I'd only recommend reading it if you're really into bodybuilding as that it the majority topic of the book.
Las Vegas
Published in Paperback by Rand McNally & Company (2001-12)
List price: $3.95
Used price: $19.99
Average review score:
MapEasy rocks!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2006-08-04
Review Date: 2006-08-04
I buy one of these maps for every city I visit. I bought the London one first and found an incredible price on a hotel right in the middle of everything because of it. These maps always have the highlights of each city that you may not find in tour books. Restaurants, hotels, shops, and other attractions are listed and it is easy to figure out what things are within walking distance of one another.
Rand McNally Las Vegas Map Guides (Mapguide)
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 7 total.
Review Date: 2001-09-26
Review Date: 2001-09-26
Returned it, as I can get a better map from AAA for FREE!
A complete waste of money
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2004-02-15
Review Date: 2004-02-15
This is the most worthless map I have ever seen. I think these people were too concerned with the artistic aspect, and they failed to create something useful. And as a guide book? HA! A couple of sentences about a few select sights does not make a guidebook. If you want something pretty to look at while at home, then this would probably be fine. But don't bother taking it to Bermuda with you.
A Map
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2001-09-26
Review Date: 2001-09-26
Sent it back, I can get a better map for free from AAA.
Mapeasy Las Vegas
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2000-04-21
Review Date: 2000-04-21
A MUST for first time visitors to vegas. Recommended for use BEFORE you get there. The site seeing and dining guides included on this map make planning a trip much easier.
Rock Climbing Lake Tahoe
Published in Paperback by Falcon (1999-08-01)
List price: $25.00
New price: $19.85
Used price: $10.52
Used price: $10.52
Average review score:
vague directions
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2006-06-27
Review Date: 2006-06-27
This guide brings the art of the reticent guidebook to new heights. Although I have only used it to find one climbing area so far, I already regret buying it. The directions to Big Chief are simply wrong.
It needs an update or Supertopo needs to write one.
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-08-07
Review Date: 2008-08-07
This guide might tell you what's there but you'll have to figure out the rest. The topos are vague and the drawings are not very useful. Compared to the Supertopo books, the Falcon guides are useless. Unfortunately Supertopo only covers the South Lake area and neglects Donner.
Topos are tiny and hard to read
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2002-10-28
Review Date: 2002-10-28
If you're over 40, I'd be surprised if you could make out the tiny print on the topos in this book. The text is very small and very difficult to read. There also is no ***** system recommending quality routes. Try to search out the old guide book with larger and more readable topos.
Your mileage will vary!
Helpful Votes: 8 out of 8 total.
Review Date: 2000-03-28
Review Date: 2000-03-28
After waiting several years for its release, the new edition of Mike Carville's guidebook to rock climbing in the Tahoe area was finally released in 1999. This book was long over-due; and though happy that it's finally out, I am rather disappointed with it. This guide is rather exhaustive in covering the climbing areas in the Reno/Tahoe area, but it falls far short of other guide books, such as the "Climber's Guide to Smith Rock" by Alan Watts, in its overall quality.
This guidebook lacks a "star" rating system, which many climbers are familiar with and find useful. The new hand-drawn topos by Mike Clelland are a nice addition since the original edition (1991), but their detail makes distinguishing route-lines on some topos difficult. The book is seriously lacking in the number of actual photos of cliffs, and those included only show select route-lines. Most critical to any rock climbing guidebook are its route ratings, and many of those given in this guide are disputable.
All told, it must be remembered that this book is only a `guide' and is not the absolute authority on what one will find at each crag. Your mileage will vary! If you are unfamiliar to the area, be sure to check with local climbers, who are generally more that willing to give advice. Also, Bob Sutton's "Select Rock Climbs of Tahoe" is available locally and is a very nice compliment to Carville's guide. HAPPY CLIMBING!
New edition is largely worth waiting for
Helpful Votes: 9 out of 9 total.
Review Date: 1999-09-18
Review Date: 1999-09-18
After a few years of delays, it's good to see the new edition of Mike Carville's guide to Tahoe climbing come out (the first edition was called "Climbing Tahoe Rock"). I had been working off tatty photocopies of the 1991 edition for quite a while, so having a sturdy, well-bound book finally to hand is a relief.
The major new feature of this guidebook is a set of excellent topos hand-drawn by Mike Clelland. These are among the best topos I have seen in any climbing guidebook. Unfortunately, about 20% of the topos remain the vague and confusing outlines last seen in the 1991 edition.
Directions to crags are generally good, but route descriptions rarely extend beyond names and approximate indications of the lines of ascent. Carville's alternative to the star ratings common in other guidebooks is a "recommended routes" section at the beginning of each description of an area, which makes navigation back and forth through the book an annoying necessity; this also makes it less easy to decide which routes might best be skipped by climbers unfamiliar with the area.
As far as new routes go, this version doesn't seem to add a lot of material over what was in the 1991 edition. There is now a section on ice and mixed routes, which I don't recall seeing in the earlier edition (but I wasn't interested in ice climbing then).
Carville has clearly put a lot of work into the new edition of this book, and while it's not the best guide I've seen, it is certainly good enough to get you to some crag where you'll find whatever challenges you please.
Shoshone Mike (Western Literature)
Published in Paperback by University of Nevada Press (1994-04)
List price: $16.00
Used price: $154.78
Average review score:
Very disappointed with this book.
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2005-05-15
Review Date: 2005-05-15
I love western literature, but I would never recommend this book. There is nothing worse than investing time in a book only to find out you have been had. The prose and style of this book are ok. However, I should have read the other reviews of this book before I read it. This is one of those "Oh poor Indians" books. I found another book on the "Last Indian Massacre" by Dr. Effie Mack, and learned the truth about the underlying story of Shoshone Mike. Bergon's book is liberal sludge, which attempts to sell a liberal agenda through twisting historical facts. As it turns out, this author is a professor at a liberal university. Go figure. Don't waste your time with this book.
Rotten Book
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2005-03-04
Review Date: 2005-03-04
Bergon has put together a lousy book. Although it reads well, it does not comport with history. Bergon twists the facts, which are available with a little research, to suit his agenda. If I want propoganda, I will read propoganda. I don't need it in a Western historical novel.
A real fake!!!
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2004-03-09
Review Date: 2004-03-09
The only problem with this book, is that it isn't true. Some research into the story shows how much the facts were twisted to suit a liberal agenda or some other twisted revisionist ploy at the expense to history. Although the author claims it is a "novel," he also implies that it is well founded in the facts, which it is not in many regards. DON'T READ THIS BOOK!!!!!
Very Good!
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 1999-11-27
Review Date: 1999-11-27
I usually avoid Westerns because its hard to find any that don't follow the Louis L'Amour/Zane Grey formula tripe.
This one is an exception. It is truly original and captivating from start to finish. You won't go wrong with this one.
Incredible Book
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 1999-09-11
Review Date: 1999-09-11
This book is probably the best Western novel that I have ever read. Its only competitor in my experience is the "Ox-Bow Incident." However, Bergon's novel, which is based upon a real event, is still better.
The action, which is set around the Nevada town of Winnemucca in the year 1911, revolves around the pursuit of a Shoshone Indian family from Idaho accused of killing some white men. Told from the perspective of several major characters, including the Winnemucca Sheriff, a Basque immigrant, and the Shoshone Indians, this novel really shows the ugly underside of the West that never appears on the movie screen or in Louis L'amour's novels.
This is novel is not a celebration of the old West, but it is a page-turner and well worth adding to your library.
The Brothel Bible: The Cathouse Experience (Brothel Books)
Published in Paperback by Sisters of the Heart (1997-06)
List price: $12.95
New price: $16.57
Used price: $4.00
Collectible price: $14.99
Used price: $4.00
Collectible price: $14.99
Average review score:
Working Girl Realism
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2000-12-16
Review Date: 2000-12-16
Part instruction manual and part memoir, the reader is immersed into the secret world of "Brotheldom" from a bordello worker's point of view. Compiled from the actual writings of former working girls, the writing is crude and honest, neither glorifying nor degrading. Our tour guide spent four years working in the legal Nevada brothels beginning when she was 44. It is through her remembrance of past customers, coworkers, and experiences, she tells us what it is like to live with a diverse bunch of women, competing for customers, sleeping when you can, and while making thousands in the world's oldest profession. The points of view benefit both those curious about visiting, as well as those who are just curious; told in both second and first person. If you can get past the bad syntax, grammatical errors, and lack of organization, the insider info found here could help you save money; these girls know all the tricks, it's their job. The use of quotes around such terms as "blow job" and "gets off" along with 20's style illustrations and a glossary of sexy terms bring a tongue in cheek feel to the book, sure to leave you standing at attention.
No Stars
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 8 total.
Review Date: 2000-01-14
Review Date: 2000-01-14
Written by prostitutes with, evidently, the minds of young children distracted by television....so little insight, so little concrete detail, a narrative that reads as though readers have never heard of prostitution or its attending acts...these are the _good points_ of this very silly publication.
An enlightening and provacative book that tells it all.
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 8 total.
Review Date: 1998-01-16
Review Date: 1998-01-16
I RECEIVED THE BOOK AS A GAG GIFT, AND COULDN'T PUT IT DOWN. IT PAINTS A VIVID PICTURE OF AN INDUSTRTY THAT FEW OF US KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT.
IT HAS BECOME A COFFEE TABLE CONVERSATION PIECE IN MY CIRCLES.
EVEN MY SEVENTY-FIVE YEAR OLD MOTHER WAS FASCINATED WITH THIS "TELL ALL" BOOK.
THE AUTHOR HAS A VERY PERSONABLE AND ALMOST COMICABLE APPROACH TO HER WRITING
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THE BOOK AS INTERESTING READING FOR OLD/YOUNG/SINGLE OR MARRIED'S--GOOD READ! ROD MITCHELL MEDIAROD@AOL.COM - MEDIA CONSULTANT - HOUSTON, TX
Really bad!
Helpful Votes: 6 out of 8 total.
Review Date: 1999-12-16
Review Date: 1999-12-16
I thought this would be an interesting book. Little did I know that it would be SO POORLY written and edited. If this (or these) lady(ies) were serious about informing the populace on the "ins and outs" of prostitution, they should have had someone with at least a high school education do the writing for them. The "quotes" around so many words were distracting and highly unnecessary. The punctuation and spelling were horrid. Forget it, ladies. NO ONE is going to take you seriously after THIS experience!
Great Hot Springs of the West: Arizona California Colorado Montana Idaho Nevada New Mexico Oregon Utah Washington Wyoming
Published in Paperback by Capra Pr (1994-06)
List price: $16.95
New price: $47.98
Used price: $0.86
Used price: $0.86
Average review score:
Horribly Outdated Information
Helpful Votes: 10 out of 11 total.
Review Date: 2001-04-05
Review Date: 2001-04-05
This book does a great public disservice. The information in the book has not been updated in years and is terribly outdated. Quite a bit of the information is absolutely wrong. Send the publisher a message - don't buy the book until they update it. Save your money, there are much better, current books out there such as "Hot Springs and Hot Pools of the Southwest" & Northwest - which are updated ever two years
Just what we need. RVs at wilderness hot springs
Helpful Votes: 5 out of 8 total.
Review Date: 2001-08-09
Review Date: 2001-08-09
The only useful thing about this writer's books on hot springs are the USGS maps and the latitude/longitudes. I bought a book of his nearly 20 years ago and was thoroughly dissatisfied, & was incensed when it seemed to me he was more interested in providing info for the land yacht crowd. I wonder if his book alleging that the lunar landings were hoaxes is any better. I doubt it. He probably denies the Holocaust took place, too. If you want a book on hot springs, check out Jayson Loam's books. They are much better. If you want info on faked lunar landings, get the movie "Capricorn One."
basic guide to commercial springs
Helpful Votes: 55 out of 57 total.
Review Date: 1999-04-13
Review Date: 1999-04-13
depending on what your looking for you may not want this guide. it has a fairly well established list to many commercial hot springs, but little else. If your looking for hot springs where you can hook up your RV then this guide may work for you. If on the other hand your looking for real, natural hot springs off the beaten path, then this guide is worthless.
Interesting especially for RVers who like hot tubbing
Helpful Votes: 9 out of 11 total.
Review Date: 1999-05-18
Review Date: 1999-05-18
We have tried one hot spring listing and enjoyed our hot soak, found one shut down, one remodeling and one a bit too pricey for us. Would like to see some reference to actual costs rather than than reasonable or free or deluxe. One place inacessible without 4 wheel drive but we will keep trying, the maps are good.
Last Bonanza Kings: The Bourns Of San Francisco
Published in Hardcover by University of Nevada Press (1998-09-01)
List price: $39.95
New price: $29.54
Used price: $24.49
Used price: $24.49
Average review score:
Terrible
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-09
Review Date: 2008-04-09
This was a poorly written historical novel. It wandered all over the place and left out critical material. I would suggest removing it from your inventory!
Unknown Wealth
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-07-05
Review Date: 2007-07-05
I have to say that i am absolutely fascinated by the Bourns. This book which i have not completely finished offers wonderful insight into one of the most influential families of the 19th and 20th centuries. The only thing that the book lacked was photographs. The book should have included photos of the Bourn Mansion in Pacific Heights (San Francisco), and Filoli out in Woodside. Other than those minor details this book was inspiring.
Not Meaty Enough
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2006-12-10
Review Date: 2006-12-10
I thought I had left a review but in looking back I haven't, so I will. I was REAL disappointed with this book. I spent a lot of money on it because I was excited to learn about the Bourn's, but the book left me with very little knowledge. Possibly there was no reason to write a book about them, but there just wasn't anything to sink my literary teeth into.
Editing would help.
Helpful Votes: 8 out of 9 total.
Review Date: 1999-09-28
Review Date: 1999-09-28
In his biography of William Bourn I and William Bourn II the author consistantly drifts from the topic.
A prime example is even though William Bourn is in Monte Carlo during the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, Egan adds to his description of the events in San Francisco the following sentence: "Even after the devestation of an earthquake that would have measured somewhere about 8.25 on the Richter Scale-to be developed in later years by Charles F. Richter of the Claifornia Institute of Technology..."
Unfortunately this quote is not exceptional. If the author stayed with his topic the information Eagan unearthed on this important California family would require half the pages.
Ferol Egan's "Last Bonanza Kings" is a book sorely in need of an editor.
American Commander in Spain: Robert Hale Merriman and the Abraham Lincoln Brigade (Nevada Studies in History and Political Science)
Published in Hardcover by Univ of Nevada Pr (1986-04)
List price: $29.95
New price: $27.00
Used price: $3.39
Collectible price: $29.95
Used price: $3.39
Collectible price: $29.95
Average review score:
Biased to the left wing view of reality
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 24 total.
Review Date: 1999-11-04
Review Date: 1999-11-04
The Lincoln Brigade fought ON the side of the Communist Left ( Republicans) and participated in the many attrocities such as executions of the clergy, press,ect. They were funded by Eleanor Roosevelt who was a "closet" Communist,trained and sent to Spain to help send Spain into the Soviet orbit.
An eye-opener
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 17 total.
Review Date: 1999-10-15
Review Date: 1999-10-15
Interesting, if for no other reason than to see for yourself the nature of the "true believers" of the Left. We now know that Americans participated in Stalin-inspired Trotskyite hunts within the ranks of the International Brigades. While Merriman almost certainly met his end at a Nationalist firing squad, how many American Reds met their end at Merriman's orders? The writing style of the book was in the nature of a justification of a cause that was morally bankrupt, even in the context of fighting fascism. I recommend the book to anyone who wishes to better understand the mindset of liberal thinking . . .
Life meets Literature
Helpful Votes: 9 out of 11 total.
Review Date: 2002-01-27
Review Date: 2002-01-27
"American Commander in Spain" is a vivid account of the last years in the life of Robert Merriman. The book was written by his wife, who followed Merriman when he went to fight in the Spanish Civil War. The book will not be helpful to the profesional historian, save perhaps a few anecdotes that could link specific historical characters to specific places during the war. The book is also not a novel and cannot be read as a work with high literary intentions. Rather it is an interesting portrait of a man whose life has the special quality of blending reality and legend. Merriman became fiction when Hemingway, who met him during the war used him as the basis for his character Robert Jordan in "For whom the bell tolls." The work will therefore be of most interest to those readers looking for the sources where Literature drinks from Life and with some emotional attachment to the historical context.
...For when one reads about Robert Merriman it becomes clear that he was an american patriot searching for solutions to get his own country out of the Depression and later trying to stop the rise of Fascism in Europe. That his countrymen were so blind then (and it seems still now) cost them dearly in WWII. The insensitivity shown by these reviewers hurts most those of us who look up to the american volunteers in awe, not for their ideological beliefs, but for their sense of sacrifice and love for freedom. It is a sin against Humanity to see Merriman's death any other way. If there is a God and these other reviewers are ever judged, I only hope that all their sins will be remembered.
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Author William Roemer (1926-1996) was an FBI agent assigned to the Chicago crime syndicate. He writes nicely readable prose, but Roemer does a better job with his non-fictional narratives on the Chicago outfit.