Nevada Reviews

Tahoe Ice Grave (An Owen McKenna Mystery Thriller)

Published in Paperback by Thriller Press (2002-08-01)

Author: Todd Borg

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Another great read by Todd Borg!

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2005-04-13

I don't know how Todd Borg learned so much about so many different places and activities, but Ice Grave is not only rich in plot and characters, but in ambiance!

Owen is quite the Renaissance man. I never cease to be amazed at what Owen can explain. At one point, he explains, "scuba no decompression limits" to a local copper.

The whole scene just came to life for me. All of a sudden, I wasn't just "watching" a scene with a diver chick and a couple of middle aged men standing on a beach in Tahoe, but I was standing there with them - listening to the conversation, feeling the chill air, smelling the lake. Todd Borg has a talent for drawing a reader into a story.

An of course there's Spot. As the bookmark says, "Spot Rocks!" For most of the book, he's a bit more of a minor character than in Blowup, but he's still hanging about, drooling, lazing around, and making new friends.

I'm happy with my purchase, and recommend this book to anyone that wants a quick enjoyable read.

GREAT BOOK!!!

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2004-03-12

Borg writes with a style that makes writing books seem easy. His characters are simple and interesting. The plot is unique, and the ending couldn't be better. My steaks burned on the grill because I was reading this book--no regrets.

Don't Miss this page turner!!!

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2002-09-30

Todd Borg knows how to win fans...
Taho Ice Grave is a well executed story that
provides fast moving, compelling suspense.
Owen and Spot pack the realism that all mystery
readers enjoy.
Add Todd Borg's name to your list of favorite
authors!!!

"Tahoe Ice Grave"

Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2002-09-05

Murder in the deep icy waters of Lake Tahoe; the search for a priceless manuscript and the ruthless killer who would do anything to get his hands on it; a frantic chase up frigid mountain cliffs to a hidden ice cave-Owen McKenna and his faithful Great Dane "Spot" are at it again.
"Tahoe Ice Grave," Todd Borg's third thriler in the Owen McKenna myatery series, is every bit as fast paced and spell binding as his first two, "Tahoe Deathfall" and "Tahoe Blowup." Borg's attention to detail and unique talent for character portrayal go a long way to make "Ice Grave's" people and places larger than life. A fast paced read that will keep you turning the pages 'till the wee hours of the morning.

A big thumbs up

Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2002-11-05

Todd Borg is a Tahoe resident and small businessman. He also teaches part time at Lake Tahoe Community College. TAHOE ICE GRAVE is his third Owen McKenna and Spot mystery. Mr. Borg's first two novels in the series, TAHOE DEATHFALL and TAHOE BLOWUP, won several awards, including "Top 5 winner of Bay Area Independent Publishers Association" and "Librarian's Choice, Best Fiction 2001" by the Cincinnati Public Library.

Thos Kahale's body is found naked near Rubicon Point in Lake Tahoe, his clothes neatly folded onshore and a bullet through his head. Thos's mother, Janeen Kahale hires Owen McKenna to look into the death. Thos was an upstanding young man with a successful business and a discreet nature, and there is no apparent reason for his death. Owen has to dig deep to find the reasons, and in the meantime the Kahale family seems to be dying at an alarming rate. All Owen has to go on is a suicide note left by Thos and his family history:

"'Janeen, Thos's note says he was responsible for the deaths of three people. Jasper's father and brother have died in the last few weeks. Could they be two of he people Thos referred to?' 'Of course not. Jasper's father died of lung cancer. His brother in a car accident. Obviously, Thos could not have had anything to do with either death.'"

One of the real strengths of the Owen McKenna series is the characterization. Mr. Borg has a knack for telling a "tall tale" with larger-than-life characters. Owen himself is 6'6", and his dog spot is a Great Dane who is perfectly tuned to Owen's commands. McKenna's girlfriend Street completes the triad; an entomologist (science of insects) who deals with the grisly forensic side of murder. Together the threesome make for a winning combination of grit, intelligence, strength, and tenderness that is captivating to the reader. But Mr. Borg's plots are also super-twisters that take the reader back and forth, into and out of the mountain scenery at a dizzying rate. TAHOE ICE GRAVE is as compelling as any of Todd Borg's tales to date. With each book his writing advances to a new level, much to the delight of his growing audience. A big thumbs up.

AfterBurn: Reflections on Burning Man (Counterculture Series)

Published in Paperback by University of New Mexico Press (2005-08-29)

Author:

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Scholars on the Playa

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-03-21

I'm pleased to see that academia is now starting to look to subcultural doings as they happen, instead of invoking the fond nostalgia that the Beatniks inspired. The ability to digest and deconstruct the events that take place in this otherworldly space is much to be commended, and I think that by doing so the authors of these various articles may be tapping in to something most of their colleagues shy away from. The articles themselves are intriguing and scholarly, but never lose sight of their subject. I would love to see more editions of this book as the event (and the world around it - the context) changes and grows!

Reflections on the Reflections of Burning Man

Helpful Votes: 10 out of 12 total.
Review Date: 2005-10-26

Prior to reading this excellent sophisticated introduction to Burning Man, I had dismissed this event as shamanism and tantra for amateurs. However, these well written, knowledgeable, and at times quite learned articles, have convinced me that Burning Man allows for the creation of authentic rituals that are rife with both transformative and aesthetic epiphanies. Moreover, it appears that Burning Man has largely not yet been" recouped" (to the use Guy Debord's term) by bourgeois capitualist society, and thereby succeeds where its predecessors, the Surrealists and Situationists, left off. Next year, instead of visiting the Himalayas or Mongolia for my taste of the (w)holy other, I will just go to Burning Man.

Smell the playa dust...

Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2006-03-30

in these pages? Read this book and you will. Tho the author comments that this book was a composite of many different burning an festivals, te undercurrent feels strangely like one which puts you there in the middle of things.

There are a few details which, if you've been there, are a little flaky, and the book gets off to kind of a slow start (ergo the 4 stars) but as you bury yourself in this read (and it's one read that, if you're at all a burner, you will end up burying yourself in) you will be amazed... engrossed... wind blown... with a lot of little surprises thrown in that you don't expect, even all the way at the end.

There is another thing, tho... if you've never been to Black Rock City, and wonder what all the hubbub is about, ad you want to know if that ticket's worth it... and what it's getting you into... this book will give you a fairly good idea. Of course, your experience is your own... but, like I said in the beginning... read this, and you can almost smell the playa dust in these pages...

A pleasure!

Helpful Votes: 6 out of 7 total.
Review Date: 2006-01-12

Critical writing up to any academic standards fused with a joy in language and topic. Wonderful! It will make your mind spin with ideas, and what could be better than that!

Benchmark Nevada Road & Recreation Atlas - 2nd Edition

Published in Paperback by Benchmark Maps (2007-01-17)

Author: Benchmark Maps

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Average review score:

Benchmark Nevada Atlas

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-08-25

The Benchmark Nevada Atlas is of the best topographic atlases of Nevada. This large format atlas includes historical sites, major and minot roads, and physical features that complements most GPS based mapping programs. It's a must have if exploring landsailing sites in Nevada!!!!

unusually informative

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-10

Not only does this map label and explain all the interesting recreational features in the state, it also labels all the rural ranches and farms(!) We use it at the university! THANKS!!

Great customer service from Benchmark

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-09

When I purchased a Nevada Road & Recreation Atlas that had missing pages, Benchmark offered to correct the problem immediately. They responsed to my email in less than 24 hours. I've used 3 of their Atlases for different states and find them extremely useful.

AWESOME FOR OFF-ROAD

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-06-12

I use this atlas for it's great off-road detail to plan and execute ATV trips. This is the BEST atlas I have found for off-road detail in Nevada and it hasn't let me down yet. It must be the best, since others in our ATV Club have it and refer to it often. I never see another atlas on the trail besides this one!

Cacti, Agaves, and Yuccas of California and Nevada

Published in Paperback by Cachuma Press (2008-05-06)

Author: Stephen Ingram

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Serves as both a field guide identifying plants and as a natural history survey

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-11-17

California and Nevada hold a vast array of plant life, many desert plants and Cacti, Agaves, and Yuccas of California and Nevada is therefore a key pick for any California travel or nature collection strong in botany. Sixty species are featured with detailed description complimented by nearly three hundred color photos, 16 botanical watercolors, and over fifty maps. It serves as both a field guide identifying plants and as a natural history survey for any California collection strong in plants.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

Absolutely stunning book!

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-10-12

Stephen Ingram has produced a very worthy field guide with his book "Cacti, Agaves, and Yuccas of California and Nevada"! He goes far beyond the pictures and maps of most guide books and provides detailed sections on the plants' ecology, conservation needs and propogation.
The photos are detailed and stunning, and not limited to the usual one per plant. This is a must have book for any one interested in the plants found in the Mojave desert, as well as parts of nighboring deserts.

FABULOUS!!!!!

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2008-08-24

Having been a fan of Stephen's exquisite photographs for some time, I was thrilled to find his fabulous book. Besides being a talented photographer, Stephen really knows his stuff. This is THE book to have if you want to learn about the fascinating cacti, agaves and yuccas.

Excellent Book!!

Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2008-08-18

This is the perfect book for all types of plant enthusiasts. Stephen Ingram has combined his beautiful photographs with a nice description of each species, including basic ecology, distributional information, and fun facts about the history, nomenclature, native american uses, etc. It is easy to read, and although not something you would want to carry into the field, a "must have" reference book for any desert botanist. It is also such a beautiful display of photos that it serves as nice gift to anyone who appreciates plants, nature, or the desert.

The Cat and the King of Clubs (Five Star Mystery Series)

Published in Hardcover by Five Star (ME) (1999-06)

Author: Carole Nelson Douglas

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Average review score:

An Excellent Book

Helpful Votes: 13 out of 14 total.
Review Date: 2000-02-08

I really enjoyed this book. Going back to before the series as we know it began and getting history on some of the characters gives the book another dimension. This book would be interesting reading in and of itself, but as an avid fan of the Midnight Louie series, I was thrilled. I can wait to read the remaining three from the beginning of the series.

Midnight Louie is the cat's pajamas!

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2005-12-02

I was lucky to stumble onto this author and find this book before any of her others. From the first page, I couldn't put the book down. Midnight Louie is the narrator and what makes this so great? He's a cat! And every so many chapters, he gets to interject.

This fun story is set in the playground of vintage Vegas, which brings back that old magic. The author time warps you to experience all of the glitz and blinding neon of the city and really makes you feel like you are there with the characters. I totally fell in love with Nicky Fontana and Miss Van von Rhine and I'm thrilled that there are three more books in this series!

This is a beautiful love story with classic romance without getting gushy. It also has elements of mystery woven in that don't all get explained. I also loved the way the author put words together making the language poetic without being flowery.

But my favorite part was the end where, after the story is told, there is an interview between the cat and the author, explaining things in the book and about the series that you weren't clued in on. You really start to believe the cat is real! I highly recommend this book.

Midnight Louie's first great tale

Helpful Votes: 37 out of 37 total.
Review Date: 1999-05-22

Though his family is renowned as Mafiosi, Nicky Fontana runs a completely legal business. He currently plans to renovate an aging Las Vegas landmark into a major, first class casino. He hires Van Von Rhine to oversee the operation, giving her a budget of just under $8 million.

However, an unknown assailant wants Nicky to fail. That individual will do anything to make sure that the renovation project fails. Midnight Louie, feline private eye extraordinaire, decides to investigate in order to expose the culprit. As Louie snoops, Van struggles with adapting to the Vegas glitter as well as her personal attraction to Nicky.

THE CAT AND THE KING OF CLUBS is the full version of Midnight Louie's debut novel. The publisher sliced and diced this tale and the subsequent three other books that made up the original series. However, Carole Nelson Douglas has brought the gem back to its original glittering self. The who-done-it story line remains fresh and even more fulfilling this time around as Louie shows why he owns the universe. Fans of the series will take great pleasure with this "expanded" reprint. The audience will feel elation over the upcoming release of the other three tales from the original set that established Louie as one of the best feline sleuths on the prowl.

Harriet Klausner

Excellent, great fun and fast moving.

Helpful Votes: 7 out of 10 total.
Review Date: 1999-08-13

I have all of Carole Nelson Douglas Midnight Louie and Irene books. Love them and hope they keep coming. Also, get the audios every chance I get. Thanks for hours of enjoyment. I find them very absorbing and entertaining.Wish they came out faster.

Ceremonies Of The Damned: Poems (Western Literature Series)

Published in Paperback by University of Nevada Press (1997-09-01)

Author: Adrian C. Louis

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Incredible!

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 1998-12-12

Adrian Louis kicks butt! Ceremonies of the Damned is the best poetry book I've read in years. He's sad and funny at the same time. He sees right through this pile of crap we call "America." I really loved this book. Check out his hilarious "Copulation" poem. Yeah!

Knocked the air from my lungs

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 1999-05-19

Ceremonies of the Damned literally knocked the air from my lungs. One of the harshest and most beautiful poetry books I have ever read. Get it!

Ceremonies of the Damned

Helpful Votes: 3 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 1999-11-29

Ceremonies of the Damned by Adrian Louis is truly a collection of poems that is wrought with moral destruction. Louis leaves a lot to the imagination. Did he really sleep with his student Serena? He never really answers this. He lets the reader's imagination run. And what about his wife's Alzheimer's? How do you blame a man for being unfaithful to a woman who is just a shell of the woman he once loved(?). This collection of poetry is some of the best poetry that I have ever read. Louis paints a horrifying picture of reservation life that is decorated ever so slightly with a love for his wife that keeps his guilt alive and strong. I read this book beginning to end several times. Spellbinding!

Louis's shatters the myth of Indian men

Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 1997-12-11

Adrian Louis's Ceremonies of the Damned is a book wrought from love so rare that it destroys down to the last particle the image of the emotionless Indian man. It is the personal tragic journey of dealing with the tragedy of losing one's life partner to a debilitating disease, Altzheimers, and is a pain-filled love story. Ceremonies is the best book of poetry written by a Native American man in the whole history of native literature. It begins with the human contradicitions in character in a poem entitled "Petroglyphs of Serena," in which Louis documents an affair. The stage is set for what comes later. We have to question if the disease that afflicts his wife is a direct result of infidelity? Maybe. Without this preface, though, I believe, we would elevate Louis to sainthood. In the end, without this poem, we as readers would not be privey to the real human contradictions at work in Ceremonies. There are implications to our own lives. The last poem, too, is a remarkable testimony of human resiliency wherein Louis, despite his pain, is still able to ask if there is still the possibility of love. Between the two ends of this spectrum are: beauty, pain, tragedy, and anger. Louis is a fine-tuned poet that pulls you from laughter to tears in a few lines. I read this book from front to back in one sitting; I could not put it down. When I finished reading it, I wept.

Compass American Guides : Las Vegas

Published in Paperback by Compass America Guides (1999-09-07)

Author: Deke Castleman

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Average review score:

Vegas info, history, and more

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2000-11-18

This is not your typical tour book. The author is more interested and making you know about Las Vegas then telling you about it. Las Vegas is made tangible and not just rated in terms of good or bad.

The typical tour book stuff is here including hotel rates and restaurant reviews. However, if you want to know more, it's there. It provides description of hotels as well as details their history. Every subject is handled in this manner as well making the book feel more like a narative.

There are small excerpts from popular authors for even more perspective. Perhaps, perspective is the right word for this book. The reader is treated to a point of view and not just vague recollection of facts and figures. This is the first tour book I ever read cover to cover.

Though it has some slow parts, over all it is a great quick history / guide of Las Vegas. Even if you've been there, you'll find amusement in some of the tales or info included. I did.

Vegas info, history, and more

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2000-11-18

This is not your typical tour book. The author acutally suceeds in being entertaining as well as informative. Las Vegas is made tangible and not just rated in terms of good or bad.

The typical tour book stuff is here including hotel rates and restaurant reviews. However, if you want to know more, it's there. It provides the description of a hotel as well as detailing its history. In Vegas, even the hotels have personality. Every subject is handled in a like manner. This has the added bonus of making the book feel more like a narative.

There are small excerpts from popular authors for even more perspective. Perhaps, perspective is the right word for this book. The reader is treated to a point of view and not just a vague recollection of facts and figures. This is the first tour book I ever read cover to cover.

Though it has some slow parts, over all it is a great quick history / guide of Las Vegas. Even if you've been there, you'll find amusement in some of the tales or info included. I did.

Like taking a local along with you

Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2000-11-24

How good is this book? Another guidebook recomedns reading it! This book gives great insight into the history of Las Vegas as well as the individual hotels. While it is a little short on specific information, this guide more than makes up for it with specacular color photography and well written articles. A must read for those who want to know more than what the Chamer of Commerce or the Convention and Visitors Bureau will admit.

I've read many Vegas guides. This one remains the best!

Helpful Votes: 7 out of 7 total.
Review Date: 2000-05-03

I work in tourism, so I'm required to know all I can about Vegas. Castleman's Las Vegas is more than another guide. It can be read like an exciting novel that you don't want to put down. Or it's index makes it a quick reference tool. It's all here. History, the characters, the gaming, the hotels, weddings, maps, side trips, bargains - everything in a good size to carry and read on the plane.

By the time you land, you will feel like a Vegas veteran and save time and money.

Besides a great read, this book is worth the price simply for the fantastic photography.

Complete Idiot's Guide to Las Vegas

Published in Paperback by Alpha (1998-03-13)

Author: Garman

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Average review score:

Fabulous reference book on Las Vegas

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2000-08-18

Las Vegas is one of the most visited cities in America, and this book is a great reference. I got this book right after I went to Las Vegas for the first time and planned all my future trips around it. Admittedly, everything in Las Vegas changes every six months, but there are a lot of websites and references to find more information at the end of this book. The subjects covered in this book include how to get there, where to stay, where to eat and drink, basic gambling, and most importantly, where to shop. They do a lot of categorizing of hotels and entertainment which is good, for example, telling you which activities are good for children and which are fun for wild party people in their 20s. This book also hits on some of the lesser known attractions, and gives you a good idea of what kind of things you'll enjoy seeing (and what things will be a waste of your time). There is also a lot of invaluable advice found in these pages. Despite the "idiot" title, this a smartly written and well put together book that will appeal to a variety of people. Don't leave for Las Vegas without it.

Review of this tourbook

Helpful Votes: 3 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2000-08-13

I had never been to Vegas before, and a friend of mine loaned me this exact book. My dread of this vacation soon became one of excitment. I took the book with me, and we did tours (Hoover Dam and two city tours) that we wouldn't have without it. The book was a great, great help! It is easy to read, fun to follow, and I even read parts that didn't apply to me. I enjoyed the trip very much and plan to go back next year. It tells you when to go to save money, what the weather is like, what each hotel is like---it was much better than the tour agency I counted on to book the trip for me. There is plenty to do there besides gamble!!!! I had a strict budget for my companion and myself and we didn't even spend that, we were so busy. Take the recommondations to heart and have fun paging threw this to learn and enjoy before you go. Then write me! I found myself at ease when there and I would be glad to answer any questions you have! I was not a believer before I went, and now I want to make it an anual trip! Get this book and GO!

best kept secrets of Las Vegas

Helpful Votes: 6 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2001-08-13

This excellent book not only saved us time and money...it told us about wonderful things to see & do that neither my travel agent or freqent visitors knew about. It's easy reading, funny, and very informative. I've given copies for gifts to people planning a trip to Las Vegas. Our copy has dog ears, many yellow highlighted areas, worn pages which proves it's well worth reading and re-reading. DON'T LEAVE HOME FOR VEGAS WITHOUT IT !

easy reading for idiots

Helpful Votes: 6 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2000-06-14

I had been to vegas one time before, but wanted a new experience this time. This book showed me the ins and outs of the city..from cheap food to the best place to sing kareoke. It helped me expand my horizons beyond the slot machines. Making for a more well rounded, and fun trip. Easy to read, and very informative.

Dempsey in Nevada

Published in Hardcover by Jack Bacon & Company (2007-11-24)

Author: Guy Clifton

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Average review score:

Dempsey in Nevada

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-25

An amazing book.
I am a hugh Dempsey fan.
I have most publications ever written about Jack Dempsey.
This book stands out as one of the best

Best 'Nevada' book of the year

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-30

By John L. Smith
Las Vegas Review-Journal

One of Goldfield's claims to fame is that it was the place a young Jack Dempsey worked as a bar bouncer.

Dempsey fought a handful of bouts in Nevada early in his career and returned to the Silver State to box briefly in the summer of 1931. On May 31, 1915, Dempsey fought a 10-rounder in Goldfield against Johnny Sudenberg.

So, it would only make sense that the "Manassa Mauler" pocketed extra coin by breaking up fights and busting a few heads while in the employ of one of Goldfield's whiskey dens or buckets of blood.

If only it were true.

Alas, that's a Nevada legend involving Dempsey that doesn't rise to the count of veracity. There are plenty of others, however, that actually happened. And I've come to believe Guy Clifton has collected every one of them in his latest book, "Dempsey in Nevada." It's a technical knockout for any boxing aficionado who seeks to understand one of the fight game's historical giants.

In the Golden Age of sport, newspaper headlines were filled with the names Ruth, Grange and Dempsey.

But while Babe Ruth earned the outrageously high salary of $85,000 a year for the Yankees, Dempsey's share of his fight against Gene Tunney was $717,000.

Take that, Alex Rodriguez and Floyd Mayweather.

And Dempsey loved Nevada. He hooked up with willing women and cut ties with a couple of wives here. He was a favorite of Reno gambling kingpins Bill Graham and James McKay. He dug in mining claims for exercise and entertainment, and even spent time in his later years in Las Vegas.

For Clifton, an award-winning reporter for the Reno Gazette-Journal, working Dempsey's corner was as natural as a hook off a jab.

Like many Nevada newspaper reporters, especially those who get their mail in Reno, Clifton had heard colorful stories about Dempsey.

Clifton goes a long way to returning the legend to life and cutting through the hyperbole that followed his career. Along the way, he realized Dempsey was fond of Nevada in part because it was a place he could meet some women and part ways with others.

"I was surprised that all four of his wives had a Nevada connection," Clifton says.

Dempsey's first wife was a Wells prostitute. He divorced his second wife in Reno. He married his third wife in Elko, and his fourth wife signed the farewell papers in Reno.

Reporters and fans followed Dempsey's one-man parade throughout his life, and Clifton draws from newspaper archives for many of his anecdotes.

"The reason I ended up focusing on Dempsey in Nevada is that is really a part of his story and Nevada's history that has never been told," he says.

Thanks to Clifton, the Manassa Mauler's Silver State rambling is secure for all time.

Clifton's work tops my list of favorites by local authors in 2007.

Dempsy

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-25

Book as represented. Christmas present for my husband & he is enjoying the book.

Dempsey in Nevada is a Knockout

Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-26

Who knew that one of the greatest sports figures of the 20th century spent so much time in sparsely populated Nevada? Longtime Nevada sportswriter Guy Clifton did a tremendous job of assembling the facts that tell the story of how and why Dempsey spent so much time in this far-west outpost. No less than boxing historian Bert Sugar and famed Muhammad Ali trainer Angelo Dundee praise Clifton for bringing out never-before-printed facts about Dempsey, and I agree with them. The author also captured facts from period newspapers and magazines that if not likely to have been lost forever, they were close to it. The best part is you don't even have to be a boxing fan to enjoy this book, which is a quick read. It's fascinating for anyone who has ever wondered, as I have, about how people really lived in the Wild West. The author is a newspaper columnist, so he's always looking for interesting nuggets to build upon, and he finds them in abundance. Many chapters are often just a few pages or more, which tells me the author made a conscious decision to not simply write page after page trying to expand the narrative when it wasn't necessary. Dempsey came to Nevada well before anyone even knew he was a boxer and came back after he had conquered the world, which is interesting in itself. The Las Vegas we know today barely existed when Dempsey arrived in Reno, Tonopah and Goldfield. After boxing made The Manassa Mauler one of the most famous people in the world, he returned to Nevada to live and promote boxing matches in Reno. It appears that Dempsey's good nature and charming demeanor had as much to do with his immense popularity as his exploits inside the ring. I learned a great deal about history, boxing history and the life of a meteoric sports superstar who came from a different time even though he lived until 1983. The great number of photos included help explain this amazing little story of Jack Dempsey's life and times in Nevada. This is a gem of a book that is definitely worth reading.

Dreamweaver

Published in Mass Market Paperback by St. Martin's Paperbacks (1998-12-15)

Author: Kathleen Kane

List price: $5.99

New price: $2.00
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Average review score:

A wonderful book!

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 1999-01-07

This is a beautiful story that makes you laugh and also cry because you are so touched by the characters. A wonderful fantasy and beautiful romance mixed with love, emotion, drama and a few surprises. A keeper!!

Excellent!

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 1998-12-15

Kathleen Kane's books are the only books I have read where I have laughed and cried. She creates such wonderful characters, atmosphere, emotions. I hope she keeps writing and quickly. She is a fantastic author.

It was wonderful!

Helpful Votes: 3 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2000-11-04

Picked up this book by accident and what a find. I am looking forward to reading more of Ms. Kane's books!!

I have a new favorite author!

Helpful Votes: 7 out of 7 total.
Review Date: 1999-02-16

I loved this book! I have read time travel books in the past but nobody puts them together like Kathleen Kane. She has a wonderful sense of humor and it shows in all of the strong characters that she builds. I really felt like I knew each one of them. She puts in personal details that bring the charaters to life. It's hard to find a book that really makes you laugh out loud and cry as well. This book was great! I can't wait to get my hands on another Kathleen Kane story! If you like time-travel romance, you'll love this one.

Nevada Books