Nevada Books

I haven't seen the PBS documentary that spawned this companion book, but the book is worth reading and having if you're interested in the history of Las Vegas.

The book covers the founding of Vegas as a town, the construction of Hoover Dam, the flourishing of the Mob, the testing of the atom bomb (120 detonations around 65 miles of Vegas throughout the 1950s!), the Rat Pack, the Howard Hughes period and the Disney-fication of Sin City.

The obligatory PBS Politically Correct chapter on African Americans in Vegas was actually very fascinating. I knew that Sammy Davis Jr. wasn't allowed to stay in the hotels where he performed in the '50s--which was shameful enough--but to read that the Flamingo drained the pool after the gorgeous Dorothy Dandridge swam in it and Lena Horne's sheets were burned rather than put in the laundry ("We don't want to offend the Texans," was the hotel's lame excuse) is shocking and disgraceful.

Definitely a coffe table book with great photos and thick pages. I wish there had been more photos though. As a regular Vegas visitor, I know that town could provide many, many more.

"Las Vegas" provides interesting photos and verbiage covering Las Vegas from its initial start, through the building of Boulder/Hoover Dam, establishment as a "suburb" of L.A., attraction for "quickie" (6 week) divorces, the mob's influx, atomic testing, the "Rat Pack," attraction as a "marriage mill," Howard Hughes, Steven Wynn, imploding old landmarks, and finally the building of new hotels with unique tourist attractions (eg. volcano, pirate ship, art displays, fountains).

Ives also provides several interesting statistical tidbits - Las Vegas slot machines have paid out as much as $40 million to a single winner, and by '04 provided about 2/3 of Las Vegas casino revenue; in '76 nearly half the gross revenue of the 163-hotel Hilton chain came from its 2 L.V. properties; L.V. has 20 of the world's largest 23 hotels; and during the '90s non-gambling revenues began exceeding gambling revenues in Las Vegas.

I don't generally like Christian fiction much. Too often authors use their "Christian" audience to justify banality or just plain inferior work. A lot of Christian books can't compete on sheer entertainment value. Happily, Bodie & Brock Thoenes work is some of the best fiction I've ever read. It's unnecessary to qualify that by stating it's some of the best "Christian fiction". It's good fiction plain and simple.

FROM THE PUBLISHER
He Thought He'd Left the Past Behind. Yet One Terrible Tragedy Brings It All Back ...

The year is 1863. In the East, the Civil War rages on. The mountains of California seem remote and untouched by the struggle of the young nation. Tom Dawson has found a refuge from the political and social conflicts running a small ranch with his brother beneath Shadow Ridge.

This man with a restless past, his "rugged, sun-browned face creviced from the weather like a landscape," discovers some measure of peace and happiness at Shadow Ridge with his brother's little family. Then comes the news that the stagecoach has been robbed and six people murdered by a gang of rebel sympathizers stealing Union gold for the South. Without warning, the turmoil of Dawson's past returns.

As he moves toward a final confrontation, the Dawson home is shattered by a second tragedy. Where will he find the courage and faith to continue?

Michael C. White's guide to the Nevada backcountry is absolutely excellent. Those looking for backcountry fishing opportunities will really appreciate the info provided in addition to the wealth of detailed insight White lends on backpacking routes. The topo map section is a huge plus! I have dozens of guide books on backpacking and this is one of the finest I have run across. Friends agree.

The subtitle to this book should read "A TRAIL Hiking and TRAIL Backpacking Guide." If there's no official BLM, USFS, or Park Service trail to a peak, this book won't be much help. As an illustration, the section on the Charleston Peak Wilderness Area--probably the most visited in Nevada--includes a detailed description of the Mummy Spring TRAIL but nothing at all about what I found to be a well-marked use trail to the summit (the "Mummy's Tummy") of Mummy Mountain, probably the most geologically interesting of the area's peaks.

But that's more clarification than criticism. There is enough useful info, like Ranger Station phone numbers, relevant USGS topo map titles, and access mileages, to make the book worth having. Some of the mileages are off enough to confuse readers, and there are other inaccuracies (the appendix of the top 25 peaks in the state, for example--Why isn't 11,253' Mt. Silliman in the Rubies on this list?), but White's book is worth having along with John Hart's Hiking the Great Basin and the Sierra Club Desert Peaks Section's Peaks Guide.

Since I lived in northern Nevada for 14 years, I was surprised when I met Al Moe that he wrote such a great historical account of Reno. By understanding Reno's history, it has given the city and the small towns during the gold/silver boom, new meaning. Understanding it's past makes the present come to life in ways that only reading Mr. Moe's historical account can do. Enjoy the ride.....Roy Ritner, Jr.

This book goes a little deeper than just a look at a few casinos in Nevada. The emphasis is on the 1931 to 1981 period, and casino owners are looked at - not just as owners, but as people, why they came to Nevada, and why they thrived. The photos are terrific - with almost 50 that are from the 1930's and 1940's. Easy, and fun reading.

I thoroughly enjoyed this moving story of a boy removed suddenly and without ceremony from high school and thrown at an all-to-early age into combat and all variety of other circumstances of war.

While we in the USA have a tendancy to dwell on the impact to the USA and our soldiers, here is a local perspective. Ironically, in addition to seeing Korea through the eyes of this young soldier, we see the UN troops from his perspective and so get an additional point of reference on ourselves.

In addition to being a great, fresh perspective, what happens to Private Shin is incredible. It is a laugh, cry and be moved type of adventure that compells you to read it in one sitting.

I really liked hearing about the Korean War from a Korean's perspective. I just thought it was too short. It is worth reading though. If you want to buy this book, I would buy it used and save some money.

This is a pretty good guidebook. The publisher (Chockstone Press) is the best I have used, and the durability of construction is second to none. The book contains a nice history, as well as some other essentials for the climber interested in visiting this area. I was disappointed with the topographic climbing maps (some routes have them, some do not), as they are not very detailed or easy to read, however, they are adequate and there is nothing better on this area out there (that I have seen). The text route descriptions are good enough to use with the topo's to find your way up and down. Overall, I think this is a good guidebook, yet it needs to be updated perhaps to include better climbing topo maps as well as one for each route listed. azdz@mindspring.com

The excellence of this book is due to three things, in addition to the fine quality of the writing.

First, by concentrating on an arguably "100 best climbs", not only does the reader learn useful route information but the authors have distilled here some of the best climbs the Sierra has to offer. Second, the format of a single page of route description and history, faced with a (usually outstanding) photograph of the mountain, really whets one's appetite for the climb! Third, most route descriptions are obviously left a little vague on purpose, leaving you some thrill of discovery if you attempt the climb.

I am familiar with a number of the routes described in the book, and the authors have done a fine job of selection. There are many excellent ones to choose from, no matter what your taste.

Sometimes a book comes along at just the right time. In my case, I happened across this book in the local bookstore the day I returned from my first exploration of the White Mountains and the Highway 395 corridor. Thumbing through it I realized it was a wealth of information to help me decipher the many plants and animals I had seen on my trip. It is an excellent compilation of nearly everything one is likely to encounter exploring this unique region. Whether it be geology, native vegetation, insects, fishes, amphibians, reptiles, or mammals, there is a chapter in here for each. And these are not simplified overviews of only the most common species, they are detailed discussions of numerous species and subspecies. Despite the detail, the writing style is easy to read. Each chapter is lavishly illustrated with black-and-white line drawings. A center insert also includes color photos of many arthropods and plant species.

Though the focus is on the eastern slopes of the Sierras, it is often applicable to nearby areas. For instance it describes bristlecone pines found only in the White Mountains. The book also covers certain associated areas, most notably the surrounding desert communities.

Genny Smith has done a wonderful job of coordinating the writing styles of many different authors. Having been involved in these types of collaborations myself, I know this is no easy task. The overall result makes this book a necessary addition to the libraries of both professionals and amateurs alike.

I was quite disappointed in this edition of Smith's book. Unlike the other reviewer, I have seen the evolution of the book from The Deepest Valley and Mammoth Lakes Sierra to Sierra East. This is technically the 6th (?) edition. The original books were more of a travel guide. Thus, followers of Smith's books (I eagerly awaited each new edition) may be as sorely disappointed as I was.
The "Roadsides" chapters were great for the less traveled byways of the eastern Sierra. The illustrations of the Sierra Crest were extremely useful as students always asked which peak is Lone Pine Peak (looks taller) vs Mt. Whitney. Illustrations like fig. 3.5 were scattered through this chapter. The chapter on trails were good for day hikes into the high country. Both of these chapters are now gone.
I also miss the maps on the inside covers of the old editions.
The present edition is part of the CA Natural History Guides, and Eastern Sierra follows the trend of massive books.
The geology chapter is well done with good new illustrations, but the section of glaciers is shallow. This is one of the dominant feature of the eastern Sierra, yet the explanation is not as clear, mostly due to the lack of illustrations compared to the older. e.g. The description of a matterhorn is that it is named after the Swiss Matterhorn. No illustration. Cirque Lakes?
Because it is a U.C. Natural History Guide, it tries to cover everything but nothing very well. It tries to be an all-in-one guide. Unless one is backpacking, it is sometimes wiser to have specific guides on specific groups of organisms. e.g. Number of eggs and incubation time are mentioned, but how many people see nests or have the time to watch how long it takes for the eggs to hatch. Maybe it would have been better to say "watch for nighthawks at dusk just north of Bishop and south of the Bishop Tuff." I have seen more Ospreys in the Owens Valley than Prairie Falcons, Peregrine Falcons, Merlins, and Goshawks combined, yet ospreys get a few sentences. "Look for them on Lake Tinemaha at the overlook."
Most of the mammals described won't be seen unless one traps for them in very specific locations and habitats. A more detailed description on the diurnal mammals may have been in order.
The fish chapter was expanded to include the various endemics, again fish that most will never see. Maybe a chapter or two on the fish hatcheries. Mt Whitney Fish Hatchery is great for kids (and grownups) to see huge trout that one can feed.
I thought the arthropod chapter was good and restrained, covering things that people will encounter in the wilds... mosquitos, ticks, no-see-ems, and organisms that are important to the area... Pandora moths, bark beetles. Things that people run across... velvet ants, brine flies.
I thought the flora section was ok. There could have been better comparisons between some of the more similar trees. Illustrations of the bark would have been nice, as they are helpful in identifying trees.
Last, the water chapter is good but does not delve into the LA Aqueduct issue, Owens Lake, Mono Lake, etc.

In Smith's defense, maybe the problem is that I am a biology professor and know the flora and fauna. I know less about the history and geology of the area.

The original version of this book was published in 1938 in a limited edition of only 500 copies. Ansel's other well known work of this early period include his portfolio entitled Parmelian Prints of the High Sierras (1927) and his other early books include Taos Pueblo (published in a limited edition of about 100 copies around 1930), and the relatively common instructional book "Making a Photograph" (1935). I have seen all of these works in their original form and was grateful to see this book reprinted making it accessable to modern Ansel Adams fans of modest means such as myself.

Ansel's printing style changed over the course of his life. For instance, the Monolith (face of Half Dome) print included with the Parmelian Prints looks completely different than the much more familiar and frequently reproduced prints from this negative made in the 1970s. Several other examples can be found of this change in printing style. Most books currently on the market and prints that are frequently shown focus on the dramatic Wagnerian style of printing Ansel adopted in his later years. Modern Ansel Adams publications which seem to include several new books every year focus on already well known images as Ansel printed them in the final decades of his life. This book is refreshing in that focuses on Ansel's early images and printing style. The book is also focused on the John Muir trail rather than being a "greatest hits" collection.

Printing technology has also changed and improved a lot since the original version of the book was published in 1938, and his improved significantly even since 1984 when Ansel died. Of course not every book is printed with the best technology of an era. I have not seen original prints of all of many of the images reproduced in this book, but I believe the printing to in the spirit of this era and to the original edition.

Plate #49 in the book, "Lake and cliffs, Kaweah Gap" has been reproduced in several other books as "Frozen Lake and Cliffs" including as plate XIII in the 1935 "Making a Photograph" and on page 10 of the 1983 printing of "Examples the Making of 40 photographs." I have taken the opportunity to compare these three reproductions side by side. The 1935 reproduction is clearly the worst of the three to my eye - likely because of the printing technology of that era. The 1983 book and the current book are much closer. The blacks are deeper in this book. There is more constrast in the cliff in the current "John Muir Trial" reproduction at the expense of a slight amount of shadow detail which is present in the "Examples" book. In "Examples" Ansel mentions that the negative was processed in nearly exhausted developer and lacks density in the shadows making it difficult to print. He goes on to say in "Examples" (which he wrote in the early 1980s), that it was "Only within the past year or so have I been able to get a nearly satisfactory print..." This implies to me that the loss of shadow detail in the John Muir Trail reproduction of this image is due to the way Ansel printed this image in that era and not due to the quality of printing in the book as another reviewer suggested.

This is one of the few books currently available which focuses on Ansel's early photography career, and I would highly recommend it to anyone with a serious interest in his work. Having seen and read the 1938 edition, I believe this new printing does justice to the original as well as makes this body of work accessible to the current generation Ansel Adams enthusiasts.

It is always told that AA put enormous energy and care in producing his 1938 edition of "Sierra Nevada: The John Muir Trail", originally published in only 500 copies and a fine art book of highest quality at the time.

I never saw a copy of the origional edition and my comment is purely on what I see in this 2006 standard edition. I don't know how this book is made from the original edition. It says tri-tone but the printing quality is so-so. Some images are a little vague, some losing details in shadow or highlight. The book is pale in compasrison with some great AA books published by Bulfinch in the past, such as "California" or "Yosemite and the High Sierra". You can find some images from this book in other AA books and in better quality. Overall, it would make AA uneasy to stamp his famous AA Authorized Edition to the book. If it were not for its historical value, I'd skip this book.

Now Bulfinch also offers a 2006 deluxe edition at $1,200. Again I haven't seen a copy but perhaps the pricier version can live up to the standard of the original edition.

The trend looks a little worrisome recently in AA books pulished by Bulfinch. The printing quality goes down from "California (1997)" to "Ansel Adams at 100 (hardcover 2001)". "Trees (2004)" rebounds just a little but "Sierra Nevada: The John Muir Trail (2006)" is a little disappointing. I would hope the next AA book by Bulfinch can rejuvenate the printing quality, even if doing so means a higher price tag.

I haven't finished the book yet, but just had to respond to the first synopsis you have printed, which is the same as on the back of the book itself. Frank Blake is NOT the great-grandson of Whip Holt! He is the GRAND son period. Frank's mother is Cindy Holt Blake who is the daughter of Whip Holt -- right? That makes Frank her son the grand son of the whipster. How in the world could something this simple get past the final editing process? There are lots of inconsistancies in the Holt books -- the Wagons West and Holt Dynasty series, both. Like on the family tree printed in the front of some of the books it shows Claudia as having two husbands -- wrong. She was a widow when she married Sam Brentwood. Then came Sam and then Mr. Locke. The stories are very enjoyable, but come on editors remember who did what to whom and when.

As stated, in this book Frank Blake, the GRANDSON of Whip Holt, gets his day in the sun, becoming the main focal point for the rest of the series.

This novel does a fine job illustrating the rise of socialist ideals in the 1890's, showing how Frank Blake could easily be turned by socialist thought into rejecting his upbringng, and then showing his folly in doing so.

The brother on brother conflict was wondefully done and this book is far better then could be expectted.

Recommended, especially for those who are interested in the history of socialism in America.

Even if you're not a Gen Xer you will love this guide. The photos say it all and the reviews are definetly not your usual boring blahness. A fun book! All you need is this guide and those leather pants your dying to wear and you're set for an all-nighter in sin city!

Just a word of warning: you can breeze through this book in 15 minutes. It's *very* small, and half of the book is pictures. Also, given the rapidly changing face of Vegas nightlife, it's going to get out of date quite quickly (not to mention omissions). Still, it's an okay little guide that might point out 1 or 2 lounges or afterhours clubs you didn't know about. Still, I would not suggest this as your only guide to nightlife or dining in Vegas. I would definetly suggest pairing this with another book, or even better, going with someone 'in the know'.