Eye of the Blackbird: A Story of Gold in the American West [Paperback]

H. L. Skinner (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

. . . not only chronicles her experiences of living in total isolation for three years, but it also brings the rich history of the gold rush back to life. -- Jackson Hole Guide, May 23, 2001

Product Details

• Paperback: 298 pages
• Publisher: Johnson Books; First Printing edition (April 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1555663125
• ISBN-13: 978-1555663124
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,398,951 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gold is Where You Find It, May 28, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Eye of the Blackbird: A Story of Gold in the American West (Paperback)

The book Eye of the Blackbird is many things: Holly Skinner's personal diary, a history of the Western U.S. as told by the early searchers for gold, and a broad-reaching book that places the reader with Skinner as she lives, explores, and searches for gold in the mostly unsettled modern West. Holly Skinner has been variously employed as a wilderness ranger, forest fire fighter, wrangler, and a rider in a wild west show, and also has a BS degree in anthropology, history, and journalism from the University of Wyoming. She brings all that background to her experiences as a gold prospector in this book, and with the research demonstrated in her over 200-book bibliography, weaves a fascinating story of history and her own personal experiences living in the West and looking 'just over the next ridge' for a strike that will 'show some color' in her miner's pan. In Eye of the Blackbird, Skinner ranges from personal meditations in her cabin amidst the sagebrush, to well-researched tales of the people who made up the western gold rushes from California in 1849 to the Klondike in 1898. This is a book that I think offers a lot for everyone, and it's very difficult to pigeonhole its appeal. You don't have to be a history buff, or even interested in the West or gold - just pick up this book and let Ms Skinner take you away.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars TAKE THIS FLIGHT, September 16, 2006

By 

M - See all my reviews

This review is from: Eye of the Blackbird: A Story of Gold in the American West (Paperback)

If you've suffered, like I, through award winning books by writers who move west with their trust fund, build a mansion in the pristine wilderness and declare, by some warped sense of reality, themselves a naturalist and an expert on the west, take flight in the "The Eye of the Blackbird": Holly is a genuine western authority.

Holly has thoroughly researched the flight plan, bringing the reader along many threads on the ascent which become woven into a cohesive story of the west. Holly has mastered the art of building a solid platform and lifting the reader along with the story. This style is refreshing compared to the typical self proclaimed naturalist style of relating their view with the condescending undertone screeching; if you don't see it, you don't belong in the club.

This book is a treasure and I'm certain that Holly will eventually gain the recognition she deserves.