Customer Reviews

Last Bonanza Kings: The Bourns Of San Francisco

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

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.

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!

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.

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.