Customer Reviews

Nevada Yesterdays: Short Looks at Las Vegas History

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For many years the late Frank Wright entertained the people of Las Vegas with his stories of early Nevada. For the first time his stories have been put together in Nevada Yesterdays, from the story of Whiskey Pete to the fairy tale character of the elusive nude Eve of Paradise Valley. A wonderful compilation of his beloved radio shows, Nevada Yesterdays brings the history of America's most original town to life.

Being a native Las Vegas, I knew Frank Wright very well.
We worked together on many historic preservation projects.
He has done a fine job in telling many classic stories and also some little known facts and stories.
A "keeper" for those who are interested the real stories of Las Vegas.

Finally a Las Vegas history book for everyone! Frank Wright's "Nevada Yesterday's" is the history of Las Vegas publication, that reads as if "U.S.A. Today" newspaper had commissioned the book.

Educational and entertaining reporting of the big stories from Las Vegas's past, the book reads well with great photography and graphics.

I really enjoyed the world timeline segments, that put Las Vegas history into a larger perspective.

One of the greatest services "Nevada Yesreday's" provides the reader is the contrast between the myth-Las Vegas and the REAL history that is often better than the Hollywood version.

"Nevada Yesterdays" provides a new look at Las Vegas history, from debunking the myth of Bugsy Siegel as the town's founder, to uncovering the colorful characters such as Sheriff Sam Gay, who was fired for the first time in 1910 for taking prisoners from the sweltering tin jail and tying them to a shady tree by the creek. Other gems include stories about the marriage of "Whataman" Hudson and Ma Kennedy; Tony Cornero, who built several casino and died at the craps table; the coming of Howard Hughes and what it did for Las Vegas; and much more. The pieces are filled with humor, unexpected details and above all, solid historical facts. A must read!

frank wright's 'nevada yesterdays' is a wonderful book, full of short historical essays on our much misunderstood state. wright was a good man, a good historian, and a good writer--his book reflects all these qualities. i wish i'd written it. i wish i could have!

The Las Vegas history people think they know is thoroughly distorted and not half as interesting as the truth told so well here. In these crisp stories, written originally for radio, Frank Wright takes us through the evolution of a Twentieth Century phenomena, recounting how a tiny railroad stop in the middle of the most miserable American desert grew into the tourist attraction known the world over, while introducing us to the people who made it happen. He shows us how a townsite carefully designed by temperence-minded railroad executives to keep out alcohol, gambling and prostitution became an empire built upon precisely those three pillars.
Wright was a great wit, drawn to the barely believeable characters who built the city and the often hilarious episodes which make up its history. You'll wonder why you never heard the truth before.