Customer Reviews

Young Las Vegas: 1905-1931: Before the Future Found Us

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

 

 

What a wonderful book! Lots of rare photos, nicely presented in a large format, on glossy paper. It's very attractive. And well-written, with anecdotes about early Las Vegas, a very engaging narrative.

My only quibble: since the dates are tightly defined, the writer is confined to stories involving many of the same people; it's all basically one generation. As names are introduced again in subsequent chapters, it gets a little redundant. But it's also honest journalism: some VIPs were more prominent and productive than others. The stories Ms. Whitely conveys are enormously entertaining, from the lofty Senator who brought the railroad to town, to the price of a call girl during the decades when prostitution was legal, plus plenty more.

This beautiful book would make a wonderful gift.

Joan Whitely's Young Las Vegas is a wonderful book for the living room historian. Joan's writing style and vision of how the book should be read keeps it light and entertaining throughout the text. Rather than being a boring chronology Young Las Vegas is more of a `day in the life' of the different people who shaped the budding center of the world. The text is supplemented by amazing photography and interesting anecdotes that hook the reader into the history of an amazing town.

Highly informative and visually pleasing large format book. I loved the layout and the pictures throughout. The writing is superb and holds interest on every page. Can't say enough about this early history of Las Vegas!