Arizona's Ghost Towns and Mining Camps: A Travel Guide to History (Paperback)

by Philip Varney (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 136 pages
• Publisher: Arizona Highways Books (1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0916179443
• ISBN-13: 978-0916179441
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #819,055 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Splenderiferous" collection of ghost town data., May 16, 1997

By A Customer

This book contains a wealth of factual background data on each ghost town, as well as numerous "back then" and "see it now" photographs. The book maintains the high standards expected from the publishers of "Arizona Highways Magazine"

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the two best ghost-town books I've seen., July 29, 2001

By	Peter D. Tillman (Taos, NM USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

-----------------------------------------------------------
[Paired review with Ghost Towns of Colorado, by Philip Varney]

Ghost town books are traditionally rather scruffy affairs, with dim
photos, little organization and an amateurish look. Philip Varney
has raised the bar with these two books. Both feature clean design,
good directions to the sites, excellent photographs and well-written
text. Varley writes "I wanted a practical, informative guide that
would give me the details I needed next to me on the sea of my
truck." Both books are squarely on his mark.

The Colorado book is nicer: all the present-day photographs are in
color, and the extra 24 pages allow more photos and a bit more depth
to the text. But the Arizona book is no slouch: it has the advantage of
Arizona Highways' long experience in producing good, easy-to-use
guidebooks (plus it's cheaper). I've been to most of the sites in both
books; in almost every case I've learned something new from his
books. The photos are excellent, the maps and directions are easy to
follow, and Varney's writing style is personable and informative.

Either book will make a fine companion for your next Colorado or
Arizona vacation, even if you don't ordinarily pay much attention
to ghost towns. Those with an interest in Western history *need*
both books. And they're both excellent for armchair travellers.
We're already talking about a Colorado trip next summer --
Kathleen's never seen the *real* South Park.

Varney really has no competition for either state. These are the two
best ghost-own guidebooks I've seen. He'salso written ghost-town
guides for New Mexico (1987?) and Southern California (1990). The NM book is decent, but out-of-date. I haven't seen the other.

Happy reading--
Pete Tillman
Consulting Geologist, Tucson & Santa Fe (USA)

Pete Tillman visited his first Colorado ghost towns some 40 years ago, and has since been to hundreds more throughout the West, both for work and for fun. Vulture (AZ) is his current favorite "true" ghost. But, hmm, Bodie (CA) is bigger and better-kept.... And Jerome (AZ) has the best views... And I've *still* never been to Crystal (CO). So much to see, so little time....

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars ALL GHOST TOWN FANS MUST HAVE THIS BOOK, February 22, 2007

By	Dustin M. Dudley - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book is probably the best ghost town book published for any state in the U.S.. It is nicely divided up by area of Arizona. So you can easily travel to a particular area and visit a few ghost towns in a row in a rather short period of time. Each area has its principle site (uually the site with most to see and the most history). Also, two to six secondary sites area listed for each area. Then minor sites are also listed so you can prioritize you visits to maximize what you see in a smaller amount of time.
The author also includes detialed driving directions and if a four wheel drive or high clearance vehicle is needed to get there. The pictures in this book are amazing. I am guessing that there is information on over 100 ghost towns in this book. Due to the dry climate, the ghost towns here tend to stay pretty well preserved. And the author does a good job of showing you the best there is to see here. I have personally visited probably 30 to 50 of the towns in this book, and I am telling you it is worth every penny.