ABOUT THIS BOOK

An evocative portrait of the state that "didn't deserve to be" but became one anyway. First published in 1977, this edition includes a new preface that reexamines Laxalt's predictions for Nevada made almost 20 years ago and reflects on the changes that have occurred in the state: the urban plight of Las Vegas and Reno, the renewed appreciation of the land by conservationists and opportunists, and the explosive growth of tourism and gaming.

AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY

Robert Laxalt graduated from the University of Nevada, Reno, in 1947. Laxalt joined the staff of the university in 1954, first as director of News and Publications and later as director of the University of Nevada Press, which he founded. He was named a Reynolds Distinguished Visiting Professor and held the position of Distinguished Nevada Author Chair. He is the author of seventeen books, including the critically acclaimed Sweet Promised Land. He lived in Washoe Valley until his death in 2001.

REVIEWS

“Mr. Laxalt . . . has written the shortest, most poetic, and best history of Nevada you will be likely to read.” —Paul Lyon

“This book is beautifully written, and it is filled with many of the most expressive unattributed quotations you have ever read. I would unreservedly recommend it to anyone who enjoys reading books and who likes to hold to the faith that somewhere in the world, or beyond, there actually is an Oz or a Shangri-la or a Never-Never Land or a Nevada.” —Gilman M. Ostrander, Nevada Historical Society Quarterly, Spring 1978

“Nevada is part history, part travelogue, part pure bunkhouse bull, part mining, part cattle—in fact, everything that makes up the most unusual state in the nation. You’ll love it.” —Ernie Hoff, Salt Lake Tribune, October 30, 1977

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1 Lesson of the Land                                     3
2 The Explorers                                          6
3 The Old Heart of Nevada                               12
4 Cattlemen and the Pioneer Mould                       17
5 The Sheepmen                                          21
6 On the Mustang Trail                                  25
7 The Fortune Seekers                                   30
8 A State Is Born                                       40
9 Exploits Great and Small                              55
10 Titans of Nevada Politics                             64
11 The Melting Pot                                       77
12 Nevada: The Sin State                                 89
13 The Day of the Hoodlum                               102
14 Las Vegas Story                                      113
15 Nevada Now                                           121
16 Postscript                                           127
Suggestions for Further Reading                      133
Sources for Quotations                               139
Index                                                141

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