One of the Explorer’s favorite pastimes is reading. Specifically, the Explorer loves to tackle just about anything history related, and has special place in his heart for western history. Under normal circumstances, the Explorer likes to finish a couple of books a month. That number declines in the summer months, given all the outdoor activities that beckon. And unfortunately, this summer’s reading list was cut even shorter by the fact that the Explorer spent the better part of May, June, and July studying for the Bar (and yes, he passed on the first try!). So below is the list, complete with summaries and recommendations, of the 3 western themed books that the Explorer finished this summer.
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Ronald M. James, The Roar and the Silence – A History of Virginia City and the Comstock Lode, University of Nevada Press - 1998
Ronald James, the state of Nevada’s historic preservation officer, sets out to fully chronicle the colorful history of Virginia City and the Comstock Mining District. The author leaves no stone unturned in this thoroughly researched book. The reader is introduced to lively personalities like young Samuel Clemens - who got his first taste of reporting at Virginia City’s Territorial Enterprise, and John W. Mackay, an Irish miner who arrived at the Comstock with nothing but through hard work, cunning spirit, and luck, rose from common miner to mine superintendent, and eventually multi millionaire part owner of one of the richest mining claims ever discovered. James’ book doesn’t simply chronicle the traditional stories of Anglo and European miners. Equal care and consideration is given to documenting other elements of Comstock society, including Chinese laborers, Cornish miners, and the always present ladies of the night. James’ work is a serious account documenting the complete history of the Virginia City area, from its fledgling founding through the boom and slack years, to its most recent transformation into tourist and cultural heritage center.
The Explorer’s Take: The Explorer had been familiar with James’ work for sometime but only acquired it while briefly touring Virginia City last October. Finally cracking the book in late April, the Explorer was pleased that The Roar and the Silence lived up to all the recommendations he had heard over the years. The book is filled with great details - which can on occasion make for tedious reading, but are frequently offset by amusing historical anecdotes. James not only brings to life the people of the Comstock, but also the community’s larger place in the history of the United States (the silver coming out of the Comstock helped finance the Union war effort and was at least in part responsible for Nevada’s admission to the union). The book is a must read for anyone interested in one of the most historically significant mineral fields ever harvested.
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Nathaniel Philbrick, The Last Stand – Custer, Sitting Bull, and the Battle of the Little Bighorn, Viking
The book lends a new perspective to the tragic confrontation of George Custer and his Seventh Cavalry against Sitting Bull and his alliance encampment of Sioux and Cheyenne at the Little Bighorn River. Philbrick attempts to deconstruct the myths and counter-myths surrounding the fateful encounter, many of which have been perpetrated since the blood was barely dry on the battlefield.
The Explorer’s Take: The Explorer counts amongst his favorite reads of all time another Philbrick work, In the Heart of the Sea. That book chronicled the star crossed voyage of a nineteenth century Nantucket Whaler that was rammed and sunk by a monstrous Sperm whale in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. If the plot sounds familiar, it’s because Herman Melville used the real account as the inspiration for his classic, Moby Dick.
The majority of Philbrick’s works involve nautical themes, so the Explorer was just a little surprised and curious that the author chose such a landlocked subject. Philbrick however seems as capable of writing on the land as he is at sea - The Last Stand does not disappoint. With masterful story telling talents, Philbrick is able to introduce the reader to a multitude of complex and contradictory characters and give equal weight to two different cultural takes on the infamous battle. Philbrick accomplishes all this without losing sight of the overall objective: to tell the true and unbiased story of Custer and Sitting Bull’s epic encounter.
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Lt. John Nores Jr. & James A. Swan, War in the Woods – Combating the Marijuana Cartels on America’s Public Lands, Lyons Press - 2010
There is a silent war going on in the heart of America. The battles are fought in both remote wilderness preserves and popular recreational areas, sometimes within shouting distance of suburban America. The cause of the conflicts? A battle between criminals defending a $30 billion per year cash crop and the law enforcement officers committed to its eradication.
War in the Woods tells the personal accounts of California Fish and Game Warden John Nores Jr. who has dedicated his life to stamping out the illegal cultivation and harvesting of Marijuana crops in the wilds of California. Norris’ account packs a punch as it retells battling hostile terrain, booby traps, and gun running pot growers throughout woods, back country, and parks of Northern California. Norris and Swan spare no sympathy in their description of the growers who plant in the depths of the state’s wild valleys. These are not simple dope users, growing for their own personal consumption; rather they are often hardened criminals, armed to the teeth, and ready to defend their crops with deadly force. In addition to placing little value on human life, the criminal growers also employ destructive cultivation methods. These include the damning of natural watercourses, the introduction of highly toxic fertilizers and pesticides into the growing area, and the wholesale clearing of natural vegetation. All these activities lead to the decimation of plant and animal species, and the ecosystem in prior grow sites can take years to recover.
The Explorer’s Take: The Explorer departed from his usual preference of historical works to take up this recommendation. The subject matter is extremely intense and at points, tragic. The book can be monotonous at times, and the reader expecting a neat conclusion or a timely solution should be warned: they are not forthcoming. Nevertheless, this book is a must read for anyone who considers themselves a champion of the environment, and a warning for those who love exploring our national and state parks and forests. Discovering how close some of the giant pot fields were to civilization sent a chill up the Explorer’s spine and led him to do some of his own research. A quick Google search revealed that several hidden farms had been recently discovered in the woods where the Explorer regularly goes hiking with his trusty mutt.
Finally, the Explorer couldn’t help shake a nagging thought while reading the book: given all the destruction these growers cause, anyone who uses marijuana recreationally but also claims to love the outdoors may want to re-analyze their priorities.
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Next Up in the Explorer’s Literary Queue:
· Christopher Corbett, Orphans Preferred – The Twisted Truth and Lasting Legacy of the Pony Express, Broadway Books;
· David Haward Bain, Empire Express – Building the First Transcontinental Railroad, Penguin Books
3 Bacon Slices 
