The Roots of Reno

Yup – it’s a new book. Your chance to get the straight scoop on how Reno managed to grow from a tiny little town below Lake Tahoe into the infamous “Biggest Little City in the World.”

Of course, this little ditty is written by yours truly, and I’m sorry to say it’s not perfect. For instance:

It’s not hardcover – but for $14.99 softbound, you save about $10 on the price of the book.

It’s not endorsed by the University of Nevada Reno – they were only interested in publishing my books if their editorial board could chop-out anything they found to be unsavory about the characters, unflattering true facts, stories that contradicted long-held beliefs and confused those beliefs by introducing FBI records or court transcripts, etc., but that did allow me the leeway to use actual records, newspaper reports and the account of witnesses who lived in the area in the 1930s and worked in the casino industry.

It’s not going to be on every bookstore shelf – although you can order it at nearly 25,000 bookstores in the US – or online through Amazon, Barnes and Noble and many others.

In addition, there are 30 vintage photos and a 13-page index of names and places.

It’s fun reading, informative, well-researched and documented without unnecessary footnotes and still manages to tell the story of how Reno grew into what a 1920s East Coast magazine called “Sodom and Gomorrah,” a town of ill-repute and easy morals that featured women, whiskey and gambling – all during prohibition and before legalized open-gaming.

If you want to read a bit more about this book, click on upper title or the book itself.

Thanks for reading – Al W. Moe