Virginia City vs Bonanza - by Monette Bebow-Reinhard (Hardcover)
About this item
Highlights
- This book reveals the reality of life in Virginia City, Nevada in the 19th century versus the legendary storylines of the iconic television show Bonanza.
- About the Author: Monette Bebow-Reinhard is a historian and an authorized Bonanza novelist.
- 330 Pages
- History, United States
Description
About the Book
This book reveals the reality of life in Virginia City, Nevada in the 19th century versus the legendary storylines of the iconic television show Bonanza. In addition, it explores the history of early TV and its depictions of the West, as well as the full history of Virginia Ci...Book Synopsis
This book reveals the reality of life in Virginia City, Nevada in the 19th century versus the legendary storylines of the iconic television show Bonanza. In addition, it explores the history of early TV and its depictions of the West, as well as the full history of Virginia City from its environmental issues to its silver mining up to the present.
Review Quotes
Virginia City vs Bonanza: A Tale of Merging Histories is a fun piece of creative nonfiction. Monette Bebow-Reinhard's conversational style of writing is an easy read that entwines historical fact with beloved fictional mid-century television. Bonanza and Nevada history aficionados should certainly enjoy the read.
Bebow-Reinhard is quite the fan of the long-running Western television series Bonanza (1959-73). She has a deep appreciation for the series' themes, characters, historical significance, and impact on Virginia City, which was a focal point of the show. But this is not a Bonanza episode guide, nor a making-of book: this is a story about the real history that served as a backdrop for the series. The author's goal is to show how Bonanza and other television Westerns changed the way we remember the American West of the 1800s, and how Bonanza specifically rescued the real life Virginia City, which started out as a silver-mining boomtown in the late 1850s, from becoming a ghost town a hundred years later....Her writing style is highly engaging thanks to her expertise and her passion. Recommended to fans of American history, and to fans of Bonanza.
,Having read and reread Monette's enjoyable book, and, as a recognized history fanatic of Virginia City as well as a Bonanza fan, I am comfortable with the comparative studies that have been made between the "Bonanza history" and the as-accurate-as-possible history of the Comstock. It is a fun and factual book to read for both Bonanza fans and those that seek the more accurate history of Virginia City. The Bonanza version of Virginia City history had direct impact on the revival of Virginia City as a vibrant and fun tourist community. The actual history of Virginia City, rife with a fair bit of folklore yet seeded with bits of the real history is even more exciting than the TV version. The comparisons made in Monette's book of Bonanza versus Virginia City history is fun to read. It gets you excited about both sides and satisfies the Bonanza fan as well as the Virginia City fan.
About the Author
Monette Bebow-Reinhard is a historian and an authorized Bonanza novelist. She was in regular contact with Bonanza producer David Dortort from 1993 to his death in 2010 and has been a frequent visitor to Virginia City and the surrounding area. She resides in Wisconsin.
