Death Valley and the Amargosa: A Land of Illusion

by Richard E. Lingenfelter

This is the history of Death Valley, where that bitter stream the Amargosa dies. It embraces the whole basin of the Amargosa from the Panamints to the Spring Mountains, from the Palmettos to the Avawatz. And it spans a century from the earliest recollections and the oldest records to that day in 1933 when much of the valley was finally set aside as a National Monument. This is the story of an illusory land, of the people it attracted and of the dreams and delusions they pursued-the story of the metals in its mountains and the salts in its sinks, of its desiccating heat and its revitalizing springs, and of all the riches of its scenery and lore-the story of Indians and horse thieves, lost argonauts and lost mine hunters, prospectors and promoters, miners and millionaires, stockholders and stock sharps, homesteaders and hermits, writers and tourists. But mostly this is the story of the illusions-the illusions of a shortcut to the gold diggings that lured the forty-niners, of inescapable deadliness that hung in the name they left behind, of lost bonanzas that grew out of the few nuggets they found, of immeasurable riches spread by hopeful prospectors and calculating con men, and of impenetrable mysteries concocted by the likes of Scotty. These and many lesser illusions are the heart of its history.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Travel

698 pages, Paperback

First published December 12, 1987

About the author

Richard E. Lingenfelter is a research physicist at the University of California, San Diego. He has written over a dozen books on Western American history and lore.

Reviews

[Socraticgadfly · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for Death Valley junkies

This is much more than just a social or human history of Death Valley.

It's also a highly in-depth natural history. And, it must be.

No human history of the hottest, driest, lowest, and certainly starkest place in North America could discuss human history without examing both the climate and geology behind it.

And Lingenfelter does an excellent job of doing just that.

Learn more about early treks across this land, the Native Americans, precious metal and borax/chemical mining and more.

[Jack Cook · Rating 4 out of 5]

Long winded, very informative. A definitive book on the DV mining booms.

[Nicholas Najjar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hottest. Driest. Lowest. A land of superlatives. Death Valley.

I bought this book for a few dollars a while back because I knew I was spending a few days in Death Valley over my Spring Break. I knew next to nothing about this region other than it boasts the lowest point in the United States and it can be extremely hot here (obviously). The ground temperatures can be 80 degrees warmer than the air temperature in Death Valley; an excruciating and mind boggling temperature of 201 degrees was once recorded.

Anyways, being the nerd that I am, I wanted to get a history book about this region to learn a little bit more about it before I ventured in. I discovered Richard Lingenfelter’s text and decided to read it. I was not disappointed. Even the title “A Land of Illusion” is evocative and conjures up images of mirages, heat waves, gold rushers, and the deafening silence and desolation that defines this valley.

The book explores the many different peoples who have crossed in and through this valley. Some stayed. Some left. Some even perished here under the grueling sun or by other more nefarious means. The author also discusses, at length, the Native American tribes (three of them to be exact) who have lived in this valley for millennia. Some of them still live here today. Lingenfelter writes about lots of different pieces of Death Valley’s history. The gold miners, how borax (white gold!) became the Valley’s greatest commodity, the silver, the mule trains, and several fascinating settlers and frontiersmen who tried to conquer this land and live here.

One theme that emerges throughout the book is endurance. This land endures. It must. The people who stay here must endure. It is an other-worldly place. It looks like nowhere else I have ever been or travelled to. For one to live here they must endure the blistering summers, the sheer blackness of night (it is actually frightening), and the remoteness.

Also, the exorbitant gas prices here rival the prices of their Beverly Hills, CA counterparts. Hard to believe this place is in the same state as Beverly Hills. They are like the complete opposite of each other! Rich, vain, shallow, fake, plastic, and so self-indulgent. Death Valley stands in stark contrast to that. All jokes aside, this place stands in stark contrast to anywhere else in this country. A singularly unique and strange place that offers incredible views and a glimpse into a fascinating piece of Western history.

This book was both interesting and helpful because it gave me a lot of information about Death Valley and its history which made the trip more enjoyable.

Borax is great for your workout clothes when they are super sweaty and smelly, just throw it right into the washer with the clothes. A nice scoop will do the trick along with a cup of distilled vinegar. Neutralizes the smell really well. FYI.

After visiting I can confidentially say that Death Valley is a testament to the beauty of God’d creation.

[Arthur Sylvester · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book transported me vicariously to Death Valley for two days, while I was in the hospital. It was a marvelous way to spend the time.

[Eric B · Rating 5 out of 5]

You will love this or hate it. It is extremely detailed and well researched....but at times, it's a little overwhelming. I think it took me 15 years to read this. I'd get interested and read a chapter and put it down for a year or more. If you like Death Valley and surrounding country, it's a great resource - possibly the best book ever written about the area. But it's some kind of work to get through all of it.

[Lgordo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is going to be a DNF just due to the sheer volume of it. There is a ton of info in here; it is a historic resource, not merely a commercial book. It starts to feel repetitive after a while and I started skipping around, but I got plenty of great material for a tour of Death Valley. He manages to not be dry while also providing great detail with fabulous color and the occasional witty aside.

[Greynomad · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you have the time...........................

[Vance Dubberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

More than you could ever possibly want to know about Death Valley. The book can be exhaustive and exhausting. This isn't for the person with a casual interest in the mystic of Death Valley, but it is for the person who breaths in the dry air, feels his sinuses crack and thinks, "This place is my home, this dust is my family." This is his family tree and it will give you the story behind almost every peace of rusted metal you call your kin.

[Anna Rowser · Rating 3 out of 5]

Includes some great anecdotes.