Moab Story

by Tom McCourt

The town of Moab is a fascinating place with a fascinating history―there is no place like it. Author Tom McCourt gathers the reader 'round the campfire to spin the true tale of Moab from the town's humble, sometimes violent, beginnings to its rise as the nation's Mecca of outdoor recreation. Discover secrets • The naming of Moab and what it may or may not mean (depending on who tells the story).• Old legends retold, and don't be surprised if you encounter the Moki Scream and the Ghost Wolf while camping around Moab!• How the Uranium Boom began, who was crowned Moab's Uranium Queen, and how the Uranium King figured out how to watch Leave it to Beaver at 10,000 feet.• The magical properties of Moab's water―from binding a couple in matrimony to granting dancing skills and sparking history-making movements.Anyone who has fallen in love with this one-of-a-kind town will appreciate the historical gems collected in this easy-to-read, entertaining book.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

204 pages, Paperback

First published August 15, 2007

Reviews

[Wayne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 3 of 2024: The Moab Story: From Cowpokes to Bike Spokes by Tom McCourt (2007, Johnson Books, Boulder, CO, 195 p.)

A nice readable collection of historical anecdotes of my favorite Utah town. Arranged in roughly chronological order, I found the essays insightful and interesting. Much of the early history of Moab was unfamiliar to me so I found it an interesting read. McCourt does sprinkle his write with a fair amount of folklore, which I also found fascinating.

Recommended.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun history about this desert jewel! It does jump around a bit and feels rushed towards the end. Be prepared to keep researching once you start reading

[Zack · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oof. Glad that one is over. I was very worried when I read in the Introduction and the author basically states that History is boring and sucks, while Stories are great, the only way things should be told. Oh yeah, and he states that it's all true. As I was reading, it hit me pretty good about the difference between his History and Story idea. Stories don't need citations or bibliographies or footnotes. You don't cite stories! Super annoying that we're supposed to trust rando-authorman. The intro also set joking tone to the narrative and some of those things aren't really jokes, like treatment of indigenous people.

Some of these stories are great. It's a short read, less than 200 pages, and it still felt like he was dragging it out. Like he told the story he wanted to tell and realized there are lots of pages left, so just threw some other Stories in there. History can be very readable and Stories can also drag. I am going to use this book as an outline to go verify the Stories in better sources.

There are eleven years between the two editions, some updates would have been nice as Moab has changed a lot from 2007 to 2018, but he explicitly states in the Intro that he isn't talking about that modern stuff.

PS The map at the front has Springdale marked as St George. This book could have seen another one or two run-throughs by an editor.

PPS I think this review is talking me down from two stars to one.

[Beverly · Rating 5 out of 5]

The town of Moab has a fascinating history. The true e of Moab goes from the town's humble, sometimes violent, beginnings to its rise as the nation's Mecca of outdoor recreation. You find out the naming of Moab and old legends such as the Moki Scream and the Ghost Wolf. A great book that reveals the secrets of Moab's attractions.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun little history of Moab, told by a local.

[Daniel Gallagher]

This is a collection of essays about Moab that is easy and fun to read. It doesn’t have the depth or coherence of a book, but nevertheless worth flipping through to get a sense of the place.

I would have like more research and historical information about native peoples of the area, immigration patterns, local politics, water management (critical throughout the West), other environmental topics, and how the tourism industry came to be and continues to drive the economy of Moab (and the issues that dependence creates).

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

After visiting Moab and seeing the national and state parks near it, this was a good book to fill in some background & history on the town and the area. This was a very readable book, with short vignettes describing the Moab area.

[Becca · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun little book of vignettes about the history of Moab. Just enough for a quick overview.

[Jennifer Merriam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great book if you want to remember your trip to Moab!

[Amber Leigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was very enjoyable to read as I was staying in Moab and hiking the area.

[Matt Heavner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Collection of good shorts showing snapshots of Moab’s history.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining, funny, interesting stories about the history of Moab, Utah, written in a very conversational style. The short chapters make for easy reading in a book that you can set down and take up again when you only have a few moments to read another story. Not great literature, but fun if you're planning a visit to Moab.

[Deirdre · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you're going to Moab, this book is worth buying. Each story is only a few pages so it's easy reading. It's a good introduction to the history of this amazingly beautiful place. A little repetitive, but if you're dipping in and out, that's not such a bad thing.