Has Anyone Read "CRIME of 1873 - The Comstock Connection" ?

DoubleDime

If so, could you please share your thoughts. I have two other books by Robert Van Ryzin which I enjoyed so was thinking the same about this one.

KoinKollector

I have read this book. Im a big history buff so I enjoyed the book, even through the several boring chapters.

I will tell you, the first few chapters go by rather "slow"

Mark

I, too, read the book. I agree with KK: The book is probably worthwhile but it is slow in spots. I thought there were spots where the mass of details about who was doing what to whom was tedious. On the other hand, the pictures were cool--my wife and kids liked them.

If I had it to do over again, I would buy the book again but I wouldn't expect as much entertainment as I did.

Mark

shirohniichan

Mark and KK are right. It got so dry I put it down for a couple of months. I read another chapter and put it down again. I don't know when I'll get back to it.

In the meantime I ordered Neil Carothers' book Fractional Money to get the information I wanted on coin legislation and how coins circulated in the 1870's. I hope I get the Carothers book soon. While waiting for that I started reading a book on the Japanese Army Air Corps from 1931 to 1945.

After reading Fractional Money I'll probably go back and scan The Crime of 1873 for pertinent information instead of slogging through the whole thing.

Mark

Shiro:

In truth, I put the book down for a year! I started it while on vacation on St. Simons Island (Lord Minivan land) one year and finished it while on vacation on St. Simons Island the next year.

Fractional Currency, on the other hand, I found more interesting. But I am an economist and the book might well appeal more to an economist than a non-economist.

Mark

shirohniichan

My Econ 101 book in collecge put me to sleep (in fact I used to read it when I couldn't sleep just to make me drowsy), but I hope Carothers' book will answer some questions I have about the relative values an public acceptance of silver coins vs. fractional currency vs. copper and nickel coins. I also hope the info on legislation will help me get a better idea of the genesis of the 20 cent piece. I should receive it this week.

Geoman

In the latest edition of Numismatic News, Oct. 22, 2002, on page 29, Krause Publications is running an ad on books for sale. The Crime of 1873 is on sale for $15. The listed price is $34.95. If anyone is interested, it's a pretty good price.

nucklehead

I just bought the book about a month ago and looks pretty good so far. Just yesterday I bought, 'Murder in Sin City' by Jeff German, about the Binion murder case.(paperback $6.99).

DDR

I was disappointed in "Crime of 1873;" some parts were good but most of it was, as others have said, boring.

09sVDB

I am about 1/2 way through it. I agree that it seems very slow and have put it down for a while. I thought that it would be more "coin related" than mine stuff. Still interesting though. The next book I plan to read is Bowers "More Adventures with Rare Coins."

TONEDDOLLARS

I read it. It took me a little over a month to get through it. Very slow reading most of the time. I am now reading Bowers More adventures with rare coins. nice book easy reading. When I finish that I have Bowers other book The California Gold Rush. Huge book that weighs over 11 pounds. should takem about a year to read.

DaveG

I read through Fractional Money rather quickly a couple of years ago and enjoyed it. I was particularly interested in how coins were actually used and Carothers does provide some excellent details.

Don't forget, he wrote it as his thesis (Masters?/Doctorate?, not sure), so it's not exactly light reading.

He has excerpts of coin legislation at the back, which is quite useful.

I figure it's about time for me to re-read it, more slowly this time.

Edited to add: I just remembered another book that has some nice late-19th century details: Victorian America: Transformations in Everyday Life by Thomas J. Schlereth. It focuses on 1876-1915 and has nice info on prices, a typical budget for a couple of different families and a nice discussion about the most useful coin of the period - the nickel (nickelodeon, etc.) This book is part of a series that focuses on how ordinary people lived their everyday lives. Unfortunately, I don't think there's one for the 1840-1860 period, which is my personal favorite.

KoinKollector

I consider myself a pretty avid "wild west" history buff, but I agree, I could have done w/o the extensive writings on the mines at the start of the book.

It took some of you guys quite a time to read the book I see. I can proudly say I read the book over a weekend. There were times when I was soooo bored I wanted to put down the book, but my expectations of it were high and I just wanted to get to the good stuff as soon as possible

Conder101

I actually found the book quite entertaining. Of course I like history, and I think that a good understanding behind the mine andmining on the comstock helps to understand thecoin part. It all just ties together.

DoubleDime

As Geoman pointed out I got the book at the price of $15 instead of regular $34.95. I've read 2 chapters so far. I've found it to be interesting and not too boring or maybe I'm a boring person and just don't know it.