The Maverick Spirit: Building the New Nevada

The phenomenal growth of Nevada since 1945 is one of the most exciting stories in the contemporary Sunbelt West. The underpopulated, largely rural state that emerged from WW II is now the nation's fastest growing, and its booming cities epitomize new trends in the American economy and life style.

This collection of biographical essays by several leading Nevada scholars focuses on fourteen individuals whose careers afford unique perspectives to help us understand and appreciate the history of postwar Nevada. The contributions of these leaders have embraced every facet of the state's economic, political, cultural, and social development.