Takes you through all of the backstabbings, hijacks, political maneuvering, backdoor deals, and just downright stealing. It goes to show you just how much people will go to get what they want. Deals and history of Nebraska that was never talked about in school and this turned out to be an interesting book.

Rating: 3 Stars

I'm not from Nebraska but I have lived here long enough that some might consider it my home. I am not one of those people, as I will always be a Minnesota Girl and Nebraska is a temporary pit stop. I am trying to become more interested in Nebraska history but it is hard because it is just so boring. I've lived her since 2001, in both Lincoln and Omaha, and while I have made lots of good friends, have two degrees from the University, and this is where my daughter was born, it is not home.

So, I am trying to learn more, hoping to find some smidge of something that will pique my interest. A book with a title such as this surely could do the trick, no?

Eh, sort of.

I could not stand the repetition of 'dirty deal' page after page after page. We get it, it is the hook. But we are no longer hooked by it, just bashed over the head with it constantly.

I find the history itself interesting, though one must always be careful with regional history books. There is always the risk that the story is simply too narrow to hold the interest of someone outside the state, or even the county. I felt like that some of the time, though again, that actual historical aspect was interesting to me. I was mainly put off by all the re-created scenes with dialogue. I can't stand when authors do that, especially when there is no evidence for the actual statements made in conversation. it is one of my biggest pet peeves - don't put words in other peoples' mouths unless you have documented proof that that is how the conversation went.

It's not a terrible book, but one that is harder to take seriously without footnotes so the reader may look for the documents the book is based on, if they so desired. There are plenty of people to find interesting in the story, I just wish they could have spoken for themselves.

I really enjoyed the story of chicanery and trickery that surrounded the founding of Harlan County, Nebraska. The problem with regional history is that it can become boring very quickly to those outside the region. Coffey avoids this pitfall by focusing on the people and their antics. Her informal tone and wealth of resources makes this a great tale. The only challenge in the ebook format is that you can't flip to a map or list of residents as quickly as you would in a book. Such reference materials go a long way in helping to keep all the details straight.

That aside, this was a pretty good book.