Links are provided for purchase information through Amazon.com or Barnes &Nobles, except as noted.

Books used for Len Wilcox's Desert Dancing:

Desert Solitaire, Edward Abbey -- a classic. THE classic. One of, if not the, best "desert book" ever written. Buy this book

Land of Little Rain This is a wonderful book by Mary Austin. It is the definitive classic of life as it was along what is now the 395 corridor - the Owens valley area, the eastern range of the Sierra Nevadas. "EAST away from the Sierras, south from Panamint and Amargosa, east and south many an acounted mile, is the Country of Lost Borders..." Buy this book

 The Voice of the Desert, Joseph Wood Krutch - another classic. It is out of print and hard to find. See if this book can be located

The Secret Knowledge of Water : Discovering the Essence of the American Desert by Craig Childs. Mr. Childs knows. Buy this book

Death Valley and the Amargosa: Land of Illusion, Richard Lingenfelter -- perhaps the best-researched book ever written about Death Valley, Lingenfelter is the authority on the mining and prospecting days of this area. It is very well written, and extensively annotated with references. Buy this book

Rosa May, by George Williams III -- George Williams wrote an outstanding book about Rosa May, a prostitute in the mining town of Bodie. A good job of research, this book reaches into the heart and mind of a 'soiled dove'. George has written several other books about mining camps, Mark Twain, and related topics. His books are now hard to find - if you spot one in a used book store, grab it. Click here to visit his website.

Out from Las Vegas, by Florine Lawlor -- 4-wheeling tours within a day's drive of Las Vegas. Buy this book

Desert Lore of Southern California, by Choral Pepper -- Ms. Pepper is the former editor of Desert Magazine, and she brings her substantial knowledge and talents together in this book to tell wonderful stories about the Colorado desert. Buy this book

California Desert Byways, Backcountry drives for the whole family, Tony Hueguel -- This spiral-bound guide fits in the glove box and details easy but interesting off-highway adventures. The book is easy to follow and is good for newcomers and long-time desert rats. Buy this book

Ghost Towns and Mining Camps of California, Remi Nadeau -- Nadeau's family history makes him a natural voice for the Mojave. The book is well written, a fun and entertaining directory to the ghost towns of the mining camp era. My only reservation is that some of the legends and folklore of the desert are presented as facts, when careful research might prove otherwise. Buy this book

Adventuring in the California Desert, Lynne Foster -- A Sierra Club guide with a strong ecological slant, this book provides a tremendous amount of information. There is something on everything and every place in this book. Buy this book

Gem Trails of Southern California -- This one is essential for any rockhound. Buy this book

Encyclopedia of Western Lawmen and Outlaws, Jay Robert Nash - a fun book to have around. It's a large book, with lots of good information. The paperback version is $22 Buy this book and the hardbound is $49 Buy this book

Windshield adventuring through the Mojave Desert, Russell and Kathlynn Spencer. Self-published, but a lot of good information about some very interesting places. Buy this book

High Mountains and Deep Valleys, Lew and Ginny Clark -- As with Remi Nadeau's book, the authority of this publication is in the family history of the author; Lew Clark was there, knew the prospectors, and traveled the trails. The book is out of print and hard to find. See if this book can be located

 The Mojave, David Darlington. Controversial but interesting and well researched. Click The Mojave: A Portrait of the Definitive American Desert to order from Barnes and Nobles.

Ambush, The Story of Bill Keys, Art Kidwell -- The curious story of Bill Keys is thoroughly documented and explained in this book. It is available through Desert USA.