GHOST TOWNS OF THE AMERICAN WEST (N)

Ghost Towns of the American West by Bill O'Neal is a visually-driven book that serves as a pictorial history of abandoned settlements in the American West. 

The book, published in 1995 by Publications International, is a survey of the ghost towns that were once booming frontier settlements. It is not a detailed, academic history but rather a photo-rich exploration of these forgotten places.

Alongside the images, the book provides brief histories of the towns, explaining why they were founded (often for mining or as railway towns) and why they were ultimately abandoned (when the gold ran out, the railroad moved on, etc.).

The book tells the classic American West story of boom-and-bust cycles, filled with tales of prospectors, adventurers, and the communities they built. It touches on well-known towns like Tombstone and Deadwood, but also lesser-known settlements.

 If you are looking for a visually striking and accessible introduction to the ghost towns of the American West, this book is a great choice. Given its publication date, it's a popular find for collectors of books on Western history and Americana.