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Hardcover A Room for the Summer: Adventure, Misadventure, and Seduction in the Mines of the Coeur D'Alene Book

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ISBN: 0806136588

ISBN13: 9780806136585

A Room For The Summer: Adventure, Misadventure, And Seduction In The Mines Of The Coeur D'Alene

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Book Overview

In A Room for the Summer, Fritz Wolff takes the reader on a memorable journey into the rough-and-tumble world of hardrock mining, recounting his experiences both above and below ground as an apprentice engineer during the late 1950s.

In June 1956, at the age of eighteen, Wolff went to work for the Bunker Hill Company in Kellogg, Idaho, in the Coeur d'Alene region. Arriving in a tired 1939 Chevy coupe, with about twenty dollars in his pocket, Wolff spent three college summers working for Bunker Hill. He learned firsthand the pleasures of camaraderie with fellow workers and the dangers of working underground.

Today the hardrock mining industry is all but forgotten. The Bunker Hill Company is known, not because it produced 430 million ounces of silver and not because it provided a living for thousands of families for more than a century, but because it is one of the largest EPA superfund sites. Wolff does not idealize the mining industry; for many workers the conditions were nightmarish. But in spare, lyrical prose, he evokes the intrinsic goodness of a simpler time, when hard-working folks went about their business with courage, humor, and lots of gumption.

Format:Hardcover

Language:English

ISBN:0806136588

ISBN13:9780806136585

Release Date:April 2005

Publisher:University of Oklahoma Press

Length:264 Pages

Weight:1.00 lbs.

Dimensions:0.8" x 6.3" x 8.9"

Related Subjects

19th Century Biographical Biographies Biographies & History Biography & History Engineering Memoirs Petroleum, Mining & Geological Professionals & Academics Scientists

Customer Reviews

5 ratings

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Great Tale of Coming of Age

Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 19 years ago

I have only one complaint about this book. It says that the hardrock mining industry is all but forgotten. Someone apparently forgot to tell my neighbors who on most days put on their hard hats with headlamps and go down a half mile or so to carve gold ore out of the mountain. No, the world out here (Nevada) isn't quite like that pictured in the book. Then again, it's closer to the book than is life in most cities. He visits Carol who provides him with a "commercial embrace," for $15 for a half hour. I understand (I've of course no personal experience) that the rate is now $200 for a half hour. Other details have changed, but the people are much as he describes, good people, the salt of the earth. An excellent tale of times past when we were all a lot younger.

A friendly tale

Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 19 years ago

There have been attempts over the past 3 decades to humanize the mining business. Fritz's tale, seen through the eyes of a college kid 60 years later, is one of the finest. I know or knew several of the people he describes in his narrative; they'll vouch for his authenticity. Thank-you, Fritz. You have ennobled my friends.

More than a personal memoir.

Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 19 years ago

This is a story that doesn't fit into any typical genre. Its a story about life with a personal memoir and some rich history as the back drop. The author writes in a style that is fresh and engaging. He uses vocabulary and dialogue that, unfortunately, no one encounters any more. This a rich story and a must read.

Nostalgia and Humor

Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 19 years ago

Fritz Wolff has written a humorous memoir of his time spent in Idaho during the glory days of hardrock mining. His prose and story telling are similar to Norman McLean's "A River Runs Through It". A very enjoyable read.

Humor and Enthusiasm Brings Hard Rock Mining to Life

Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 19 years ago

I loved this book. I can't say that mining was a particular interest of mine until the people and process were brought to life by Mr Wolff. Fritz Wolff certainly knows his stuff when it comes to hardrock mining. He lived it as a young man. But what made this book for me, was his self-deprecating sense of humor and his sensitivity in describing the characters he encountered. I strongly reccommend it.

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