Puget's Sound

Reviews / Votes

This lively history recounts Tacoma's story from the arrival of Vancouver in 1792 to the establishment of Fort Lewis in 1916. Like so many other towns, Tacoma thought of itself as the 'City of Destiny.' For a time it seemed possible. Great lumbering and smelting industries sprang up, and two continental railroads reached the port. But Tacoma never recovered from the panic of 1893. . . . An absorbing account peopled with fascinating characters. * Library Journal * No one who has ever written Pacific Northwest history can match Murray Morgan's craftsmanship, the signal virtues of which are pace, precision, humor, and a keen eye for the characterizing-rather than the characteristic-detail, the face or the action that can reveal the character of a person or an era. Though the research is always solid, the perspective is eagerly critical, eagerly creative. -- Norman Clark * Pacific Northwest Quarterly * Morgan's history is an informal epic of adventure and avarice, of courage and venality. . . . Puget's Sound . . . will help to sustain the vitality of the school of thought that believes history is, after all, about people. * The Pacific Historian * The best books have the capacity to tower above their subjects, remaining relevant long after their authors have left us. Morgan, through his poetic and evocative imagery, created an enduring legacy that will enable generations of future readers to experience the grandeur and the wonder of the Pacific Northwest, its history, and its people. * Oregon Historical Quarterly *