Boomtown
The True Story of the Wickedest Town in Texas
$52.22
- Hardcover
352 pages
- Release Date
28 April 2026
Summary
Just a year after the town of Borger, Texas was founded, the press called it “the wickedest in the state” for good reason. The town, sprung into existence overnight to support the oilfields, had become a lawless haven for bootleggers, pimps and gamblers, run by a crooked city hall.
That environment attracts some of the most unsavory characters in prohibition America, including a gang of murderous bank robbers who head into Borger to spend their money on booze, gambling and prostitutes…
Book Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781250287564 |
|---|---|
| ISBN-10: | 1250287561 |
| Author: | Joe Pappalardo |
| Publisher: | St Martin's Press |
| Imprint: | St Martin's Press |
| Format: | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages: | 352 |
| Release Date: | 28 April 2026 |
| Weight: | 590g |
| Dimensions: | 245mm x 174mm x 33mm |
You Can Find This Book In
What They're Saying
Critics Review
Praise for Joe Pappalardo:
“Pappalardo keeps the action moving through chronologically arranged vignettes…a rousing tale and a very readable recreation of a colorful time and place.“―Booklist on Boomtown
“The pages practically turn themselves as dozens of colorful characters–moonshiners, bank robbers, corrupt deputies and town officials, professional wrestlers, a daring oil firefighter, and, of course, a bunch of tough, seen-it-all Rangers–duke and shoot it out for control of Borger’s streets. History as if pulp writer Jim Thompson had written it.” ―Kirkus Reviews on Boomtown
“A fast-paced journey around the West during the transformative years of the mid-19th century” ―Wall Street Journal on Four Against the West
“Fast-paced and full of local politics and old-fashioned gunfights―a pleasure for fans of true crime and oaters alike.” ―Kirkus Reviews on Red Sky Morning
“Mr. Pappalardo, a veteran journalist, has a nice way with words. The mission itself, targeting German submarine pens in France, is fairly routine and brilliantly described…a wonderful yarn.” ―Wall Street Journal on Inferno
About The Author
Joe Pappalardo
Joe Pappalardo is the author of the critically acclaimed books Four Against the West: The True Saga of a Frontier Family That Reshaped the Nation-and Created a Legend and Red Sky Morning: The Epic True Story of Texas Ranger Company F.
Pappalardo is a freelance journalist and former associate editor of Air & Space Smithsonian magazine. He is a writing contributor to National Geographic magazine and Texas Monthly, and a former senior editor at Popular Mechanics.
He has appeared on C-Span, CNN, Fox News, and television shows on the Science Channel and the History Channel.
Returns
This item is eligible for free returns within 30 days of delivery. See our returns policy for further details.