Imperial
by William T. Vollmann · first published 2008
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3HN commenters
2020–2026first – last mentioned
67% recommend33% neutral
An epic study of an emblematic American region by one of our most celebrated writersIt sprawls across a stinking artificial sea, across the deserts, date groves, and labor camps of southeastern California, right across the Mexican border. For generations of migrant workers, from Okies fleeing the Dust Bowl of the 1930s to Mexican laborers today, Imperial County has held the promise of paradise—and the reality of hell. It is a land beautiful and harsh, enticing and deadly, rich in history and heartbreak. Across the border, the desert is the same but there are different secrets. In Imperial, awa
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Imperial by William T. Vollmann It is an almost stream-of-consciousness dissection of the social, cultural, geographic, and hydrologic history of an area that most would write-off as desert wasteland. It gave…
on “Ask HN: What book(s) changed your life?” ↗If you're into that kind of thing, I highly recommend William T. Vollmann's Imperial.
on “The Art of Reading More Effectively and Efficiently” ↗You might also like William Vollmann's "Imperial".
on “What happens when a reservoir goes dry” ↗I’m reading William Vollmann’s Imperial (a book about the eponymous county in CA) , Richard White’s “The Republic for Which it Stands” (a history of reconstruction and the gilded age), and Paul Starr’s “Social Transformation of American Medicine”.
on “Ask HN: What are you reading?” ↗