Sandra V. McGee has co-authored six books with her husband, William L. McGee. She is regarded as an expert on the Reno divorce ranch era, which flourished from the 1930s to the 1950s. Sandra’s passions are movies from the 1930s and ‘40s, many featuring a Reno divorce in the storyline. The Divorce Seekers is optioned for a streaming series.
By William L. McGee, Sandra V. McGee
Reno, 1947. The heyday of the six-week divorce era when “I’m going to Reno!” was synonymous with “quickie” divorce. From 1947 to 1949, Bill McGee was the head dude wrangler on the Flying M.E., Nevada’s most exclusive divorce ranch (as they were called), twenty miles south of Reno. The Flying M.E. catered to wealthy divorce seekers… Easterners with names like Astor, du Pont, Roosevelt, and Hollywood celebrities, such as Clark Gable and Ava Gardner. Bill’s stories about the changing cast of characters that came and went every six weeks are like an old Hollywood movie coming to life. True stories with 500 photos.
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By Max Miller
Published in 1941, you might have to do a little searching to find this book. Max Miller, a former newspaperman, recaptures the glamour of Reno in its heyday as “Divorce Capital of the World”. The prose is racy and fun.
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By A.J. Liebling
In 1949, renowned journalist A. J. Liebling went to Reno for a divorce. He stayed at the remote Pyramid Lake Ranch, thirty-four miles north of Reno at Sutcliffe, Nevada. In what can only be described as “vintage Liebling,” he writes about his stay on the ranch and the challenges of being surrounded by so many women. As Liebling says, “I have never been reluctant to buy a lady a drink, but there were thirty-eight ladies in residence at the ranch, and this offered a problem in economics.” In 1956, Arthur Miller stayed at the Pyramid Lake Ranch for a divorce so he could marry Marilyn Monroe. Miller got the idea for The Misfits during his residency on the ranch.
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By Alicia Barber
Besides having the pleasure of being interviewed by the delightful Ms. Barber, she has written an excellent book covering Reno’s history and its current challenge of re-inventing itself now that the town is no longer a destination for easy divorce and gambling.
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By Guy Clifton
As with all of the books in the Images of America series, this book, written by 30-year veteran journalist Guy Clifton, is beautifully illustrated with informative and generous captions. Mr. Clifton’s love for his city and the people who live there is evident. He has met most of the people he writes about, many who allowed him to use images never before published.
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By Neal Cobb, Jerry Fenwick
Besides knowing everything about Reno history, Neal Cobb and Jerry Fenwick have carefully photographed and juxtaposed the “now and the then” images of Reno sites and captioned the images in detail. The books (there are two volumes) beckon a walking trip through various neighborhoods, books in hand, comparing the past with the present.
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