Senator Reid has released a history of his hometown entitled Searchlight: The Camp That Didn't Fail. This book, published by the University of Nevada Press, is a labor of love. Senator Reid spent eighteen months meticulously researching the history and people of Searchlight, pouring over newspaper articles, scrutinizing court records, and conducting interviews.

In The Camp That Didn't Fail, Senator Reid lovingly recounts the colorful history of his hometown--the discovery of the ores that brought about the boom, the growth of the mines and of the town that served them, and the lives of the hardy, stubborn people who not only work the mines but with their families built a town from a dusty mining camp. He also reveals how the railroad and other transportation came to Searchlight, how the availability of water helped the town and its surrounding ranches grow, and the roles played by famous, and infamous, residents--such as the renegade Paiute Queho, Hollywood royalty like Clara Bow and Rex Bell, and aviation pioneer John Macready.

Senator Reid's account of Searchlight is a valuable contribution to the understudied history of Southern Nevada. It will inform students of the recent mining West about the development of a typical boomtown, but it will also delight readers curious about life in the forbidding depths of the Mojave and the experiences of modern-day pioneers who braved that daunting environment to build an enduring community.

All proceeds from the sale of this book go to the Searchlight Foundation, a non-profit organization established by Senator Reid to aid the development and maintenance of Searchlight's schools, parks, and cemeteries.