What I’m Reading: Boom Town

If you believed Oklahoma was the most boring state in the US, I’d forgive you.

Spoiler alert! That award goes to Nebraska. (Sorry, Cornhuskers).

I rarely finish a non-fiction book. Few can hold my attention. However, Boom Town was so good that I’m an hour into my second reading.

Why?

A small part of my interest is that my family moved here 5 years ago, and it’s helpful to understand the history and lore.

A larger part of this unassuming state has an insane origin story. The blow-by-blow story of the land run of April 22nd, 1889, alone is worth reading the entire book.

Then there’s the heartbreaking background story of Timothy McVeigh and the OKC bombing. The author’s vivid and gripping storytelling made me pull the car over while listening to it, because I was overcome with emotion.

Another crazy fact? OKC was the only city where supersonic flights were tested, subjecting the residents to over 1,300 “sonic booms” over a 6 month period. Imagine 6-7 wall-shaking thunderclaps a day hitting your home. Thanks to the uproar from the otherwise stoic Okies… supersonic flights over cities were banned, permanently.

If none of this interests you, all good.

But if you’re a history buff looking for an under-explored area of American history, I highly recommend the Audible version.