Doc Maynard: The Man Who Invented Seattle [B1783]

2003 PB reprint of the 1978 original, with just minor wear. Bill Sidel revised Seattle history with Doc Maynard, the Man Who Invented Seattle. Speidel had been writing about his favorite city and state for 25 years when, in 1978, he published this lively and humorous re-examination of Seattie's history. What he learned while researching this book changed his view of the city's beginnings. Doc Maynard, in turn, has altered our understanding of how the "Queen City of the Northwest" got off the ground. Speidel, who died in 1988 at age 76, was a noted storyteller, humorist, official state historian and himself a Seattle favorite son. An active preservationist, he was instrumental in the creation of Seattle's Pioneer Square Historic District. Speidel founded several local enterprises, including the popular Underground Tour of historic Seattle, and Doc Maynard's, a Pioneer Square restaurant and tavern. He is the author of several books, among them the best-seller Sons of the Profits, an irreverent account of Seattle's first 50 years.

From recent-ish Amazon/GoodReads reviews: "I was pleasantly surprised by Speidel's choice of prose and the way he managed to bring a sense of humor to the reader along with some interesting background on the founding of Seattle and of Washington State. The narrator seems to be telling us these anecdotes with a grin, and it adds to the enjoyment of the reader. The illustrations (also designed by the author) also add to the fun of the read."; "The writer tries too hard to sound conversational in tone, and as a result, sacrifices (in my opinion) some of his credibility. I get that he didn't want to sound too scholarly, but I wasn't sure when he was pulling information from legitimate sources and when he was using poetic license."; "A fun romp through the history of Seattle."