I enjoyed reading this. It covers a few years (approximately 1930 - 1945) in the life of a small town newspaperman. That the small towns were in California made it more interesting to me. He tells a good story of a bygone era; news gathering before cell phones and computers. ( )

John V. Young's book Hot Type and Pony Wire was an account of his time as a newspaper reporter and editor in the 1930's and early 40s. It was written in 1980 before newspapers big decline began, but after the technology of lead type has been passed over. It was interesting to read it in 2014, at a time when newspapers are fighting for their survival. His account of the Salinas lettuce strike and the beginnings of the Newspaper Guild were a reminder of the hard times working people experienced in the depression years. Lighter parts of the book told about camping trips to the High Sierras, poker games in press rooms and trying to teach a journalism class to college football players you could hardly read, let alone write. ( )