Bravo 20: The Bombing of the American West

First edition of Bravo 20: The Bombing of the American West by Richard Misrach. First impression. Medium format softback in fine condition.

About

In 1952, the U.S. Navy  began illegally testing high-explosive bombs on an enormous expanse of public land near Fallon, in northwestern Nevada. The land had long been sacred to the Northern Paiute Indians, who called it the “Source of Creation.” The Navy called it “Bravo 20.”

Here is the dramatic story and the first photographic documentation of what happened to the public’s land at “Bravo 20.” With the help of the local residents, award-winning landscape photographer Richard Misrach gained access to the area using a 1972 mining law to claim a tract of land at the heart of the bombing range. Despite initial fears of unexploded bombs or wayward Navy bombers, Misrach “worked his claim”—and his camera—for the next eighteen months. The result of his efforts is a breathtaking collection of full-color photographs—and a remarkable proposal for America’s first environmental memorial: Bravo 20 National Park.