Home
Presentations
Donner Party
Weather
Sierra Stories
Clients
Buy Books!
Tahoe Nuggets
Contact Us

 

nug-link02

Welcome!

Mic Mac Media:
Where History Comes Alive!

Markportrait small

You've seen him on the History Channel, CNN and the Weather Channel! Mark McLaughlin is an entertaining and informative professional speaker.

Mark McLaughlin is an award-winning, nationally published author and photographer with four books and more than 500 articles in print. His work appears regularly in California and Nevada media; he was awarded the Nevada State Press award five times. Mark teaches Sierra Nevada pioneer history firsthand, using entertaining stories, unique slide shows and informative field trips. He is a frequent guest on regional television, documentaries and PBS programs, and has appeared on The History Channel and The Weather Channel.

Mic Mac Media is proud to offer Mark McLaughlin's award winning books and entertaining and educational history presentations. Mark has lived in the Sierra Nevada for 30 years and has had the opportunity to speak to hundreds of groups, large and small. His dynamic lectures and vivid photographs have earned him rave reviews. If you're searching for a taste of western history, served up fresh and exciting, please give Mark a call at 530-546-5612 or send an email. Your guests will surely thank you for it!

"Your website is outstanding and I recommend it to all my Tahoe History students at Lake Tahoe Community College." — David Borges

Mark McLaughlin's newest book, Longboards to Olympics: A Century of Tahoe Winter Sports goes on sale January 5, 2010!

Longboards to Olympics is the only book that tells the fascinating story of how winter sports took Northern California by storm and captured the imagination of a nation. From the early exploits of skiing mailman Snowshoe Thompson, through the 1930s, a breakout decade for Skisport when thousands attended ski jumps in Berkeley and San Francisco. These well-illustrated stories conclude with the 1960 Winter Olympics at Squaw Valley, the seminal event that launched Lake Tahoe into the international spotlight for world-class winter sports.

Media Release

Buy this book securely online and save 10% off the retail price. Only $22.50 plus $4.00 shipping and handling.

 

Table of Contents, Index and Errata

skibookcover

Mark McLaughlin is clearly one of the most impressive professional speakers in the Lake Tahoe region. His subject matter is fascinating and his infectious enthusiasm and engaging stories make for an outstanding presentation. Mark has an entertaining performance quality and his command of material is exceptional. I highly recommend Mark as a stimulating and informative speaker for any group or function.

Guy Louis Rocha, State Archivist
Nevada State Library and Archives, Carson City

Sign up for Mark's free Tahoe Nuggets! These entertaining and informative email bulletins contain great photographs and short articles about Sierra history, weather events, day trips, and other stories from the California Mountains.

Check It Out!

Feel free to browse this website which is chock-full of interesting stories, articles, and great photographs about historic Tahoe weather events, Sierra ski history, the Donner Party, and much more! As a professional weather historian, much of Mark's research, writing, and photography are focused on the volatile and wild winter weather that has challenged mountain travelers and residents in this region ever since the earliest pioneers and settlers.

The Donner Party: Weathering the Storm
CLICK HERE TO READ CHAPTER ONE! (Adobe pdf document)

donner award02Mark McLaughlin's  book The Donner Party: Weathering the Storm was honored with the Best Nonfiction Book Award in 2007 by the Northern California Publishers & Authors association.

Weathering the Storm is a unique look at this classic western tale of the struggle for survival as powerful snowstorms during the winter of 1847 trapped eighty-one California-bound pioneers in the High Sierra. Fresh, dramatic, and insightful, this book focuses on how extreme weather challenged the emigrants and their heroic rescuers. This 192-page book is well-illustrated with historic photographs, as well as many previously unpublished images depicting contemporary winter weather conditions at the encampment areas.  Buy your autographed copy at the special price of only $19.95 — which includes tax and free media mail shipping! (Payments processed by paypal.)

Big snow burries Truckee, California

"Mark McLaughlin has written an outstanding book about the Donner Party. I enjoyed the way he interspersed the Donner story with other weather and historical events happening in California such as the Bear Flag Rebellion and the Mexican-American War. Great job!"
— Steve Beck , Archivist Sutter's Fort State Historic Park, Sacramento

"This book is very, very good! I was impressed by the quality and extent of the research, written with a very engaging style. It is an excellent and much-needed addition to the Donner Party literature. I highly recommend it!"
Gary Noy, Director of the Center for Sierra Nevada Studies, Sierra College

Click here for more endorsements.

Click here for press release.

Award Winning Books

— "The perfect gift for anyone who loves Lake Tahoe or Pioneer History."

Nugget #91 Donner book cover 20004

v1sm02

Ski_Book Cover_104

    Sierra Stories: True Tales of Tahoe — Vol. 1 & 2
    These popular books are regional best sellers, loaded with classic stories that entertain and inform. Only $12.95 each! This price includes tax and media mail shipping.

    Sierra Stories: True Tales of Tahoe Vol. 1

    Sierra Stories: True Tales of Tahoe Vol. 2



    Western Train Adventures: The Good, the Bad & the Ugly
    In the 19th century Wild West, the Iron Horse was king. And what a wild time it was! This popular, well-illustrated book brings it all back in an easy, entertaining style.

    Limited Time Offer20% Publisher's Discount! Order Western Train Adventures for just $18.95 This price includes tax and media mail shipping.

 

Professional Background:

  • More than 500 articles published in regional and national publications; including Nevada, Weatherwise, Sierra Heritage, Wild West, Issues in Science and Technology, the 2002 Grolier Science Annual, and other magazines and newspapers
     
  • Best Nonfiction Book Award — 2006 Northern California Publishers & Authors
     
  • Two Awards — 2003 Northern California Publishers and Authors
     
  • Three Awards — 2002 Sacramento Publishers and Authors
     
  • Expert weather consultant for The History Channel's nationally televised documentary program "God's Wrath: Snowbound"
     
  • Award-winning Weather Window © column appears bi-weekly in Truckee's Sierra Sun newspaper
     
  • Professional speaker for various universities and educational institutes
     
  • Frequent guest on radio and television programs including PBS and the Today Show in Reno
     
  • Major editorial contributor to the Sierra Nevada Virtual Museum hosted by Sierra College in Rocklin, California
     
  • Nevada State Press writing awards — 1993,1994,1995,1996 & 1997
     
  • Far West Ski Association's William B. Berry writing award — 1991

[Home] [Presentations] [Donner Party] [Weather] [Sierra Stories] [Clients] [Buy Books!] [Tahoe Nuggets] [Contact Us]

Mic Mac Media
P. O. Box 483 • Carnelian Bay, CA 96140
Phone 530-546-5612

© 2007 by MicMacMedia.com — This material and format is copyrighted, and permission from the author is necessary for commercial use.