Download or read book Las Vegas written by Eugene P. Moehring and published by University of Nevada Press. This book was released on 2005-03-16 with total page 354 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The meteoric rise of Las Vegas from a remote Mormon outpost to an international entertainment center was never a sure thing. In its first decades, the town languished, but when Nevada legalized casino gambling in 1931, Las Vegas met its destiny. This act—combined with the growing popularity of the automobile, cheap land and electricity, and changing national attitudes toward gambling—led to the fantastic casinos and opulent resorts that became the trademark industry of the city and created the ambiance that has made Las Vegas an icon of pleasure. This volume celebrates the city’s unparalleled growth, examining both the development of its gaming industry and the creation of an urban complex that over two million people proudly call home. Here are the colorful characters who shaped the city as well as the political, business, and civic decisions that influenced its growth. The story extends chronologically from the first Paiute people to the construction of the latest megaresorts, and geographically far beyond the original township to include the several municipalities that make up today’s vast metropolitan Las Vegas area.
Download or read book The Strip written by Stefan Al and published by MIT Press. This book was released on 2017-03-03 with total page 267 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The transformations of the Strip—from the fake Wild West to neon signs twenty stories high to “starchitecture”—and how they mirror America itself. The Las Vegas Strip has impersonated the Wild West, with saloon doors and wagon wheels; it has decked itself out in midcentury modern sleekness. It has illuminated itself with twenty-story-high neon signs, then junked them. After that came Disney-like theme parks featuring castles and pirates, followed by replicas of Venetian canals, New York skyscrapers, and the Eiffel Tower. (It might be noted that forty-two million people visited Las Vegas in 2015—ten million more than visited the real Paris.) More recently, the Strip decided to get classy, with casinos designed by famous architects and zillion-dollar collections of art. Las Vegas became the “implosion capital of the world” as developers, driven by competition, got rid of the old to make way for the new—offering a non-metaphorical definition of “creative destruction.” In The Strip, Stefan Al examines the many transformations of the Las Vegas Strip, arguing that they mirror transformations in America itself. The Strip is not, as popularly supposed, a display of architectural freaks but representative of architectural trends and a record of social, cultural, and economic change. Al tells two parallel stories. He describes the feverish competition of Las Vegas developers to build the snazziest, most tourist-grabbing casinos and resorts—with a cast of characters including the mobster Bugsy Siegel, the eccentric billionaire Howard Hughes, and the would-be political kingmaker Sheldon Adelson. And he views the Strip in a larger social context, showing that it has not only reflected trends but also magnified them and sometimes even initiated them. Generously illustrated with stunning color images throughout, The Strip traces the many metamorphoses of a city that offers a vivid projection of the American dream.
Download or read book Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas written by Hunter S. Thompson and published by Turtleback Books. This book was released on 1998 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Records the experiences of a free-lance writer who embarked on a zany journey into the drug culture.
Download or read book Las Vegas Then and Now written by Su Kim Chung and published by HarperCollins UK. This book was released on 2022-11-24 with total page 520 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Las Vegas Then and Now pairs vintage shots from 100 years of the city's history with the same view today.
Download or read book Elvis in Vegas written by Richard Zoglin and published by Simon & Schuster. This book was released on 2020-11-10 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: *The inspiration for the CNN original series Vegas: The Story of Sin City* “Outstanding pop-culture history.” —Newsday The “smart and zippy account” (The Wall Street Journal) of how Las Vegas saved Elvis and Elvis saved Las Vegas in the greatest musical comeback of all time. Elvis’s 1969 opening night in Vegas was his first time back on a live stage in more than eight years. His career had gone sour—bad movies, mediocre pop songs that no longer made the charts—and he’d been dismissed by most critics as over-the-hill. But in Vegas he played the biggest showroom in the biggest hotel in the city, drawing more people for his four-week engagement than any other show in Vegas history. His performance got rave reviews; “Suspicious Minds,” the song he introduced there, gave him his first number-one hit in seven years; and Elvis became Vegas’s biggest star. Over the next seven years, he performed more than 600 shows there, and sold out every one. Las Vegas was changed, too. By the end of the ‘60s, Vegas’ golden age—when the Rat Pack led a glittering array of stars who made it the nation’s premier live-entertainment center—was losing its luster. Elvis created a new kind of Vegas show: an over-the-top, rock-concert extravaganza. He set a new bar for Vegas performers, with the biggest salary, the biggest musical production, and the biggest promotion campaign the city had ever seen. He opened the door to a new generation of pop/rock artists and brought a new audience to Vegas—not the traditional well-heeled older gamblers, but a mass audience from Middle America that Vegas depends on for its success to this day. At once “a fascinating history of Vegas as gambling capital, celebrity playground, mob hangout, [and] entertainment Valhalla” (Rolling Stone) and the incredible “tale of how the King got his groove back” (Associated Press), Elvis in Vegas is a classic feel-good story for the ages.
Download or read book Las Vegas For Dummies written by Mary Herczog and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2008-11-03 with total page 340 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Las Vegas can be classy or tacky, cheesy or a bit sleazy, and it's always entertaining. Get ready to cruise the hot spots, test your luck at the casinos, shop the upscale boutiques, take in the spectacular shows, hit the swinging dance clubs, or escape from the glitz and neon and take in natural wonders on refreshing day trips. This guide gives you insider info on where to go and what to do, with great advice on how to: Find the best casinos and play the most popular games Stroll the strip, where you can watch a volcano explode, see the ancient Pyramids, and explore New York, Paris, Rome, and Venice Dine on delicacies prepared by celebrity chefs such as Joel Robuchon at the Mansion (in the MGM Grand) or Emeril Lagasse at Table 10 (in the Palazzo), load up at buffets like Paris, Le Village Buffet (in the Paris Hotel), or split a sub at Capriotti's Take in spectacular entertainment from Cirque de Soleil, Blue Man Group, Penn & Teller, and many more Enjoy performances by big-name stars like Celine Dion or catch the classic topless Vegas revue, Jubilee! See shows like the magnificent Bellagio Water Fountains, hang out with dolphins at Mirage's Dolphin Habitat, or tour the inimitable Liberace Museum Like every For Dummies travel guide, Las Vegas For Dummies, Fifth Edition includes: Down-to-earth trip-planning advice What you shouldn't miss — and what you can skip The best hotels and restaurants for every budget Lots of detailed maps You'll even find a time-saving "Quick Concierge" section with key phone numbers, addresses, and handy how-to's for getting around so you won’t miss a minute of the Vegas action!
Download or read book Weird Las Vegas and Nevada written by Joe Oesterle and published by Sterling Publishing Company. This book was released on 2007 with total page 270 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A travel guide to Las Vegas that also focusses on the neglection of its historic places.
Download or read book Las Vegas Little Black Book written by David Demontmollin and published by Justin, Charles & Co.. This book was released on 2005 with total page 265 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The bachelor party/guy's weekend has become a staple of the Las Vegas strip. The Las Vegas Little Black Book knows what men want from their weekend in Sin City, where to find it, how much to pay for it and how to go home satisfied.
Download or read book A Short History of Las Vegas written by Barbara Land and published by . This book was released on 2004-03 with total page 308 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Today’s Las Vegas welcomes 35 million visitors a year and reigns as the world’s premier gaming mecca. But it is much more than a gambling paradise. In A Short History of Las Vegas, Barbara and Myrick Land reveal a fascinating history beyond the mobsters, casinos, and showgirls. The authors present a complete story, beginning with southern Nevada’s indigenous peoples and the earliest explorers to the first pioneers to settle in the area; from the importance of the railroad and the construction of Hoover Dam to the arrival of the Mob after World War II; from the first isolated resorts to appear in the dusty desert to the upscale, extravagant theme resorts of today. Las Vegas—and its history—is full of surprises. The second edition of this lively history includes details of the latest developments and describes the growing anticipation surrounding the Las Vegas centennial celebration in 2005. New chapters focus on the recent implosions of famous old structures and the construction of glamorous new developments, headline-making mergers and multibillion-dollar deals involving famous Strip properties, and a concluding look at what life is like for the nearly two million residents who call Las Vegas home.
Download or read book Sun Sin Suburbia written by Geoff Schumacher and published by Stephens Press, LLC. This book was released on 2004 with total page 294 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: People all over the globe know Las Vegas as gambling's Mecca, Sin City, the Entertainment Capital of the World, a resort destination that attracts more than 35 million visitors per year. But that's just one piece of the story of this fascinating metropolis of 1.5 million people - and counting. With more than 6,000 people rushing to the valley each month, Las Vegas responded to the influx with enthusiasm and a can-do attitude, all while coping with enormous economic, social and political challenges. This carefully documented history focuses on the most exciting and chaotic decade in Las Vegas history: the 1990s. Veteran journalist Geoff Schumacher captures the true essence of Las Vegas, seeing past the neon and discovering the multi-faceted communities beyond.
Download or read book Las Vegas written by Mark Gottdiener and published by Wiley-Blackwell. This book was released on 2000-01-10 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Most writing about Las Vegas focuses on the spectacular story of casino gambling and tourism. This book is different. Written by two renowned urban studies scholars and a local Las Vegas journalist, combining scholarly research with investigative reporting First academic book to provide a synthesis on the recent growth of Las Vegas Appropriate for courses in urban studies, economic development and tourism, communities and cultural studies
Download or read book Learning from Las Vegas written by Robert Venturi and published by . This book was released on 1991 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Out from Las Vegas written by Florine Lawlor and published by Spotted Dog Press (CA). This book was released on 1998-09 with total page 292 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Greetings from Las Vegas written by Peter Moruzzi and published by Gibbs Smith. This book was released on 2019-09-03 with total page 476 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book of vintage Vegas ephemera offers a guided tour of Sin City’s rise out of the Mojave Desert to become a major entertainment destination. Greetings from Las Vegas tells the story of Las Vegas during its golden age in the first half of the twentieth-century. The city’s miraculous evolution comes alive through a fun and diverse collection of vintage photos, picture postcards, matchbooks, ads, and other ephemera. This beautifully illustrated volume captures the glamor of Fremont Street and the Las Vegas Strip, landmarks such as the Sands and Riviera hotel casinos, and the cream of Hollywood glitterati, including Frank, Sammy, Dino, and the rest of the Rat Pack. Author Peter Moruzzi’s sharp and irreverent commentary provides essential context for the visual treats as well as a unique historical take on the evolution of this desert playground.
Download or read book Leaving Las Vegas written by John O'Brien and published by Open Road + Grove/Atlantic. This book was released on 2007-12-01 with total page 174 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This “brutal and unflinching” novel of fleeting love in Sin City inspired the film starring Nicholas Cage and Elizabeth Shue (Jay McInerney, author of Bright Lights, Big City). John O’Brien’s debut novel, Leaving Las Vegas, is an emotionally wrenching story of a woman who embraces life and a man who rejects it; a powerful tale of hard luck, hard drinking, and a relationship of tenderness and destruction. An avowed alcoholic, Ben drinks away his family, friends, and, finally, his job. With deliberate resolve, he burns the remnants of his life and heads for Las Vegas to end it all in the last great binge of his hopeless life. On the Strip, he picks up Sera, a prostitute, in what might have become another excess in his self-destructive jag. Instead, their chance meeting becomes a respite on the road to oblivion as they form a bond that is as mysterious as it is immutable.
Download or read book Casino written by Nicholas Pileggi and published by Open Road Media. This book was released on 2016-10-18 with total page 275 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The true story behind the Martin Scorsese film: A “riveting . . . account of how organized crime looted the casinos they controlled” (Kirkus Reviews). Focusing on Chicago bookie Frank “Lefty” Rosenthal and his partner, Anthony Spilotro, and drawing on extensive, in-depth interviews, the #1 New York Times–bestselling author of the Mafia classic Wiseguy—basis for the film Goodfellas—Nicholas Pileggi reveals how the pair worked together to oversee Las Vegas casino operations for the mob. He unearths how Teamster pension funds were used to take control of the Stardust and Tropicana and how Spilotro simultaneously ran a crew of jewel thieves nicknamed the “Hole in the Wall Gang.” For years, these gangsters kept a stranglehold on Sin City’s brightly lit nightspots, skimming millions in cash for their bosses. But the elaborate scheme began to crumble when Rosenthal’s disproportionate ambitions drove him to make mistakes. Spilotro made an error of his own, falling for his partner’s wife, a troubled showgirl named Geri. It would all lead to betrayal, a wide-ranging FBI investigation, multiple convictions, and the end of the Mafia’s longstanding grip on the multibillion-dollar gaming oasis in the midst of the Nevada desert. Casino is a journey into 1970s Las Vegas and a riveting nonfiction account of the world portrayed in the Martin Scorsese film of the same name, starring Robert DeNiro, Joe Pesci, and Sharon Stone. A story of adultery, murder, infighting, and revenge, this “fascinating true-crime Mob history” is a high-stakes page-turner (Booklist).
Download or read book The Unofficial Guide to Las Vegas 2010 written by Bob Sehlinger and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2009-08-18 with total page 513 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In 2008, Las Vegas hosted 37.5 million visitors according to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. Global Travel Industry News and Forbes Traveler rank Las Vegas as the #2 most popular U.S. destination to visit calling it "America's favorite playground". The Unofficial Guide to Las Vegas ranks over 100 hotels and casinos- the most offered by any other guidebook for the destination, providing complete detailed descriptions of each casino hotel.
