jjares reviewed History of Las Vegas: A Captivating Guide to Historical Events and Facts You Should Know About the Entertainment Capital of the World (U.S. History) on + 3278 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
Talk about an excellent overview; this book is superb. I don't know how the author did it; this book covers much of the Las Vegas story. There are people, projects, entertainers, gangsters, and a whole host of things that clicked at the right time to turn this sleepy desert town into the megaresort it is today.
The two federally-financed programs that gave Las Vegas the transportation, electricity, and water to create today's lush environment started the ball rolling. I've visited Boulder Dam twice, and it is an engineering marvel. The building of this massive project insulated most Las Vegas residents from the full effects of the Great Depression.
This book's most exciting fact is how the gangsters departed from the Las Vegas scene. Howard Hughes single-handedly convinced the gambling license boards to allow corporations to own businesses (licenses used to be sold only to individuals). That brought the SEC into overseeing the gambling, which the mobsters didn't want. So, they took a hike.
I remember when rooms and food were dirt cheap in Las Vegas while the mobsters ran things. First, they used them as "loss leaders" to get people and families to come. Then, once the corporations took over the casinos, the bean counters (accountants) made every business department pull its weight. Thus, rooms and food prices rose dramatically (except for comps - complimentary gifts to high rollers).
No matter how much you think you know about Las Vegas, this book is still eye-opening. The insights into the movers and shakers are fascinating. The author even found time to discuss the biggest draws to Las Vegas: Liberace, Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, Wayne Newton, and Sigfried and Roy. This book was exciting and entertaining.
The two federally-financed programs that gave Las Vegas the transportation, electricity, and water to create today's lush environment started the ball rolling. I've visited Boulder Dam twice, and it is an engineering marvel. The building of this massive project insulated most Las Vegas residents from the full effects of the Great Depression.
This book's most exciting fact is how the gangsters departed from the Las Vegas scene. Howard Hughes single-handedly convinced the gambling license boards to allow corporations to own businesses (licenses used to be sold only to individuals). That brought the SEC into overseeing the gambling, which the mobsters didn't want. So, they took a hike.
I remember when rooms and food were dirt cheap in Las Vegas while the mobsters ran things. First, they used them as "loss leaders" to get people and families to come. Then, once the corporations took over the casinos, the bean counters (accountants) made every business department pull its weight. Thus, rooms and food prices rose dramatically (except for comps - complimentary gifts to high rollers).
No matter how much you think you know about Las Vegas, this book is still eye-opening. The insights into the movers and shakers are fascinating. The author even found time to discuss the biggest draws to Las Vegas: Liberace, Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, Wayne Newton, and Sigfried and Roy. This book was exciting and entertaining.
