American Amusement Park [Hardcover]

Dale Samuelson (Author), Wendy Yegoiants (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 26, 2001

For more than a century, amusement parks from Brooklyn's Coney Island to Disneyland in Anaheim and today's "chain parks" like Six Flags have been among the most popular destinations for countless Americans in search of fun and thrills. This marvelous photographic retrospective distills more than 100 years of the sights, sounds, smells and vertigo-inducing thrills associated with the American amusement park. Nostalgic archival photography from private collections, period print advertisements and exclusive modern color photographs illustrate the stories behind thrill rides, arcades, architecture, park food, pavilion entertainment, fun houses, tunnels of love and much more. Special focus is given to the roller coaster, while sidebars highlight specific parks and rides whose influence on the development of amusement parks in general is undeniable.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Samuelson's photographs and articles have been featured in At The Park, a glossy trade magazine and RollerCoaster! the official magazine of the American Coaster Enthusiasts.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 156 pages
• Publisher: MBI (October 26, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0760309817
• ISBN-13: 978-0760309810
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 10.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #277,051 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #61 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > Antiques & Collectibles > Americana

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful Book!, May 11, 2002

By 

K. Martinez (Santa Cruz, CA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: American Amusement Park (Hardcover)

This book is packed full of beautiful photographs and nostaligic postcards. Various chapters showcase the origin of amusement parks, and the different styles and hybrids from the "traditional" and "theme" to the Storybook Lands and Santa Villages. There's even a chapter on flat rides. The graphics and layout are great. The author also knows his material. This is a great companion to that other great BMI book, "The American Roller Coaster".

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Stunning photos and engaging text, September 19, 2002

By 

Kenneth J. Williams (San Diego, Ca United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: American Amusement Park (Hardcover)

In the thrill seekers genre of books and videos, this fits right in. Although most of it is indeed a rehash, the layout is fabulous. No one can have enough photos of carousel horses or stories about old parks. The nostalgia factor in this book raises the bar. Unlike a few of the other books, this one is more rounded in that it covers the whole park instead of just the coasters. Be advised that these kinds of books are historical in nature and don't necessarily point to what's coming next at the World's of thrills.

4 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lots of nostalgia and excitement!, January 18, 2003

By 

William Overby "overby20" (United States) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: American Amusement Park (Hardcover)

Loved this book! Great info on amusement park history and behind the scenes secrets. I'm ready to go ride!