Amusing the Million: Coney Island at the Turn of the Century (American Century) [Paperback]

John F. Kasson (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0809001330 | ISBN-13: 978-0809001330 | Publication Date: August 1, 1978

Coney Island: the name still resonates with a sense of racy Brooklyn excitement, the echo of beach-front popular entertainment before World War I. Amusing the Million examines the historical context in which Coney Island made its reputation as an amusement park and shows how America's changing social and economic conditions formed the basis of a new mass culture. Exploring it afresh in this way, John Kasson shows Coney Island no longer as the object of nostalgia but as a harbinger of modernity--and the many photographs, lithographs, engravings, and other reproductions with which he amplifies his text support this lively thesis.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This is what a history of popular culture should be: a delightful account of a fascinating subject and a serious contribution to our understanding of major transition in American culture."--John G. Cawelti, University of Chicago

"Because he treats our frivolities seriously, John Kasson has produced an important book which helps us all understand ourselves. His inquiry into the nature and significance of Coney Island as part of the American experience provides a brilliant device for understanding major transformations in American culture at the turn of the century...A delight to read, look at, and ponder...itself a great amusement for the mind."--Warren Susman, Rutgers University

"Not only delightful reading but a perceptive look at a familiar American institution..Social-cultural history ought to be done this way more often."--Russel B. Nye, Michigan State University

About the Author

John F. Kasson, who teaches history and American studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, is the author of Houdini, Tarzan and the Perfect Man, Amusing the Million, Rudeness and Civility, and Civilizing the Machine.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Hill and Wang (August 1, 1978)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0809001330
• ISBN-13: 978-0809001330
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 7 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #15,218 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #12 in Books > Travel > United States > Regions > Northeast
  • #92 in Books > Humor & Entertainment > Pop Culture

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent social history of Coney Island, May 19, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Amusing the Million: Coney Island at the Turn of the Century (American Century) (Paperback)

Despite all the books about Coney Island, there really aren't that many of substance. John Kasson here gives a serious yet extremely entertaining look at the social forces in play at Coney Island 100 years ago. This is as much about the birth of mass culture as it is about the rides and the personalities who built Coney Island.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Coney Island as an indicator of social change, February 19, 2004

By 

Charles Ashbacher (Marion, Iowa United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Amusing the Million: Coney Island at the Turn of the Century (American Century) (Paperback)

In these times, when entertainers bare body parts normally kept strictly covered, it is hard to believe the cover photo of this book was considered rather racy a century ago. It shows a line of girls on the beach at Coney Island where the skirts on their swimsuits have been raised to reveal the shorts underneath. Considering that they also appear to have full-length tights on underneath the shorts, to modern eyes, they look overdressed. There were many social commentators at the end of the nineteenth century that argued that the egalitarian social structure of Coney Island was debasing the social fabric of the nation.
Which was nonsense, as Coney Island was the most conspicuous example of the dramatic social changes taking place in the United States. By the turn of the century, the people were generally no longer rural tillers of the soil, having been transformed into urban tillers of the machines. Furthermore, by this time, the social distinctions between the upper and other classes were being blurred. As the author points out, at Coney Island, many of the stiff social restrictions came down. People who otherwise would not speak to each other became friendly and shared rides, beach water and other amusements.
The members of the compressed urban society craved simple and inexpensive recreation and Coney Island provided it. Therefore, as Kasson points out so well, it was a phenomenon that grew out of a social need and in many ways served as a social release. People could, for a very small fee, leave their crowded dwellings and engage in a day of escape. Everyone was equal on the rides and the beaches, so at least at that location, social distinctions disappeared.
Until I read this book, I had never considered the amusement park as a barometer for social change. However, it is now clear that Coney Island was a metaphor for a dramatic change in the social fabric of the nation and from this book, you can learn many of the details.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Gives a great overview of the famed amusement park, June 25, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (Brooklyn, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Amusing the Million: Coney Island at the Turn of the Century (American Century) (Paperback)

An enjoyable reading if you desire a history lesson on the famed amusement park. Through great pictures and words the author suceeds in telling the story of the now ancient parks at Coney Island. We learn the stories of the men behind Dreamland, Luna Park, and Steeplechase. A weel put together story making it a must for anyone interested in Coney Island!