Customer Reviews

It Happened in the Catskills: An Oral History in the Words of Busboys, Bellhops, Guests, Proprietors, Comedians, Agents, and Others Who Lived It

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In their heyday in the 1940s and '50s, the Catskills, in New York's Sullivan and Ulster counties, were less a place than a state of mind, according to the Frommers. In their wonderful collection of reminiscences by those who worked and played the mountains, anyone who ever vacationed there will find something between nostalgia and heartburn - or, perhaps, just hunger for borscht, the red-beet soup that became a staple at the region's most famous resort, Grossinger's.

This is one of the best history books I've read in the past decade -- and I read a lot of history books. I don't think I've ever read a better pop culture history about any subject. And what's more, it's great great fun -- I've probably read it cover to cover 3 or 4 times. A thousand thanks and a tip of the hat to Myrna & Harvey Frommer!

I love love love this book and can't put it down. Not only the entertainers but the food, the place, the agents, the managers = the stories. A great picture (small but still great) of David Brenner whom I love to bits! You will be laughing and laughing. The hair, the clothes !

"The definitive story of a time and a place..."

" Fascinating history of the period..."

'GREAT STUFF. YOU MUST GET A COPY. YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO PUT IT DOWN.

The magic of the Catskills comes back vividly in this lively collection of memories from those who were there when it was the place to be. Just "ninety minutes from Broadway," the Catskills were a training ground and showcase for some of the biggest musical and comedic talents ever. In this oral narrative, more than a hundred voices share stories spanning nearly a century and evoking an experience that in many ways exists now only as a memory. Oversized and bountifully illustrated, It Happened in the Catskills, will delight and inform anyone who knows of the Catskills only through Hollywood portrayals such as Dirty Dancing and Broadway Danny Rose--and will be treasured nostalgia for all those who may have spent a summer or two of their own in the Mountains

WONDERFUL COLLECTION OF REMINISCENCES

I used [Myrna and Harvey Frommer's] "It Happened in the Catskills." I used that a lot just to look at photographs. All the actors had to read "It Happened in the Catskills" - and of course the production designer relied on those things very heavily

This oversize book is full of photos and graphics of the Catskills. It has good information on the entertainment aspect and on the workings and development of the big hotels. There are abundant quotes from the many Catskills entertainers, staff, owners, and guests that the Frommers interviewed. It Happened in the Catskills is a fun book to travel the Mountains with