Sally Denton
and Roger Morris have written a controversial history of Las Vegas
while English author-poker player A. Alvarez has a beauty of a coffee
table book on the game and the players he has revered for decades.
Both are new arrivals at Gamblers Book Shop in Las Vegas.
Denton
and Morris's work titled The Money and the Power (The Making
of Las Vegas and Its Hold on America) (479 pages, hardbound,
$26.95) traces the city's history, its "cast of players" from politicians
and power brokers to the Mob, from 1947 (the year Bugsy Siegel was
assassinated in Los Angeles) to 2000.
The authors,
using hundreds of resources, interviews, studies, reports, have
produced the equivalent of a modern, updated version of the famous
(and to some, infamous) classic, The Green Felt Jungle. That 1960s
classic study of Las Vegas by Ed Reid and Ovid Demaris created so
much brouhaha from respected media (the late Hank Greenspun, publisher
of the Las Vegas Sun) and numerous "protectors" of the Las Vegas
image, the public reacted as it usually does when controversy rages--they
bought the book like crazy, and continue to do so almost four decades
later, even though many of book's "facts" were exposed or challenged
for accuracy.
It could be
the public is so fascinated with Las Vegas, its up and down history,
its characters, wheeler-dealers, and its unorthodox lifestyle, that
newcomers, visitors and those in a less-exciting environment remain
transfixed initially, but unfazed after all the dust has settled
Much like a Woody Allen-type character with his heart pumping at
top speed on a date with a Kim Basinger-type date, much of America
doesn't philosophize about the long-term consequences, only the
evening at hand.
Denton and Morris
have the details-the rise of gangster, thinking-man Meyer Lansky;
how the city was impacted by men like Howard Hughes, the Kennedy
family. The authors include the influence of Mormon bankers; Wall
Street bigshots; "front men" for the Mob; money skimming and laundering;
a "glib young promoter" named Steve Wynn; billionaire Kirk Kerkorian;
the imagination and impact of Benny Binion.
This is a biography
of a city and those who made and lost millions, perhaps billions.
Who's respectable, who's not and why may not be a question we get
answered with a sense of absolute truth. Many lips are sealed-among
the living and those no longer with us. There are theories, conspiracies,
alliances, payoffs, special deals and decisions where many looked
the other way for a variety of reasons.
Is Las Vegas
a city any different than others? In some ways, the answer is a
resounding yes. Yet with all its problems and seemingly uncontrolled
growth, it's no different than others.
Denton and Morris
create many questions-some of which may remain unanswered. The book
was released in late March 2001. Everyone from City Mayor Oscar
Goodman to "people who knew people way back when" were waiting for
this book to arrive.
It's not dull
reading. Indexed, packed with heavy notes, references and a solid
bibliography of resources, it's both a controversial history book
(illustrated as well); sociological (and some may think) psychological
study of one of the most fascinating places on the planet. Author
Nick Pileggi (he wrote Casino) called this book "riveting and provocative�your
view of Las Vegas and America will never be the same�" I second
the motion.
A. Alvarez,
whose great classic of the world of poker The Biggest Game in Town
(presently out of print), loves the game and people who comprise
this special world of risk-takers.
|
|
His
newest contribution is aptly titled Poker: Bets, Bluffs and
Bad Beats (125 pages, hardbound, $29.95).
It's tough
to categorize this labor of love of Alvarez. It's both an illustrated
history book from the game's earliest days to modern times where
millions can be won in a tournament on a final turn of a card.
This is also
a wonderful, colorful light hearted, yet almost poetic trip to
poker rooms everywhere, perched on the shoulder of a master at
capturing flavor, details, intensity of the game and the players
as they bet, bluff, call, raise, rake in the chips.
How did the
game originate? What were the first books on the subject? How
did Hollywood portray the players? Who are the biggest, bravest,
most respectable players-and what made them that way? What is
their philosophy of betting big, winning or losing big?
It's all here,
captured by a master storyteller but colorfully, in their own
words with Alvarez's interpretation and analysis. Doyle Brunson,
one of the most respected players of all time; Johnny Chan; Johnny
Moss, Jack Straus-all winners of the prestigious World Series
of Poker at Binion's Horseshoe Club are all here, chatting, explaining,
remembering key hands, ploys, angles from some of the biggest
showdowns in history.
Wondering
what the chips, the playing cards were 100 years ago? How did
the slang expressions originate? What about the controversial
hand and ending to the movie The Cincinnati Kid? Was it logical?
What were the odds on such a situation (straight flush against
a full house, heads up) occurring?
This is a
fine reference work, an enjoyable gift for anyone who loves the
game and one to have with you to snare for autographs if you happen
to be in Las Vegas for the next World Series of Poker in May,
200l.
Both books
are available at Gambler's Book Shop, 630 South 11th St., Las
Vegas, NV 89101. Call 1-800-522-1777 from 9 to 5 Pacific Time,
Mon.-Sat. and order with MasterCard, VISA or Discover card. Or
order online at www.gamblersbook.com
or via the store's fax number, 1-702-382-7594 anytime. If ordering
by mail, add $6.50 for postage for one book, and $1 more for both
books. The store's catalog of 1,000 books in 30 categories of
gambling; plus software and videos is available online or by requesting
a hard copy to be mailed. The catalog is free.
|
DIVIDE
and CONQUER
at
Colosseum Casino
The Superior Online Casino
Do
as the Romans do, WIN BIG! Play our 33 games and profit
from our amazing FREE MONEY offers and quick payouts. Our
complete casino includes both traditional and original games including
Black Jack, Roulette, Craps, and Baccarat. For questions or comments
contact our help desk team at your service 24 hours a day, 7 days
a week. There are not to be missed promotional offers coming up
in April and beyond. Don't miss out! As Julius Caesar said, THE
DIE IS CAST! Win big at Colosseum Casino!
Download
now for FREE
and take advantage of the Special Loyalty Offer!
|
|