Boardwalk Empire: The Birth, High Times, and Corruption of Atlantic City - Softcover

Johnson, Nelson

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0966674863 ISBN 13: 9780966674866

Publisher: Medford Press, 2010

Synopsis

Providing the inspiration and source material for the upcoming HBO series produced by Academy Award–winning director Martin Scorsese and Emmy Award–winning screenwriter Terence Winter, this riveting and wide-reaching history explores the sordid past of Atlantic City—forever a freewheeling town long-dedicated to the fast buck—from the city's heyday as a Prohibition-era mecca of lawlessness to its rebirth as a legitimate casino resort in the modern era. A colorful cast of powerful characters, led by “Commodore” Kuehnle and “Nucky” Johnson, populates this stranger-than-fiction account of corrupt politics and the toxic power structure that grew out of guile, finesse, and extortion. Atlantic City's shadowy past—through its rise, fall, and rebirth—is given new light in this revealing, and often appalling, study of legislative abuse and organized crime.

About this title

About the Author

Nelson Johnson practiced law for 30 years, during which time he was active in Atlantic City and Atlantic County politics. He lives in Hammonton, New Jersey. Terence Winter is an Emmy Award–winning screenwriter for his work on The Sopranos. Along with Martin Scorsese, he is currently an executive producer for the HBO series Boardwalk Empire. He lives in New York City. Terence Winter is an Emmy Award–winning screenwriter for his work on The Sopranos. Along with Martin Scorsese, he is currently an executive producer for the HBO series Boardwalk Empire. He lives in New York City.

From AudioFile

Joe Mantegna's steady, unaffected reading of Johnson's history of Atlantic City is a model of good audiobook narration. Mantegna seems the perfect choice for this title, a solid professional whose voice is tuned both to the drama of individual moments and to the rising and falling arcs of the narrative as a whole. Most important, with ease and consistency he keeps up the pace of a story that sometimes drags as the author reviews the city's racial history, political structure, and intricate gaming laws. There's plenty to enjoy, and the HBO series based on Johnson's book covers only a portion of it. Not just for history buffs, this is also a study in how communities and businesses grow and decline--and are sometimes reborn. D.A.W. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine

About this edition

• Publisher: Medford Press
• Publication date: 2010
• ISBN 10: 0966674863
• ISBN 13: 9780966674866
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 312