In this lively and probing book, award-winning author Pete Earley traces
the extraordinary evolution of Las Vegas -- from the gaudy Mecca of the
Rat Pack era to one of the country's top family vacation spots. He
revisits the city's checkered history of moguls, mobsters, and
entertainers, reveals the real stories of well-known power brokers like
Steve Wynn and legends like Howard Hughes and Bugsy Siegel, and offers a
fascinating portrait of the life, death, and fantastic rebirth of the
Las Vegas Strip.
Earley also documents the gripping tale of the entrepreneurs behind the
rise and fall and rise again of one of the largest gaming corporations
in the nation, Circus Circus -- to which he was given unique access. In
his trademark you-are-there style, he takes us behind the scenes to meet
the blackjack dealers and hookers, the heavy hitters and bit players,
the security officers, cabbies, and showgirls who are caught up in the
mercurial pace that pulses at the heart of this astounding city.