Boardwalk Empire: The Birth, High Times, And Corruption of Atlantic City (Unabridged)
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3.9 • 19 Ratings
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- $21.99
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- $21.99
Publisher Description
Earphones Award Winner (AudioFile Magazine)
From its inception, Atlantic City has always been a town dedicated to the fast buck, and this wide-reaching history offers a riveting account of its past 100 years, 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 characters, led by Enoch "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.
This audiobook, narrated by Joe Mantegna, is the true story that inspired the upcoming HBO series of the same name. It includes a foreword written and narrated by Terence Winter.
Customer Reviews
Breaks down in the second half.
The first half of this audiobook is excellent. The account of the founding of Atlantic City, its Prohibition-era heyday, and its decline are fascinating. When it starts to discuss the aftermath of gambling legalization and Atlantic City's current woes, it starts to sound like an unpleasant mishmash of travel brochure and statistic dump until it the unsatisfying conclusion, a polemic about the free market. It really drags down what is otherwise a really enjoyable, listenable take on the birth and life of an American city, and on machine politics.
Joe Mantegna's narration is great (and if you're a Simpsons fan it will be hard to stifle your giggles when Anthony "Fat Tony" Salerno comes into the picture).
Compelling History of a great American City
Excellent history of Atlantic City and New Jersey, compelling writing and a wonderful audio production. Gives all the detail that HBO can't in its adaptation. Highly recommended.
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