Kid of Coney Island: Fred Thompson and the Rise of American Amusements

At the turn of the 20th cent., Fred Thompson's entrepreneurial drive made him into an entertainment mogul who helped to define the popular culture of his day. This book tells the story of Thompson & examines the transformation of commerce & entertainment as Amer. society moved into an era of mass marketing & large-scale corp. enterprise. Thompson got his start as a creator & promoter of carnival shows & world's fairs, incl. the World's Columbian Expo. in 1893. He was one of the developers & promoters of Coney island & other amusement parks. He built the Hippodrome Theater in N.Y. & mounted many productions there & on Broadway. This book brings to life a kaleidoscopic era in Amer. history as well as one of its most striking characters.Ó Ill.Register, Woody is the author of 'Kid of Coney Island: Fred Thompson and the Rise of American Amusements', published 2001 under ISBN 9781422350683 and ISBN 1422350681.