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[BOOK 1] WILLIAM F. MANGELS: THE OUTDOOR AMUSEMENT INDUSTRY. [1952] (14x22cm – 206 Pages – A few B&W prints). Selected Chapter Points: Early American Amusement Parks; Coney Island; Amusement Devices; The Carousel; Merry-Go-Round Music; The Roller Coaster; Centrifugal Pleasure Railways; Pleasure Wheels; Flat Rides; Funhouses and Illusion Rides; Miscellaneous Attractions
[BOOK 2] EDO MCCULLOUGH: GOOD OLD CONEY ISLAND. [1957] (16x23cm - 344 Pages – A few B&W prints). A sentimental journey into the past: Coney Island is more than a national institution: it was probably the most celebrated amusement resort in the world. This book presents its lively and nostalgic history. Touched with sentiment, occasionally with acid, it is frank, outspoken, sometimes biting, but always imbued with humour. (Reprinted in 2000, both editions are available)

[BOOK 2A] PACIFIC OCEAN PARK INC: THE STORY OF PACIFIC OCEAN PARK. [1958] (15x22cm - 24 Pages - Colour drawings throughout). Join King Neptune, ruler of the Seven Seas, for a royal tour of his oceanic wonderland of beauty, fascination and fun. Table of Contents: Neptune’s Kingdom; Enchanted Forest; Sea Circus; Ocean Skyway; Ocean Highway; Flight to Mars; Magic Carpet; Sea Serpent; Pictorial Map; Port’s O’Call; South Sea Island; Fisherman’s Cove; International Promenade; Lawrence Welk (and his orchestra); Jack’s at the Beach.
[BOOK 3] NORMAN NYGAARD: WALTER KNOTT, TWENTIETH CENTURY PIONEER. [1965] (14x21cm – 118 Pages). The story of the man behind Knott’s Berry Farm, the internationally known tourist attraction. This is the true story of an imaginative genius who parlayed a small berry stand on a country road into a fascinating complex of restaurants, western shops and an authentic ghost town manned today by more than 900 employees.
[BOOK 4] CEDAR POINT INC: CEDAR POINT. SANDUSKY, OHIO. [1965/6] (18x25cm – 36 Pages – Colour photos throughout). A publication charting Cedar Point’s history: How the land was acquired for the fledgling park. The managers/owners that have come and gone, and everything else you wanted to know about that historic acquisition
[BOOK 5] PAUL ILYINSKY: GOODBYE CONEY ISLAND, GOODBYE. [1972] (22x28cm – 120 Pages – Many B&W prints, few colour). A photographic farewell to an old amusement park. Few institutions could claim a spot so warm in the hearts of so many as Cincinnati’s Coney Island. Established on the banks of the beautiful Ohio River in a forested glade with the unlikely name of California, Ohio, Coney Island provided for Cincinnatians and their neighbours a haven of escape, relaxation, romance, and just plain fun for nearly a century…
[BOOK 6] AL GRIFFIN: STEP RIGHT UP FOLKS! [1974] (16x23cm – 258 Pages – Some B&W photos). An affectionate look at a neglected and disappearing form of entertainment… the amusement parks. Remember New York’s Coney Island? Or Chicago’s Riverview? How about your first ride on the merry-go-round? Of course you do. You never forget those things. But the great parks are going – many have already gone – and a way of American life is disappearing. They’re not going without a struggle, naturally. Parks are still around, but seldom in the old style…
[BOOK 7] STEVE PALMER: THE BLACKPOOL PLEASURE BEACH STORY. [1976/7] (20x25cm – 30 Pages – Many B&W photos, some colour). A snapshot of Pleasure Beach, Blackpool in the 70s. Chapter Points: Welcome to the Fun Place; Panorama of Pleasure; Travelling Around; Into the Dark; Thrills day and night; Sunset Silhouettes; The Children’s Paradise; The Kiddies’ Amusement Park; Gulliver in Lilliput; Night Life; Funtastic Food; Pleasure Beach People; On With the Show; Behind the Scenes; Night Magic; Seventy Funtastic Years.
[BOOK 8] BURTON WOHL: ROLLER COASTER, THE HIGH ROLLER TO TERROR! [1977] (11x18cm - 144 Pages). The tense novel inspired from the film ‘Roller Coaster.’ High above the crowded amusement park, the rollercoaster climbs towards its summit. Soon the cars will begin their gut-wrenching 60mph plunge. And down below a pleasant-looking young man, Eddie Parnassus, presses the button on a remote control detonator… Seconds later, the revellers’ squeals of excitement turn to screams of terror as the ‘coaster hurtles off into a void where death and mutilation wait…
[BOOK 9] CHUCK WLODARCZYK: RIVERVIEW, GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN 1904 – 1967. [1977] (21x28cm - 136 Pages – Many B&W photos) A photographic book with delightful text. Laugh your troubles away at Riverview. See and read about the Bobs; the Flying Turns; the Whip; the Chute the Chutes and of the many more lost attractions. Learn of the rise and fall of this much-missed US park.
[BOOK 10] AMUSEMENT PARK BOOKS: EUCLID BEACH PARK IS CLOSED FOR THE SEASON. [1977] (22x28cm - 332 Pages – Many B&W photos). Euclid Beach Park existed in Cleveland, Ohio from June 1895 to September 1969. Although the “Beach” was a classic example of the American amusement parks, which were prevalent from the late 1800s through the first half of the twentieth century, it possessed an uncommon vitality which enhanced its character. This book serves to both educate and refresh the memory of Euclid Beach Park.
[BOOK 11] JF. KASSON: AMUSING THE MILLION, CONEY ISLAND AT THE TURN OF THE CENTURY. [1978] (18x21cm - 120 Pages – Many B&W Pictures & photos) This book examines the historical context in which Coney Island made its reputation as an amusement park and shows how America’s changing social and economic conditions formed the basis of a new mass culture. Exploring it afresh in this way, the book shows Coney Island no longer as the object of nostalgia but as a harbinger of modernity.
[BOOK 12] GARY KYRIAZI: THE GREAT AMERICAN AMUSEMENT PARKS, A PICTORIAL HISTORY. [1978] (22x25cm - 256 Pages – Many B&W photos) A fascinating publication, listing and investigating many amusement parks, thrill rides and rollercoasters no longer with us. Chapter Points: Introduction; The Evolution of the Amusement Park; Coney Island; Steeplechase Park, Luna Park and Dreamland; The American Amusement Parks-East to West; Disneyland and the Theme Parks; America’s Top 100 Parks.
[BOOK 13] TIM ONOSKO: FUN LAND USA. [1978] (13x21cm – 296 Pages – Many B&W photos and maps). The complete guidebook to 100 major amusement and theme parks all across the USA. Rides, shows, games, history - a treasure trove of valuable information on America's greatest holiday attractions. Also includes an interview with roller coaster designer John Allen.
[BOOK 14] AMUSEMENT PARK BOOKS: EUCLID BEACH PARK, A SECOND LOOK. [1979] (22x28cm – 230 Pages – Many B&W photos). The follow up publication to Euclid Beach Park is Closed for the Season. "A multitude of people created, shaped, maintained and sustained Euclid Beach Park. Some worked there for an hour; some worked there for months; some worked there for years or even a lifetime… To those people whose work and devotion became transformed into the Park’s image, we dedicate our second volume on Euclid Beach Park."
[BOOK 15] CHRISTINE HAHN: AMUSEMENT PARK MACHINES. [1979] (20x26cm – 32 Pages – Full colour). An interesting piece of juvenile literature featuring the rides and attractions to be found across the USA. Whilst the minimal amount of text is not always absolutely correct, it does contain full colour/full page photographs of coasters and thrill rides long gone.
[BOOK 16] WALT DISNEY PRODUCTIONS: DISNEYLAND, THE FIRST QUARTER CENTURY. [1979] (22x29cm – 126 Pages – Full colour). For more than a quarter century more than 200 million guests have visited Walt Disney’s Magic Kingdom. Disneyland is a kaleidoscope of unique entertainment forms. Within its realms are medieval castles and rocket ships, horse-drawn streetcars and streamlined monorail trains, jungle elephants and elephants that fly, a snowcapped mountain and a "space" mountain. Selected Chapter Points: The Twenty Year Dream; Imagineering the Dream; The Lilly Belle Grows Up; Opening Day Draws Near; A World Premiere; The First Quarter Century; A Mountain Comes To Anaheim; The Many Worlds of Disneyland.
[BOOK 17] J. WALDROP, R. MUNCH, J.M. REED: ROLLER COASTER FEVER. [1979/80] (21x27cm - 100 Pages – Many colour photos). A rare book investigating all the thrills of coaster riding. Chapter Points: Why Ride a Roller Coaster? The Rise and Fall and Rise of Roller Coasters; Types of Coasters; Coaster Location Maps; The Experts Pick the 15 Most Exciting; A Colour Photo Review; Coast to Coast Coaster Directory; Making the Most of Your Ride; Cyclone Cloning: Did History Repeat Itself? Killers or Pussycats, How Safe are Coasters? Catching the Fever; The Great American Coaster Revival; Endangered Species; Marathoning Tips; The Classics: Gone But Not Forgotten; From the Ground Up.
[BOOK 18] PICTORIAL HISTORY OF REVERE BEACH. [1980] (22x28cm – 62 Pages – Many B&W photos). Featuring many postcard reproductions of Revere’s most memorable sights and landmarks. Showing Rotherham’s The Jack Rabbit side-friction coaster; Dragon Gorge, Thompson’s Scenic Railway; Lightning 1927-33; The Giant Coaster / Over The Top; Virginia Reel; Louis Bopp’s Derby Racers, a racing side-friction coaster where the winning train gets a free ride; The Oriental roller coaster and the Thunderbolt.
[BOOK 19] JEFF ULMER: AMUSEMENT PARKS OF AMERICA, A COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE. [1980] (15x23cm – 340 Pages – Some B&W photos). Amusement parks originated in Europe in the 1700s, nowhere else have they evolved so rapidly in such huge numbers with so wide a variety of attractions, or enjoyed such an immense popularity. No other place appeals to the five senses or evince so many good feelings from their visitors. This is the most thorough guide ever to all the pleasures American amusement parks have to offer, with everything you need to know to plan your visits. Covering more than 300 parks and family entertainment centres across the country.
[BOOK 20] RON PUCKETT: REMEMBERING FONTAINE FERRY PARK. [1980s?] (21x27cm – 24 Pages - Some B&W photos). A short read. Oh, those were the days of our youth! There are amusement parks all across the USA, but there will never be another quite like Fontaine Ferry Park. Sitting at the end of Market Street, just north of Shawnee Park, it served the citizens of Louiseville for seven decades!
[BOOK 21] RICHARD MUNCH: HARRY G. TRAVER - LEGENDS OF TERROR. [1982] (20x26cm - 176 Pages – Many B&W photos) Chapter Points: Foreword; Introduction; Traver – The Man; Traver –The Company; Traver – The Machines; Bobs, Riverview Park; Cyclone, Revere Beach; Thunderbolt, Savin Rock; Jazz Railway, Rocky Glen Park; Sesquicentennial Cyclone, Philadelphia; Cyclone, Crystal Beach; Lightning, Revere Beach; Cyclone, Palisades Park; Airplane, Playland, Rye; Cyclone Racer, Pike, Long Beach; Cyclone, Century of Progress, Chicago; Zip, Oaks Park, Portland; Traver – Potpourri; A Retrospection; A Look at the Past; ACE, Its Goals.
[BOOK 22] CHARLES JACQUES: KENNYWOOD, ROLLERCOASTER CAPITAL OF THE WORLD. [1982] (21x28cm - 204 Pages – Many B&W photos). Chapter Points: Introduction; The Start of a Tradition; The First Decade; The Second Decade; The 20s, A Golden Age; 1930 – 1934, Kennywood Survives; The Big Band Era; The War Period; The Late 40s, Growth Resumes; The 50s, Kennywood Survives Television; Meeting the Challenges of the 60s; Kennywood’s Greatest Expansion; Looping into the 1980s.
[BOOK 23] THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA: THE PIKE. [1982] (22x28cm – 74 Pages – Many B&W photos). At first there was just the beach, here people came, crowds of them. Everyone was proud of this little town by the sea and lost no opportunity to advertise its many advantages to all visitors. However civic pride determined that all those visitors should be amused. A pier, a few souvenir shops, cafes and the advent of the Pacific Electric street car service in 1902, even more people came. This was the birth of an amusement facility to rival Coney Island; this was, The Pike.
[BOOK 24] JACK GURTLER & CORINNE HUNT: THE ELITCH GARDEN STORY. [1982] (17x25cm – 100 Pages – Many B&W photos). Elitch Gardens meant many things to many people. Some may remember Elitch’s when the Greats of Jazz was an annual affair, and others say that it was the rides that made Elitch’s great, particularly the two wooden roller coasters, the Twister and the Wildcat, they were the creation of the man who was known as “Mr Rollercoaster,” John Allen. Chapter Points: Introduction; The Beginning; John M. Mulvihill; Growing Up in an Amusement Park; The Marvellous Trocadero; Memories of the Theatre; Kiddieland; The Golf Course. Also includes a chapter on the various rides and attractions.
[BOOK 25] FRED NAZZARO & PETER MCCAULEY: REVERE BEACH A LAST LOOK AT YESTERDAY VOLUME 2. [1983] (21x28cm - 62 Pages – Many B&W photos). An affectionate look at Revere Beach and its attractions. Photos of many unique rides have been included, some of which were at Revere Beach for a short time, and others that survived for decades. Some of the pictures are indeed rare and speak volumes about Revere Beach, both in its heyday and during its decline.
[BOOK 26] E & F NAZZARO: REVERE BEACH'S WONDERLAND. [1983] (21x28cm - 60 Pages – Many B&W photos). The story of America’s forgotten amusement park. You’ll be amazed to learn that such a park existed in New England so many years ago, and that sadly it vanished (like so many others) without mention, until now. Selected Chapter Points: The Dream; A Brilliant Beginning; The Attractions; Thompson’s Scenic Railway; Shooting The Chutes; Fire and Flames; Lights Out.
[BOOK 27] ALAN A. SIEGEL: SMILE, A PICTURE HISTORY OF OLYMPIC PARK 1887-1965. [1983] (21x28cm - 176 Pages – Many B&W photos). Time has forever stilled the hurdy-gurdy lilt of the fabulous merry-go-round. The screams of the roller coaster’s riders, the sparkling patter of the Penny Pitch operator, the rumbling of the Dodgem cars and the clanking of the Whip are no more. The roller rink, the beer garden, the funny mirrors and buttered popcorn are gone forever. Enjoyed by tens of millions during her 79-year reign, Olympic Park (Irvington, New Jersey) has disappeared into history, legend and nostalgia. The history of Olympic Park begins over a century ago, when life was simpler and a summertime outing was a delightful Sunday tradition.
[BOOK 28] ELIZABETH VAN STEENWYK: BEHIND THE SCENES AT THE AMUSEMENT PARK. [1983] (18x23cm – 50 Pages – Many B&W and colour photos). Describing the operation of an amusement park, including roller coaster safety maintenance and carousel restoration, as well as career opportunities. Selected Chapter Points: Scream If You’re Scared; Roller Coaster Mania and Maintenance; Lights, Camera, Computer! Save The Carousel; Fun on the Midway; Amusement Parks Then and Now; Disneyland – A Theme Park; A Good Business; Cleaning, Cooking and Constructing; Another World Underground (Disney); Who Works in an Amusement Park? Looking at Full Time Careers; Others Who Work To Make Magic; Look Who’s Having Fun; Index.
[BOOK 29] NORMAN D. ANDERSON & WALTER R. BROWN: FERRIS WHEELS. [1983] (20x22cm – 60 Pages – Many B&W photos). Nobody knows when a spin on a “pleasure wheel” first thrilled fair-goers. But rides like this had been around for hundreds of years when George Washington Gale Ferris built the giant wheel that gave all future wheels his name, back in 1893. Here is the remarkable story of this well-known and well-loved ride, from a hand-turned wooden wheel sketched by a traveller in the 1620s, to a wheel with cars big enough to hold a forty-piece band, to the space-age marvels that fill today’s amusement parks.
[BOOK 30] THE COASTERS OF THE PHILADELPHIA TOBOGGAN COMPANY. [1984] (21x27cm - 38 Pages – Many B&W photos) The Amusement Park Journal Volume #6, No1. Chapter Points: PTC, The Early Years; Coaster Construction Resumes; The Busiest Years; Limping Along; Modern Coasters; A Catalogue of all PTC Coasters 1904 – 1975.
[BOOK 31] RICHARD SNOW: CONEY ISLAND, A POSTCARD JOURNEY TO THE CITY OF FIRE. [1984] (23x23cm – 118 Pages – Many colour photos and pictures). George C. Tilyou wrote in 1886, “If Paris is France, then Coney Island, between June and September, is the world.” This might seem to be nothing more than commercial bombast, but in fact, Tilyou was right – or would be. In the next twenty years Coney Island was to become the most famous resort in the world, a carnival grand enough to draw visitors from Europe …”
[BOOK 32] CHARLES J. JACQUES: GOODBYE WEST VIEW PARK, GOODBYE. [1985] (21x28cm - 126 Pages – Many B&W photos). A historical work about one of Pittsburgh's defunct amusement parks that traces its founding in 1906 to the 1977 season. Chapter Points: The Harton Family Begins West View; Decade of the Dips; The 1920s Start Slowly, and Then Boom; West View Survives The Depression; The War Years; The Golden Age Begins; A Tour of the Midway; Dark Clouds Begin to Appear; West View Stands Still; Goodbye, West View.
[BOOK 33] PLAYLAND PARK, THEN AND NOW. [1985] (21x28cm - 32 Pages – Many B&W photos). A photo documentary of Playland Park, Rye, New York. This book tells the story of the establishment of Playland Park in the 1920s. Containing beautiful photographs of the coasters: Kiddyland Coaster (1936); Aeroplane Coaster (1938); Dragon Coaster (1984); Whirlwind (1984); as well as the other rides and attractions unique to the park.
[BOOK 34] J.D. BROWN & R.D. FETE: MEYERS LAKE REVISITED. [1985] (21x28cm - 192 Pages – Many B&W photos) Meyers Lake was the social and entertainment centre of eastern Ohio for nearly 100 years. Over its lifespan, Meyers Lake Park and the surrounding area offered a wider range of attractions, entertainment and recreational outlets than any other park in Ohio. It was an area of natural beauty, with peaceful picnic groves and the tranquil lake. By contrast there was the sound of merriment emanating from the various amusement park rides, including intermittent screams of excitement aboard the Comet roller coaster. Chapter Points: The Early Years, 1812 – 1902; The N.O.T.& L. Years, 1902 – 1926; The Sinclair Years, 1926 – 1974; The Sporting Life; A Final Word.
[BOOK 35] IRENE H. WRIGHT: EDGAR STREIFTHAU - OHIO AMUSEMENT PARK FOUNDER - HIS STORY. [1985] (14x22cm – 146 Pages – Very few B&W photos). Edgar Streifthau started one of Ohio’s early amusement parks for a simple reason – water was too muddy after heavy rains for people to plunge into a swimming hole in a southwestern Ohio creek. In solving the problem of providing a clean place to swim, he ended up with LeSourdsville Lake Park, now known as Americana. Here, Streifthau lets you share his experiences in creating that first park, and beyond.
[BOOK 36] CHARLES J. JACQUES: HERSHEYPARK - CHOCOLATE TOWN U.S.A. [1985] (21x26cm – 36 Pages – Many B&W photos). A pictorial history featuring many photographs and interesting snippets about Hershey Park; from its founding in 1907 to today. (The park was renamed Hersheypark in 1972). See and read about the Dentzel Carousel; The Miniature Railroad; The Starlight Ballroom; The Joy Ride; Custer Cars; Wildcat Roller Coaster; The Whoops Funhouse; Mill Chute; The Comet Roller Coaster; Aerial Joy Ride; Double Ferris Wheels; The Gardens; Aero-Dip; Auto Skooter; SooperdooperLooper; The Coal Cracker Hydroflume; The Trail Blazer Steel Coaster, and more. Features a chronological directory listing Hersheypark’s many developments from 1907 onwards.
[BOOK 37] HERMA SILVERSTEIN: SCREAM MACHINES: PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE. [1986] (16x24cm - 90 Pages – Many B&W photos). Snap! The switch is thrown. You dig your fingernails deep into the leather harness as it locks against your chest. Too late to back out now. Wham! You are catapulted out of the station on the start of a high-speed ride on one of today’s space-age roller coasters… Chapter Points: In the Beginning There Were Ice Slides; Coasters Cross the Atlantic; Turn of the Century Thrill-Hills; Roaring Twenties, Roaring Roller Coasters; Theme Parks and the Coaster Revival; Space Age Scream Machines; Coaster Encounters Across America; List of America’s Best Roller Coasters.
[BOOK 38] THE HISTORY OF ALTON TOWERS. (14x21cm - 40 Pages – Some colour photos). A booklet / guide telling the story of Alton Towers, the former home of the earl of Shrewsbury. Chapter Points: The Early History of the Alton Towers Site; A New Earl and a New Name – 1827 to the Present Day. (Don’t be disappointed, this book is not about Alton Towers theme park!)
[BOOK 39] (VARIOUS AUTHORS): PAINTED PONIES, AMERICAN CAROUSEL ART. [1986] (24x30cm - 256 Pages - Many colour photos). Chapter Points: America’s Carousel Heritage; Gustav and William Dentzel; Daniel C. Muller; The PTC; Charles Looff; William F. Mangels; Marcus C. Illions; Stein & Goldstein; Charles Carmel; Charles W. Dare; Charles W. Parker; Armitage Herschell; Herschell/Spillman; Spillman Engineering; Allan Herschell; Carousel Preservation; Collecting and Restoring Carousel Art; Carousel Directory.
[BOOK 40] ROBERT CARTMELL: THE INCREDIBLE SCREAM MACHINE. [1987] (22x28cm - 252 Pages – Many B&W photos and diagrams). Often referred to as the rollercoaster enthusiasts’ Bible. Chapter Points: Early European Roller Coasters; America’s First Roller Coaster; La Marcus Adna Thompson; Early American Parks; The Haverhill Three; 1900 – 1920 Defying Gravity, Trial and Error; Roller Coasters Over the World; John A. Miller; The Roaring Twenties; Traver, Prior and Church; 1930 – 1972 Innovations and the Struggle to Survive; Kings Island, Disneyland, and Metal Coasters; The Coaster Boom; How a Coaster Works / Why People Ride Roller Coasters; Complete Listing of Philadelphia Toboggan Company Roller Coasters 1904 – 1975.

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