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Boardwalk Empire: The Birth, High Times and the Corruption of Atlantic City
"When I was first approached by HBO to use Nelson Johnson's book as the basis for a TV series, my biggest challenge was choosing a time period in which to set it...Ultimately I settled on the 1920s of Atlantic City's legendary treasurer Nucky Johnson...A place of spectacle, shady politics, fast women and backroom deals". (Terence Winter, Emmy Award-winning writer of "The Sopranos" and Executive Producer of Boardwalk Empire). From its humble beginnings as a fledgling seaside resort, Atlantic City grew to be America's playground - loud, brash, and dedicated to the pursuit of pleasure. In 1920 alcohol was banned across the States under Prohibition, yet, thanks to racketeers and corrupt politicians, the liquor in Atlantic City never stopped flowing. As the brothels, bars and gambling rooms flourished, the reputation of both the city itself and its most famous resident grew. Enoch 'Nucky' Johnson was a powerful political force and leading figure in organised crime. His corrupt alliance created a city where the rules just didn't apply, the dollar ruled and the law could be bought. The book that inspired the HBO series, "Boardwalk Empire" brings to life Nucky and the whole cast of his shady associates. Recounting the life of this fascinating city and its most colourful residents, it's a brilliantly told story of a city built on cards and dice, booze and broads.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published July 1, 2002
338 people are currently reading
3586 people want to read
About the author
Nelson Johnson
12 books40 followersNelson Johnson practiced law for thirty years and was a New Jersey Superior Court trial judge for thirteen years. In addition to his award-winning Boardwalk Empire, Johnson is also the author of award-winning The Northside: African Americans and the Creation of Atlantic City (November 2010) and Battleground New Jersey: Vanderbilt, Hague, and Their Fight for Justice (December 2014). Johnson’s courtroom experience makes him uniquely qualified to tell this story, set in the last days of the “wild west” in Los Angeles. Darrow’s Nightmare: Los Angeles 1911-1913 is Johnson’s fourth book.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 355 reviews
September 24, 2011
If fans of the HBO series Boardwalk Empire read this hoping just for more stories about corrupt politicians, gangsters, bootlegging, sex, violence, and a disfigured hit man, they’re probably going to be disappointed. However, anyone looking for an interesting history of Atlantic City from its humble beginnings of a second rate resort town through it’s glory days of as a popular destination point during Prohibition because of it’s total unwillingness to enforce anti-booze laws to it’s current state as a gambling town that is still plagued by urban decay would probably find this book interesting.
While the author spends plenty of time on the reign of political boss and part time racketeer Nucky Johnson, the inspiration for the Steve Buscemi’s character Nucky Thompson, and the way that the corrupt Republican machine built and ruled Atlantic City for decades, this is really a history and not a true crime book. While the links between organized crime and the politicians is documented extensively, the book centers on the political corruption instead of gangland shenanigans.
So while there’s no Martin Scorsese-style violence, it’s an interesting history of a unique city.
While the author spends plenty of time on the reign of political boss and part time racketeer Nucky Johnson, the inspiration for the Steve Buscemi’s character Nucky Thompson, and the way that the corrupt Republican machine built and ruled Atlantic City for decades, this is really a history and not a true crime book. While the links between organized crime and the politicians is documented extensively, the book centers on the political corruption instead of gangland shenanigans.
So while there’s no Martin Scorsese-style violence, it’s an interesting history of a unique city.
May 19, 2016
No, this isn't a pot boiler full of sex, violence and perfect looking people. That's the highly entertaining, fiction based on fact TV series, and this is not the novelization of that show.
What this is is the whole history of Atlantic City, from its founding as a health resort, its success mainly as a resort for working class folk from Philadelphia, its golden age under "Nucky" Johnson (NOT "Thompson"), its post-prohibition fall that continued for decades, and its rebirth as a casino resort town.
What is especially interesting is the chapter on Atlantic City's African American community. Nearly the entire work staff of the town was black, and lived under conditions that differed little from the plantations of the the pre-Civil War South. It's a sad and remarkable story.
Johnson knows his subject and tells his story with far more skill than most historians do--if you read adult history books you'll know what I mean! And I skimmed a great deal of the latter half of this book (especially everything involving that nasty bastard Donald Trump) where the narrative lags. But if the TV series has piqued your curiosity about Atlantic City, this is worth looking into.
What this is is the whole history of Atlantic City, from its founding as a health resort, its success mainly as a resort for working class folk from Philadelphia, its golden age under "Nucky" Johnson (NOT "Thompson"), its post-prohibition fall that continued for decades, and its rebirth as a casino resort town.
What is especially interesting is the chapter on Atlantic City's African American community. Nearly the entire work staff of the town was black, and lived under conditions that differed little from the plantations of the the pre-Civil War South. It's a sad and remarkable story.
Johnson knows his subject and tells his story with far more skill than most historians do--if you read adult history books you'll know what I mean! And I skimmed a great deal of the latter half of this book (especially everything involving that nasty bastard Donald Trump) where the narrative lags. But if the TV series has piqued your curiosity about Atlantic City, this is worth looking into.
December 17, 2015
This is the book the HBO series used for its basis. Contrary to popular myth, Atlantic City was not a summer playground for the rich but rather a working class getaway that catered to every illicit whim. Brothels and gambling flourished, but Prohibition really made Atlantic City famous and rich. Under “Nucky” Johnson, the “Commodore’s successor, anything nominally illegal elsewhere could be had in Atlantic City. “A naughty time at an affordable price.”
The short history of Atlantic City presented at the beginning of the book is really quite interesting. The land was bought up originally to develop a health spa, but then, in order to make it accessible a railroad was required to get people from New York and Philadelphia. But in order to compete with Cape May, summer playground of the rich, they tried to appeal to the working man so prices had to remain low. Soon there were four railroads delivering customers (in spite of swarms of green flies and mosquitoes that sometimes drove horses crazy - not to mention people.) To serve customers cheaply, labor costs had to be kept low, and poor southern blacks who had suffered as slaves and were then abused after Reconstruction was destroyed politically, migrated to Atlantic City to fill the jobs. Whites wanted nothing to do with them socially and soon the city was segregated into white and black ghettos. "[The] irony of it all was cruel to Blacks. They earned a respectable wage, could vote, and own property. They performed the most personal of services and were entrusted with important responsibilities, but they were barred from restaurants, amusement piers, and booths; were denied shopping privileges by most stores; were admitted to hotels only as workers; were segregated in clinics and hospitals; and could only bathe in one section of the beach, but even then had to wait until after dark."
Louis Kuehnle, otherwise known as the “Commodore,” was soon running the town, but in a wise, if corrupt, manner. He focused on infrastructure, building water and transportation systems that functioned well, and paving the streets. “Commodore understood that Atlantic City’s business owners would gladly sacrifice honest government for a profitable summer and he gave them what they wanted. Kuehnle protected the rackets from prosecution and worked with the tourist industry to ensure its success. In exchange, the community let him call the shots.”
Unfortunately, following the election of Woodrow Wilson, the Presbyterian antithesis to anything fun and later president, to the NJ governorship cramped things. “Wilson was a crusader who saw things in black and white. Impersonal in his relations, he attracted supporters in much the same way people latch on to an abstract principle.” His attorney general went after election fraud and that resulted in Kuehnle’s imprisonment, opening the way for “Nucky” Johnson who was far more corrupt and even more controlling. Johnson got himself appointed City Treasurer, a non-elective office, which he held for decades and which held the key to all graft. The 18th amendment played right into the hands of Nucky and all during Prohibition booze flowed freely and openly as Atlantic City became a huge transit port for liquor.
Johnson had a gift for understanding people, their desires, and needs. He managed to control the city to such an extent that virtually everyone owed their jobs to him. “Crucial to his power and the control of the Republican organization, he learned how to manipulate Atlantic City’s Black population. He continued the Commodore’s private welfare system, but the assistance he gave Johnson went beyond what Kuehnle had done for blacks; come the winter he was their savior. Long stretches of unemployment in the off-season could be devastating. Johnson saw to it that the Northside had food, clothing, coal, and medical care. “If your kid needed a winter coat, all you had to do was ask—maybe it wouldn’t fit but it was warm. If the grocer cut off your credit, the ward leader told you where to shop on the party’s tab. The same was true if someone needed a doctor or a prescription filled.” Corruption as good government.
The short history of Atlantic City presented at the beginning of the book is really quite interesting. The land was bought up originally to develop a health spa, but then, in order to make it accessible a railroad was required to get people from New York and Philadelphia. But in order to compete with Cape May, summer playground of the rich, they tried to appeal to the working man so prices had to remain low. Soon there were four railroads delivering customers (in spite of swarms of green flies and mosquitoes that sometimes drove horses crazy - not to mention people.) To serve customers cheaply, labor costs had to be kept low, and poor southern blacks who had suffered as slaves and were then abused after Reconstruction was destroyed politically, migrated to Atlantic City to fill the jobs. Whites wanted nothing to do with them socially and soon the city was segregated into white and black ghettos. "[The] irony of it all was cruel to Blacks. They earned a respectable wage, could vote, and own property. They performed the most personal of services and were entrusted with important responsibilities, but they were barred from restaurants, amusement piers, and booths; were denied shopping privileges by most stores; were admitted to hotels only as workers; were segregated in clinics and hospitals; and could only bathe in one section of the beach, but even then had to wait until after dark."
Louis Kuehnle, otherwise known as the “Commodore,” was soon running the town, but in a wise, if corrupt, manner. He focused on infrastructure, building water and transportation systems that functioned well, and paving the streets. “Commodore understood that Atlantic City’s business owners would gladly sacrifice honest government for a profitable summer and he gave them what they wanted. Kuehnle protected the rackets from prosecution and worked with the tourist industry to ensure its success. In exchange, the community let him call the shots.”
Unfortunately, following the election of Woodrow Wilson, the Presbyterian antithesis to anything fun and later president, to the NJ governorship cramped things. “Wilson was a crusader who saw things in black and white. Impersonal in his relations, he attracted supporters in much the same way people latch on to an abstract principle.” His attorney general went after election fraud and that resulted in Kuehnle’s imprisonment, opening the way for “Nucky” Johnson who was far more corrupt and even more controlling. Johnson got himself appointed City Treasurer, a non-elective office, which he held for decades and which held the key to all graft. The 18th amendment played right into the hands of Nucky and all during Prohibition booze flowed freely and openly as Atlantic City became a huge transit port for liquor.
Johnson had a gift for understanding people, their desires, and needs. He managed to control the city to such an extent that virtually everyone owed their jobs to him. “Crucial to his power and the control of the Republican organization, he learned how to manipulate Atlantic City’s Black population. He continued the Commodore’s private welfare system, but the assistance he gave Johnson went beyond what Kuehnle had done for blacks; come the winter he was their savior. Long stretches of unemployment in the off-season could be devastating. Johnson saw to it that the Northside had food, clothing, coal, and medical care. “If your kid needed a winter coat, all you had to do was ask—maybe it wouldn’t fit but it was warm. If the grocer cut off your credit, the ward leader told you where to shop on the party’s tab. The same was true if someone needed a doctor or a prescription filled.” Corruption as good government.
March 18, 2018
Mane knyga kiek nuvylė. Ėmiau skaityti tik dėl perżiūrėto Boardwalk Empire serialo, bet apie tuos laikus knygoje tik nedidelė dalis. Pačiai knygai tikrai toli iki gero istorinio veikalo, tiesiog paprastai ir gan blankiai papasakota, kas vyko metai iš metų. Lyg mokyklos istorijos vadovėlyje - gimė tas, padarė aną, tada atèjos tas, nugalėjo ir darė va tą ir t.t... Daug kur norètųsi plačiau apie pagrindinius żmones ir kur kas mažiau apie antraeilius. O dabar pavardžių priminėta śimtai, bet kokia iš to nauda.
November 2, 2012
I enjoyed the first 3/4 of this book quite a bit. As an island and a city dedicated to "sin" and vice, it's one of the most interesting places to study how the political boss system worked. Obviously, every city had political bosses in that era, but other cities managed to have other industries and usually two political bosses, but not AC, so it was really fascinating to see how deep and widespread the corruption could really get.
The last quarter of the book really lost my interest. Since Trump's self-aggrandizing in the 90s about what a successful business man he was followed almost immediately by his bankruptcy (which is covered in the book) which left him pretty unscathed but wreaked havoc on the contractors who got screwed in the process, I've had little to no interest in him, and his idiotic birther stance this year that even Republicans have told him to knock off has made him even more noxious. So reading an entire chapter about "The Donald" was more than I could stomach. Then the last chapter details the author's recommendations for Atlantic City, which was a truly poor way to conclude the book.
But, all in all, 3/4 of a pretty interesting book.
The last quarter of the book really lost my interest. Since Trump's self-aggrandizing in the 90s about what a successful business man he was followed almost immediately by his bankruptcy (which is covered in the book) which left him pretty unscathed but wreaked havoc on the contractors who got screwed in the process, I've had little to no interest in him, and his idiotic birther stance this year that even Republicans have told him to knock off has made him even more noxious. So reading an entire chapter about "The Donald" was more than I could stomach. Then the last chapter details the author's recommendations for Atlantic City, which was a truly poor way to conclude the book.
But, all in all, 3/4 of a pretty interesting book.
February 1, 2011
Bound: City of Swing
SunPost Weekly September 16, 2010 | John Hood
http://bit.ly/90vmwP
Getting with the Book behind Boardwalk Empire
The 500 Club, Paradise Café, Club Harlem, Little Belmont, The Bath and Turf Club, the Cliquot Club… just saying names of these fabled swing spots evokes an era of high vice and low blows. These were gambling dens, before the era of casinos, yet run wide open. Why? Because in Prohibition era Atlantic City, what was once vice was now habit and it wouldn’t be broken for anything, let alone a little inconvenience like law.
As you’ve undoubtedly heard by now that wild time in the ol’ beachfront town is about to be brought back to life by HBO in the series Boardwalk Empire. Executive produced by Martin Scorcese (who directed the first episode) and overseen by EmmyAward-winning writer Terence Winter (of The Sopranos), Boardwalk Empire promises to be the It series of the season. And there’s not a TV viewer in all the land who isn’t duly thrilled by the prospect.
But like many a cool concept to make its way to screens big and small, Boardwalk Empire springs from somewhere else. In this case it’s Nelson Johnson’s same named book, which rings with the subtitle The Birth, High Times and Corruption of Atlantic City.
Unlike the series, Johnson’s book runs the gamut of Atlantic City’s riveting history, from the time the sandbar was nothing more than a gleam in a man named Jonathan Pitney’s riled eye, to the time when the bottom basically fell outta the sky, and hard times had once again descended upon the descendants of the “Pineys” who first made this inhospitable place home.
But the highlight of the book – and the subject of the series – is the stretch that spanned from Prohibition to The Great Depression, when everything went, and it all went under the watchful eye of one Enoch “Nucky” Johnson.
Renamed Thompson for the series (and played by great Steve Buscemi), Nucky Johnson was the kinda boss of which legends are made. A pal to both President Harding (he delivered the New Jersey delegation at the Republican Convention) and Al Capone (he arranged a mob conference in May of 1929), Nucky was known as a man who could get things done, and make everyone a lotta loot while doing so. Ever with a dame on his arm and a thug by his side, Nucky ruled with a combination of charm and hubris that over-shown and out-shadowed even The Commodore who’d bequeathed him his spot. No one stood between Nucky and his objectives, because Nucky’s objectives benefitted everyone. And virtually everyone made out like proverbial bandits.
Everyone but a certain William Randolph Hearst, that is. The story is that Nucky had hit on a chick at the Silver Slipper Saloon, a chick that just so happened to be a favorite of Hearst’s. When the womanizing newspaper magnate found out about it, he used his broadsheets to run a series of exposes detailing the crime and corruption under Nucky’s reign. Nucky countered by banning all of Hearst’s newspapers. Then Willy Boy really got mad, and he enlisted J. Edgar Hoover and his G men in a quest to get even.
It took some time (five years or so), and it took some finagling (like I said, no one wanted to speak out against their benefactor), but the Feds did finally make their case, and Nucky went down for tax evasion.
It’s a dynamite tale, about as tall as they get, and one that has no shortage of drama. Why else would Scorcese et al get involved? More though, it’s the kinda story that reveals more about ourselves and our origins than many a mere history ever could, no matter how factually written.
Medford Press originally published Boardwalk Empire back in 2002, and parent company Plexus has just dropped a TV tie-in that includes a Terence Winter forward, a new afterword by the author, and a slew of color photos that’ll put you right back into the time. While you’re though you’d be wise to get your mitts on J. Louis Yamplowsky’s A Boardwalk Story, a novel set in the waning days of The Great Depression. Unlike Empire, this Story is centered around “a reclusive mystic, and a charismatic pitchman and mathematical savant,” rather than the gangsters and machine bosses that concern HBO. Taken in tandem however, they represent a once-upon-a-time that was, simply, unlike any other ever.
See you on the Boardwalk, baby!
SunPost Weekly September 16, 2010 | John Hood
http://bit.ly/90vmwP
Getting with the Book behind Boardwalk Empire
The 500 Club, Paradise Café, Club Harlem, Little Belmont, The Bath and Turf Club, the Cliquot Club… just saying names of these fabled swing spots evokes an era of high vice and low blows. These were gambling dens, before the era of casinos, yet run wide open. Why? Because in Prohibition era Atlantic City, what was once vice was now habit and it wouldn’t be broken for anything, let alone a little inconvenience like law.
As you’ve undoubtedly heard by now that wild time in the ol’ beachfront town is about to be brought back to life by HBO in the series Boardwalk Empire. Executive produced by Martin Scorcese (who directed the first episode) and overseen by EmmyAward-winning writer Terence Winter (of The Sopranos), Boardwalk Empire promises to be the It series of the season. And there’s not a TV viewer in all the land who isn’t duly thrilled by the prospect.
But like many a cool concept to make its way to screens big and small, Boardwalk Empire springs from somewhere else. In this case it’s Nelson Johnson’s same named book, which rings with the subtitle The Birth, High Times and Corruption of Atlantic City.
Unlike the series, Johnson’s book runs the gamut of Atlantic City’s riveting history, from the time the sandbar was nothing more than a gleam in a man named Jonathan Pitney’s riled eye, to the time when the bottom basically fell outta the sky, and hard times had once again descended upon the descendants of the “Pineys” who first made this inhospitable place home.
But the highlight of the book – and the subject of the series – is the stretch that spanned from Prohibition to The Great Depression, when everything went, and it all went under the watchful eye of one Enoch “Nucky” Johnson.
Renamed Thompson for the series (and played by great Steve Buscemi), Nucky Johnson was the kinda boss of which legends are made. A pal to both President Harding (he delivered the New Jersey delegation at the Republican Convention) and Al Capone (he arranged a mob conference in May of 1929), Nucky was known as a man who could get things done, and make everyone a lotta loot while doing so. Ever with a dame on his arm and a thug by his side, Nucky ruled with a combination of charm and hubris that over-shown and out-shadowed even The Commodore who’d bequeathed him his spot. No one stood between Nucky and his objectives, because Nucky’s objectives benefitted everyone. And virtually everyone made out like proverbial bandits.
Everyone but a certain William Randolph Hearst, that is. The story is that Nucky had hit on a chick at the Silver Slipper Saloon, a chick that just so happened to be a favorite of Hearst’s. When the womanizing newspaper magnate found out about it, he used his broadsheets to run a series of exposes detailing the crime and corruption under Nucky’s reign. Nucky countered by banning all of Hearst’s newspapers. Then Willy Boy really got mad, and he enlisted J. Edgar Hoover and his G men in a quest to get even.
It took some time (five years or so), and it took some finagling (like I said, no one wanted to speak out against their benefactor), but the Feds did finally make their case, and Nucky went down for tax evasion.
It’s a dynamite tale, about as tall as they get, and one that has no shortage of drama. Why else would Scorcese et al get involved? More though, it’s the kinda story that reveals more about ourselves and our origins than many a mere history ever could, no matter how factually written.
Medford Press originally published Boardwalk Empire back in 2002, and parent company Plexus has just dropped a TV tie-in that includes a Terence Winter forward, a new afterword by the author, and a slew of color photos that’ll put you right back into the time. While you’re though you’d be wise to get your mitts on J. Louis Yamplowsky’s A Boardwalk Story, a novel set in the waning days of The Great Depression. Unlike Empire, this Story is centered around “a reclusive mystic, and a charismatic pitchman and mathematical savant,” rather than the gangsters and machine bosses that concern HBO. Taken in tandem however, they represent a once-upon-a-time that was, simply, unlike any other ever.
See you on the Boardwalk, baby!
April 5, 2011
Boardwalk Empire is an interesting, and enjoyable, if rather uneven, read. Victims of this, most recent, recession economy will undoubtedly be interested to know that Atlantic City’s initial development and success was brought on, not by the nation’s wealthiest vacations, but rather, by blue collar workers and wage earners, eager for a weekend getaway they could afford. The resort’s unique and complicated relationship with minority workers during that time, also makes for rather fascinating reading.
Of course, the book’s heart really lies in its description of Atlantic City’s heyday, during the 1920’s, a.k.a. the “reign of Nucky Johnson.” It is definitely no accident that THIS is the portion of the book Terrence Winter chose to develop into an HBO series. Fans of the series will undoubtedly recognize some of their favorite colorful characters from the show, in their historic doppelgangers. The Nucky chapter of the book is chock full of interesting anecdotes, in-depth character analyses, and shocking connections between organized crime and political and economic success on the Boardwalk.
I suspect an entire book could have been written about this portion of Atlantic City’s history alone. For this reader, in fact, a narrative focus limited to the 20’s would have been preferable, to this slightly over ambitious “complete” historical overview. I can’t help but wonder how many more interesting stories were discarded, so that the author could “finish” his historical analysis of the City.
Things took a turn for the dull, toward the center of the book, which chronicled Atlantic City’s admittedly mundane history between the 1950’s and the 1970’s. The author’s faithful recapturing of each and every important political figure who “reigned” supreme in Atlantic City during that time, became extremely tedious. Eventually, the various commissioners, gamers, crooks, and politicians identities all seemed to merge, and become indistinguishable from one another. As a result of this reader’s lack of identification with these characters, their individual stories began to seem uninteresting and unremarkable.
Toward the middle of the book, the author also seemed to develop this odd narrative technique of introducing a random character into the story, and then never mentioning him or her again. I found that a bit distracting.
Fortunately, the book picked up steam in its final sections. The Donald Trump segment of the story, in particular, was fascinating, and extremely well written. This chapter too, I think, could have easily been developed into its own book.
In conclusion, I think this was a case of a talented writer, who did a spectacular amount of research, and then, simply bit off more than he could chew in its retelling. I would probably recommend that readers focus on the early portions of the book, and the Trump chapter, and skim the rest.
Of course, the book’s heart really lies in its description of Atlantic City’s heyday, during the 1920’s, a.k.a. the “reign of Nucky Johnson.” It is definitely no accident that THIS is the portion of the book Terrence Winter chose to develop into an HBO series. Fans of the series will undoubtedly recognize some of their favorite colorful characters from the show, in their historic doppelgangers. The Nucky chapter of the book is chock full of interesting anecdotes, in-depth character analyses, and shocking connections between organized crime and political and economic success on the Boardwalk.
I suspect an entire book could have been written about this portion of Atlantic City’s history alone. For this reader, in fact, a narrative focus limited to the 20’s would have been preferable, to this slightly over ambitious “complete” historical overview. I can’t help but wonder how many more interesting stories were discarded, so that the author could “finish” his historical analysis of the City.
Things took a turn for the dull, toward the center of the book, which chronicled Atlantic City’s admittedly mundane history between the 1950’s and the 1970’s. The author’s faithful recapturing of each and every important political figure who “reigned” supreme in Atlantic City during that time, became extremely tedious. Eventually, the various commissioners, gamers, crooks, and politicians identities all seemed to merge, and become indistinguishable from one another. As a result of this reader’s lack of identification with these characters, their individual stories began to seem uninteresting and unremarkable.
Toward the middle of the book, the author also seemed to develop this odd narrative technique of introducing a random character into the story, and then never mentioning him or her again. I found that a bit distracting.
Fortunately, the book picked up steam in its final sections. The Donald Trump segment of the story, in particular, was fascinating, and extremely well written. This chapter too, I think, could have easily been developed into its own book.
In conclusion, I think this was a case of a talented writer, who did a spectacular amount of research, and then, simply bit off more than he could chew in its retelling. I would probably recommend that readers focus on the early portions of the book, and the Trump chapter, and skim the rest.
December 14, 2015
Atlantic City has quite a history, from the rocky beginnings to its colourful characters like Louis “Commodore” Kuehnle and Enoch “Nucky” Johnson. Boardwalk Empire by Nelson Johnson (subtitle: The Birth, High Times, and Corruption of Atlantic City) tells the history of this US city. While this book inspired the current HBO series of the same name, this is not a reason to read this. The HBO show tells the story of a fictional character based on Nucky Johnson (called Nucky Thompson in the show). If you were to base a show on this non-fiction book it would turn out more like House of Cards.
There was a big chapter of Boardwalk Empire devoted to Nucky Johnson, who was an interesting guy. If you know the plot of the HBO series you might be aware of the type of character Nucky was, despite being only loosely based on him. His rise to power came thanks to the Volstead Act, but he wasn’t just a mob boss, he was a political powerhouse. Corruption never seemed so complex and scary; using the Republican Party to control the city all the while using extortion to fund the party. This technique helped control Atlantic City, keeping it corrupt well into the modern era.
While the history of Atlantic City is fascinating, it is sad to see just how big of an impact organised crime had on a growing city. I have an interest in the Volstead Act and how prohibition helped organised crime get a foothold in America. Boardwalk Empire shed some interesting insights into the cultural impact it had on a large scale.
I have started a new phase in my reading life where I’ve become very interested in non-fiction. While Boardwalk Empire wasn’t the greatest book, there was a lot to learn about politics and organised crime. This period of time interests me and I plan to read a whole lot more reading on the Volstead Act and organised crime, so I need recommendations. If you know good non-fiction books on these topics let me know.
This review originally appeared on my blog; http://literary-exploration.com/2014/...
There was a big chapter of Boardwalk Empire devoted to Nucky Johnson, who was an interesting guy. If you know the plot of the HBO series you might be aware of the type of character Nucky was, despite being only loosely based on him. His rise to power came thanks to the Volstead Act, but he wasn’t just a mob boss, he was a political powerhouse. Corruption never seemed so complex and scary; using the Republican Party to control the city all the while using extortion to fund the party. This technique helped control Atlantic City, keeping it corrupt well into the modern era.
While the history of Atlantic City is fascinating, it is sad to see just how big of an impact organised crime had on a growing city. I have an interest in the Volstead Act and how prohibition helped organised crime get a foothold in America. Boardwalk Empire shed some interesting insights into the cultural impact it had on a large scale.
I have started a new phase in my reading life where I’ve become very interested in non-fiction. While Boardwalk Empire wasn’t the greatest book, there was a lot to learn about politics and organised crime. This period of time interests me and I plan to read a whole lot more reading on the Volstead Act and organised crime, so I need recommendations. If you know good non-fiction books on these topics let me know.
This review originally appeared on my blog; http://literary-exploration.com/2014/...
October 1, 2010
If you are planning to read this book for supplemental background for the HBO show, don't bother. This book is more of a concise history of the city than a focus piece on Nucky and the players of that time. Only roughly 3 chapters cover the Nucky era and there's no depth at all. A few quotes here and a 3 sentence Al Capone story there. The only depth is spent on descriptions of attempted indictments and trials. It really doesn't do much to expound on the players of the time or specifics of the criminal aspects. If you want a broad history of Atlantic City and its politics, then you might like this.
September 14, 2012
I'm sure that readers of in-depth, detailed political history will find this book fascinating from cover to cover. Because I am not quite the "in-depth political history scholar", I didn't find the entire book so much fascinating as I found it to be long-winded.
That said, there were in-depth parts of the book I did like. These were the parts that focused more on the characters I was familiar with as a fan of the HBO series "Boardwalk Empire".
It was interesting to find out how Atlantic City started as an empty stretch of fly-ridden sand and became the backdrop for an empire.
I enjoyed reading about Louis "The Commodore" Kuehnle and how he set the stage for inspiring future politicians and power brokers.
I enjoyed reading about "Nucky" Johnson, the basis for the Boardwalk Empire character of Nucky Thompson. The author does a great job detailing how Johnson came to power and how he simultaneously exploited and helped fellow politicians, gangsters, shop owners, the poor, and pretty much anyone else in his path. The fact that Johnson held power so completely and in a steel grip did not diminish the respect, admiration, and loyalty that throngs of people had for him - no small feat.
I also enjoyed reading about Johnson's successor, "Hap" Farley and how Farley came to power. I suppose I started to feel bogged down sometime after that and found myself first skimming text, then skipping ahead several chapters altogether.
I would encourage fans of Boardwalk Empire to give this book a try, as it does have a lot to offer. Just be warned that you may find your eyes glazing over after a while.
That said, there were in-depth parts of the book I did like. These were the parts that focused more on the characters I was familiar with as a fan of the HBO series "Boardwalk Empire".
It was interesting to find out how Atlantic City started as an empty stretch of fly-ridden sand and became the backdrop for an empire.
I enjoyed reading about Louis "The Commodore" Kuehnle and how he set the stage for inspiring future politicians and power brokers.
I enjoyed reading about "Nucky" Johnson, the basis for the Boardwalk Empire character of Nucky Thompson. The author does a great job detailing how Johnson came to power and how he simultaneously exploited and helped fellow politicians, gangsters, shop owners, the poor, and pretty much anyone else in his path. The fact that Johnson held power so completely and in a steel grip did not diminish the respect, admiration, and loyalty that throngs of people had for him - no small feat.
I also enjoyed reading about Johnson's successor, "Hap" Farley and how Farley came to power. I suppose I started to feel bogged down sometime after that and found myself first skimming text, then skipping ahead several chapters altogether.
I would encourage fans of Boardwalk Empire to give this book a try, as it does have a lot to offer. Just be warned that you may find your eyes glazing over after a while.
December 11, 2011
What a great history of the glitzy, trashy and corrupt city by the sea. The author traces the rise, fall, and rise again of Atlantic City, concentrating on three of the city "bosses" and how they shaped the success and failures that plagued and continue to plague the town. His style is entertaining and his research is very complete. I was fascinated by the machinations of the men who ruled Atlantic City with an iron hand and how it finally came back to haunt them. Highly recommended.
August 9, 2017
The first half of this book is great. The history of Atlantic city from its start through prohibition is fascinating and well told. After that the book gets bogged down in repetitive statements and reads more like a timeline of bullet points. Even in this section there are still some things worth reading. The authors analysis of the reasons for Atlantic City's decline and prospects for the future seem to be well researched and on point. Over all, it is worth reading.
October 16, 2022
Dull. Once in a while there were some interesting historical facts but can’t recommend this book.
July 14, 2023
Definitely more interesting having lived in the area! Probably wouldn’t have held as much appeal if I hadn’t lived in Absecon and stopped at Farley plaza and driven down Pitney :)
February 4, 2019
So. Let's talk about this book. Because my book club picked this book because the show is based on it and, well, let's just say there are only about two chapters of this book that the show is based on. So if you're going into this because you want to learn more about the background of the show, uh, you're not really going to find it. Yes, you will get some good information. But the show fills in a lot of blanks since this is basically just a basic overview of the history of Atlantic City.
You will, however, learn a lot about the history of Atlantic City in this book and that is super interesting. I live nowhere near Atlantic City and have never been there (even though I do want to go, someday) so my knowledge of it comes entirely from television. So this book is definitely helpful for people like me who either think of it as the roaring 20's city, as displayed in Boardwalk Empire, or the Vegas of the East, as it is now commonly known or as can be seen in episodes of shows like How I Met Your Mother. Bridging the gap between those two, as this book does, was honestly fascinating.
Unfortunately, though, my entire problem with this book is that that history is written in basically the driest manner possible. I fell asleep several times while reading this book, even though I was fascinated by the information it was presenting. And I originally read 30 pages of this book back in June of 2016 and didn't actually have the inspiration to get back to finishing it until now. (And even then it's only because I'm trying to catch up with my book club/clean off my currently reading shelf.) So. It's not actually a book that inspires you to finish it unless you Really, Really Have a Hankering to Learn a Lot About Atlantic City! But for people like me who were just interested in the show it, uh, wasn't exactly what I was looking for.
So none of this is to say it's a really bad book. It's just I wish the information had been presented a little bit differently. For people like me. Who apparently get bored very easily.
But, anyway, I'm so glad to finally be done with this book and I am glad I know more about Atlantic City. I do hope to visit it someday and this book will definitely help with seeing how its changed. Atlantic City really does have a fascinating history and from someone who grew up in a town centered around tourism, it's always fascinating to see how others have fared. So. If you are curious about the history of Atlantic City, I do recommend this one. But if you're just interested in learning more about the background of the show, um, this isn't it and I would probably look elsewhere.
You will, however, learn a lot about the history of Atlantic City in this book and that is super interesting. I live nowhere near Atlantic City and have never been there (even though I do want to go, someday) so my knowledge of it comes entirely from television. So this book is definitely helpful for people like me who either think of it as the roaring 20's city, as displayed in Boardwalk Empire, or the Vegas of the East, as it is now commonly known or as can be seen in episodes of shows like How I Met Your Mother. Bridging the gap between those two, as this book does, was honestly fascinating.
Unfortunately, though, my entire problem with this book is that that history is written in basically the driest manner possible. I fell asleep several times while reading this book, even though I was fascinated by the information it was presenting. And I originally read 30 pages of this book back in June of 2016 and didn't actually have the inspiration to get back to finishing it until now. (And even then it's only because I'm trying to catch up with my book club/clean off my currently reading shelf.) So. It's not actually a book that inspires you to finish it unless you Really, Really Have a Hankering to Learn a Lot About Atlantic City! But for people like me who were just interested in the show it, uh, wasn't exactly what I was looking for.
So none of this is to say it's a really bad book. It's just I wish the information had been presented a little bit differently. For people like me. Who apparently get bored very easily.
But, anyway, I'm so glad to finally be done with this book and I am glad I know more about Atlantic City. I do hope to visit it someday and this book will definitely help with seeing how its changed. Atlantic City really does have a fascinating history and from someone who grew up in a town centered around tourism, it's always fascinating to see how others have fared. So. If you are curious about the history of Atlantic City, I do recommend this one. But if you're just interested in learning more about the background of the show, um, this isn't it and I would probably look elsewhere.
January 26, 2023
"Don't you believe in a higher power?"---Mrs. Nucky Thompson
"The Federal government comes to mind". "Nucky" Thompson, BOARDWALK EMPIRE
"This place really was something when Nucky Johnson ran it".---Burt Lancaster speaking to Susan Sarandon in ATLANTIC CITY by Louis Malle
If you came here to examine the life and fast times of Enoch "Nucky" Johnson, re-dubbed Nucky Thompson for the hit television show BOARDWALK EMPIRE, you will find a delectable chapter on his high crimes and misdemeanors, from embezzlement to partaking of underage girls. This outstanding book, written by, of all people a New Jersey state judge, aims higher than that. BOARDWALK EMPIRE is a cruise through a jungle of corruption and sleaze in Atlantic City from its humble beginnings as a penny arcade town (Thornton Wilder's classic play THE SKIN OF OUR TEETH is set there), the "Arabscam" scandal of 1979, depicted in AMERICAN HUSTLE, which sent the mayor of Atlantic City to federal prison, to the gangland wars of the 1980s that saw members of the Philadelphia mob kill each other, boss by boss, over control of gambling profits. To paraphrase Baudrillard on Disneyland, Atlantic City is not a microcosm of America; America is a macrocosm of Atlantic City. You can also read this book for an instruction manual on how to squeeze a town dry of money. (Since I'm writing this from Miami, any similarities are not coincidental.) First, make sure it is a one political party town. Which party does not matter. The Republicans monopolized Atlantic City until they were swept away by the Roosevelt landslides of 1932, 1936, 1940, and 1944. (Nucky was finally put away by that "higher power" just after FDR won his third term.) What's important is gaining control over the party machine, from judge to sheriff to especially the treasury. Second, make sure you have an ethnic minority that has been left out of the American dream, and cut them in for a share of illegal operations. Atlantic City had the Irish, Italians and a small Black minority that always voted Republican. Last, and most important, make something that everybody wants illegal so they will want it even more, as in booze during Prohibition and gambling in A.C. until the late Seventies, and only you can provide it. There you have it, folks. The supreme recipe. Perhaps it will work out in your town.
"The Federal government comes to mind". "Nucky" Thompson, BOARDWALK EMPIRE
"This place really was something when Nucky Johnson ran it".---Burt Lancaster speaking to Susan Sarandon in ATLANTIC CITY by Louis Malle
If you came here to examine the life and fast times of Enoch "Nucky" Johnson, re-dubbed Nucky Thompson for the hit television show BOARDWALK EMPIRE, you will find a delectable chapter on his high crimes and misdemeanors, from embezzlement to partaking of underage girls. This outstanding book, written by, of all people a New Jersey state judge, aims higher than that. BOARDWALK EMPIRE is a cruise through a jungle of corruption and sleaze in Atlantic City from its humble beginnings as a penny arcade town (Thornton Wilder's classic play THE SKIN OF OUR TEETH is set there), the "Arabscam" scandal of 1979, depicted in AMERICAN HUSTLE, which sent the mayor of Atlantic City to federal prison, to the gangland wars of the 1980s that saw members of the Philadelphia mob kill each other, boss by boss, over control of gambling profits. To paraphrase Baudrillard on Disneyland, Atlantic City is not a microcosm of America; America is a macrocosm of Atlantic City. You can also read this book for an instruction manual on how to squeeze a town dry of money. (Since I'm writing this from Miami, any similarities are not coincidental.) First, make sure it is a one political party town. Which party does not matter. The Republicans monopolized Atlantic City until they were swept away by the Roosevelt landslides of 1932, 1936, 1940, and 1944. (Nucky was finally put away by that "higher power" just after FDR won his third term.) What's important is gaining control over the party machine, from judge to sheriff to especially the treasury. Second, make sure you have an ethnic minority that has been left out of the American dream, and cut them in for a share of illegal operations. Atlantic City had the Irish, Italians and a small Black minority that always voted Republican. Last, and most important, make something that everybody wants illegal so they will want it even more, as in booze during Prohibition and gambling in A.C. until the late Seventies, and only you can provide it. There you have it, folks. The supreme recipe. Perhaps it will work out in your town.
November 23, 2024
A gem of a book. I watched and enjoyed the HBO drama inspired by this book, but if ever there is a case of truth being stranger than fiction, this is it. What is essentially a conventional chronographic history of Atlantic City from its founding in the 19th Century to its struggles in the early 21st century, is brought to light by the colourful cast of characters.
April 26, 2021
really accessible and informative, got a little dry towards the end
August 28, 2024
As someone who grew up here this was fascinating.
Also highly recommend the audio, narrated by Joe Mantegna (aka Rossi from Criminal Minds)
Also highly recommend the audio, narrated by Joe Mantegna (aka Rossi from Criminal Minds)
December 31, 2024
3/4 książki było naprawdę ciekawe i wciągające, 2 ostatnie rozdziały raczej nie potrzebne
February 18, 2025
It's very slow, and very repetitive.
October 23, 2017
Fascinating story.
July 31, 2012
If you are looking for a book to mirror the HBO series, continue to look. I must admit, it was what I was looking for. I wanted more insight on Enoch "Nucky" Johnson AKA Nucky Thompson. Although it was not that, I was pleasantly surprised.
Very interesting book about the rise, fall and rise again of Atlantic City, New Jersey or formally known as the Island of Absegami. Although it does spend a considerable time on Enoch "Nucky" Johnson and his predecessor, Louis “Commodore” Kuehnle, it delved into the lives of their lieutenants and their henchmen who subsequently rose to and fell from power. It sheds light on the cronyism and corruption of the olden days.
Not surprisingly, the book makes the Republican Party out to be the racists by using statement like this "The switch in loyalties came in part as Blacks recognized the racist tactics of the Republican machine." - Chapter 8. The previous quote being in the 60's. So what the author is saying is that the racial tension, lynching, Jim Crowe, Black codes etc created and perpetrated by the Democratic Party theretofore were benign; yet the Republicans caused the black loyalty to falter because they marked ballot cards? Ironically, Nucky earned the black vote in his tenure because of the pre-new deal help he gave black families.
The book is more about the political cronyism than that of the traditional "mob" stories. It does move back and forth in time although it is understandable due to the nature of the book. Some of the "no-names" during Nucky's rein, went on to be a force to be reckoned with and the author needed to re-trace their steps.
All-in-all the book is good. If you can put aside the partisan bashing you should be OK. To the author's defence, AC was definitely run by Republicans. The book's author is Nelson Johnson (No relation to Enoch Johnson), a former New Jersey Judge.
Very interesting book about the rise, fall and rise again of Atlantic City, New Jersey or formally known as the Island of Absegami. Although it does spend a considerable time on Enoch "Nucky" Johnson and his predecessor, Louis “Commodore” Kuehnle, it delved into the lives of their lieutenants and their henchmen who subsequently rose to and fell from power. It sheds light on the cronyism and corruption of the olden days.
Not surprisingly, the book makes the Republican Party out to be the racists by using statement like this "The switch in loyalties came in part as Blacks recognized the racist tactics of the Republican machine." - Chapter 8. The previous quote being in the 60's. So what the author is saying is that the racial tension, lynching, Jim Crowe, Black codes etc created and perpetrated by the Democratic Party theretofore were benign; yet the Republicans caused the black loyalty to falter because they marked ballot cards? Ironically, Nucky earned the black vote in his tenure because of the pre-new deal help he gave black families.
The book is more about the political cronyism than that of the traditional "mob" stories. It does move back and forth in time although it is understandable due to the nature of the book. Some of the "no-names" during Nucky's rein, went on to be a force to be reckoned with and the author needed to re-trace their steps.
All-in-all the book is good. If you can put aside the partisan bashing you should be OK. To the author's defence, AC was definitely run by Republicans. The book's author is Nelson Johnson (No relation to Enoch Johnson), a former New Jersey Judge.
December 23, 2010
Admittedly, I picked this book up because of the tv show, since I was curious to find out just how much of it was based on actual fact. After reading it, I can say that the producers have generally stuck to the spirit, if not the letter, of the historical record, and although they've taken a fair bit of dramatic license with the material, it's not because Atlantic City's history lacks drama. From its early days, when it was planned as an upper-crust health resort (something that went by the boards pretty quickly after speculators realized they could make more money catering to the desires -- legal and otherwise -- of day-tripping blue-collar workers from Philadelphia and New York) to its boom years (roughly from the Gilded Age until the Second World War) as America's Vice Capital to its near death during the 60s to its recent resurgence since the legalization of gambling there in the late 70s, it's not a place that has ever lacked for colorful characters, certainly not as Nelson Johnson, who, as a New Jersey superior court judge, is well acquainted with the town's seamier side, tells it (special bonus: Johnson really, really, REALLY doesn't think much of Donald Trump), and while the show's decision to concentrate on the years of Nucky Johnson's (fictionalized as Nucky Thompson in the series) reign as Atlantic City's political and criminal boss in the Roaring 20s makes for some great drama, this book proves that there are plenty more stories here to tell.
December 14, 2012
If you're a fan of the HBO series based on this book, as I am, you may or may not be surprised to find that this is a serious history, and a good one.
The book covers the entire history of the city. Early chapters run from its founding (when horses were bitten to death by stinging flies that bred in the undrained tide pools), through the establishment of the railroads, the early tourist industry, and the predominantly Black working class that made it run, and the rise of the Republican/mafia machine of which Nucky and the Commodore were a part.
I expected the later chapters to be less interesting, but in fact the chapters covering events from the 70s on were the most vivid, maybe because the author and his sources were there to see them. Those chapters cover dissolution of the political machine machine and the city's slide into squalor, the 70s fight to save what was left of the city's economy by legalizing gambling, the surprising lengths that New Jersey went to to keep the Mob from returning, and the rise of the casinos and their owners (Trump in particular) with their subsequent struggles in the credit crunch.
The book covers the entire history of the city. Early chapters run from its founding (when horses were bitten to death by stinging flies that bred in the undrained tide pools), through the establishment of the railroads, the early tourist industry, and the predominantly Black working class that made it run, and the rise of the Republican/mafia machine of which Nucky and the Commodore were a part.
I expected the later chapters to be less interesting, but in fact the chapters covering events from the 70s on were the most vivid, maybe because the author and his sources were there to see them. Those chapters cover dissolution of the political machine machine and the city's slide into squalor, the 70s fight to save what was left of the city's economy by legalizing gambling, the surprising lengths that New Jersey went to to keep the Mob from returning, and the rise of the casinos and their owners (Trump in particular) with their subsequent struggles in the credit crunch.
August 20, 2010
Eh...
For a political history of Atlantic City from profit-making idea to implementation, eventual death and rebirth, Boardwalk empire was enjoyable enough; but aside from the well researched ward politics trickery and machinations the book sort of misses as a gangster book AND as a political history.
Good survey of the history of Atlantic City, but could have been two better separate texts that both dealt more rigorously with gangsterism/gambling and another the codependent political/social infrastructure which allowed and encouraged Atlantic City to flourish.
HBO's mini-series of this book is supposedly following the 'Nucky' Johnson era which seems the most glitzy and cinematic; but precedes the more "Wire"-esque Hap Farley NJ political ward wagering which actually might have made a less glamorous but more interesting HBO drama like West Wing and the Wire put together...but I'll still be watching HBO do Nucky!
For a political history of Atlantic City from profit-making idea to implementation, eventual death and rebirth, Boardwalk empire was enjoyable enough; but aside from the well researched ward politics trickery and machinations the book sort of misses as a gangster book AND as a political history.
Good survey of the history of Atlantic City, but could have been two better separate texts that both dealt more rigorously with gangsterism/gambling and another the codependent political/social infrastructure which allowed and encouraged Atlantic City to flourish.
HBO's mini-series of this book is supposedly following the 'Nucky' Johnson era which seems the most glitzy and cinematic; but precedes the more "Wire"-esque Hap Farley NJ political ward wagering which actually might have made a less glamorous but more interesting HBO drama like West Wing and the Wire put together...but I'll still be watching HBO do Nucky!
November 23, 2011
I've started going to Atlantic City when I was about 5 from New York with my parents, so I saw the city thru the early 60's and into the late. We would pass hotels and clubs and they would tell me who they saw perform, enjoyed the diving horse on the Steel Pier and swam in the ocean. By the time I was a teen they felt it was not a safe place to go anymore, so I messed the building of the casinos but do remember reading all about it. I am still an east Coaster and I finally had a chance to visit the Borgata with friends (they do Vegas 2 or 3 times a year) a year or so ago and while we had a great time, there was a sad lack in AC. So much potential just wasted! Boardwalk Empire tells me why this happened. I love the HBO series and while they have the same name and some of the same characters the book is so much more!
December 2, 2010
The cheesy cover on my edition does a disservice to this interesting history of Atlantic City from its beginnings as an idea in the mind of an overworked and underpaid doctor in 19th century New Jersey. It is about more than corruption and organized crime--Johnson shows us how the City got its start from the building of rail tracks and its sordid fall from the boom in car ownership and the ending of prohibition. Along the way he relates the changing race relations in the city and the early segregation of the essential African American workers into a area "on the other side of the track." Finally, he shows how a group of determined citizens were able to get legalized gambling into the city while keeping organized crime out.
March 26, 2012
I really wanted to like this book, but I eventually had to abandon it. I knew going in that it wasn't a novelization of the hit HBO show. I didn't mind; in fact, I welcomed it as I like non-fiction and wanted to learn more about the history of Atlantic City. But the book is so dry... I had a really hard time getting interested in it.
August 15, 2010
After seeing the trailers for the upcoming HBO show I had to read the book, and I’m glad I did. Its a really good look at the history of Atlantic City for over 150 years. The TV series I think is just going to cover a small sliver in time while the book covers everything from construction to around where we are now.
Its told in a documentary/history style, and not so much as a novel. There was a TON of things that I didn’t know, and I’m glad I now do. I highly recommend checking it out and I can’t wait to see the series.
Its told in a documentary/history style, and not so much as a novel. There was a TON of things that I didn’t know, and I’m glad I now do. I highly recommend checking it out and I can’t wait to see the series.
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