Author: Fern Michaels
Publisher: Kensington Books
ISBN: 1420137832
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 558
Book Description
What happens in Vegas stays in the family. Two dynasties merge in this trilogy debut from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Texas series. When Sallie Coleman abandons Texas to follow her dreams in Las Vegas, she never imagines she’ll win so soon—and so big. But a stroke of luck makes her the richest, most powerful businesswoman in Nevada, and in no time at all her transformation is complete—when she marries Philip Thornton and becomes Vegas’s most elegant first lady. Like her future mother-in-law before her, Pennsylvania beauty Fanny Logan makes her fortune in Vegas, building one of the city’s most successful clothing empires. Her wedding to Ash Thornton, the visionary behind the magnificent Babylon casino, is like a happy ending to their fairytale lives. But Ash’s greatest triumph may be his ultimate downfall . . . “[A] sweeping family saga reminiscent of her Texas series.” —Booklist “Through it all, Sallie remains a matriarch to be reckoned with, but her twin grandsons, Sage and Birch, appear to be the future of Vegas . . . for better or worse . . . if history doesn’t lie, Michaels won’t disappoint her fans.” —Kirkus Reviews “Her characters are well constructed.” —Publishers Weekly
Vegas Rich
Author: Fern Michaels
Publisher: Kensington Books
ISBN: 1420137832
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 558
Book Description
What happens in Vegas stays in the family. Two dynasties merge in this trilogy debut from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Texas series. When Sallie Coleman abandons Texas to follow her dreams in Las Vegas, she never imagines she’ll win so soon—and so big. But a stroke of luck makes her the richest, most powerful businesswoman in Nevada, and in no time at all her transformation is complete—when she marries Philip Thornton and becomes Vegas’s most elegant first lady. Like her future mother-in-law before her, Pennsylvania beauty Fanny Logan makes her fortune in Vegas, building one of the city’s most successful clothing empires. Her wedding to Ash Thornton, the visionary behind the magnificent Babylon casino, is like a happy ending to their fairytale lives. But Ash’s greatest triumph may be his ultimate downfall . . . “[A] sweeping family saga reminiscent of her Texas series.” —Booklist “Through it all, Sallie remains a matriarch to be reckoned with, but her twin grandsons, Sage and Birch, appear to be the future of Vegas . . . for better or worse . . . if history doesn’t lie, Michaels won’t disappoint her fans.” —Kirkus Reviews “Her characters are well constructed.” —Publishers Weekly
Publisher: Kensington Books
ISBN: 1420137832
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 558
Book Description
What happens in Vegas stays in the family. Two dynasties merge in this trilogy debut from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Texas series. When Sallie Coleman abandons Texas to follow her dreams in Las Vegas, she never imagines she’ll win so soon—and so big. But a stroke of luck makes her the richest, most powerful businesswoman in Nevada, and in no time at all her transformation is complete—when she marries Philip Thornton and becomes Vegas’s most elegant first lady. Like her future mother-in-law before her, Pennsylvania beauty Fanny Logan makes her fortune in Vegas, building one of the city’s most successful clothing empires. Her wedding to Ash Thornton, the visionary behind the magnificent Babylon casino, is like a happy ending to their fairytale lives. But Ash’s greatest triumph may be his ultimate downfall . . . “[A] sweeping family saga reminiscent of her Texas series.” —Booklist “Through it all, Sallie remains a matriarch to be reckoned with, but her twin grandsons, Sage and Birch, appear to be the future of Vegas . . . for better or worse . . . if history doesn’t lie, Michaels won’t disappoint her fans.” —Kirkus Reviews “Her characters are well constructed.” —Publishers Weekly
Vegas Sunrise
Author: Fern Michaels
Publisher: Kensington Books
ISBN: 1420137859
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 489
Book Description
“A jam-packed finale” in the trilogy that follows the powerful legacy of the Thornton family from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Vegas Heat (Kirkus Reviews). Fanny Thornton Reed, proud matriarch of the Thornton dynasty, chooses her first husband’s illegitimate son Jeff to run Babylon, her family’s successful Las Vegas casino. For Jeff, this is a chance of a lifetime. For Fanny, it is a decision she will come to regret as it turns her children against each other. For the rightful Thornton heirs, it is their worst nightmare come true. Will jealousy and betrayal tear them apart once and for all—or will perseverance and love salvage the Thornton dream? Praise for Vegas Trilogy “[A] sweeping family saga reminiscent of her Texas series.” —Booklist “A fascinating family saga.” —Romantic Times “If history doesn’t lie, Michaels won’t disappoint her fans.” —Kirkus Reviews “Her characters are well constructed.” —Publishers Weekly
Publisher: Kensington Books
ISBN: 1420137859
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 489
Book Description
“A jam-packed finale” in the trilogy that follows the powerful legacy of the Thornton family from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Vegas Heat (Kirkus Reviews). Fanny Thornton Reed, proud matriarch of the Thornton dynasty, chooses her first husband’s illegitimate son Jeff to run Babylon, her family’s successful Las Vegas casino. For Jeff, this is a chance of a lifetime. For Fanny, it is a decision she will come to regret as it turns her children against each other. For the rightful Thornton heirs, it is their worst nightmare come true. Will jealousy and betrayal tear them apart once and for all—or will perseverance and love salvage the Thornton dream? Praise for Vegas Trilogy “[A] sweeping family saga reminiscent of her Texas series.” —Booklist “A fascinating family saga.” —Romantic Times “If history doesn’t lie, Michaels won’t disappoint her fans.” —Kirkus Reviews “Her characters are well constructed.” —Publishers Weekly
Vegas Heat
Author: Fern Michaels
Publisher: Kensington Books
ISBN: 1420137840
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 420
Book Description
“A fascinating family saga” continues as the Thornton dynasty’s fortunes rise and fall—from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Vegas Rich (Romantic Times). Vegas Heat is the story of the Thornton empire . . . of Fanny Thornton, who takes over Babylon, the family’s magnificent Las Vegas casino, when her ex-husband Ash falls desperately ill . . . of Fanny’s twin sons, Sage and Birch, one content in his conventional life, while the other’s search for happiness leads to tragedy—and renewed hope . . . of Fanny’s daughter Sunny, betrayed by her husband, fighting a battle no woman should ever have to face . . . of her daughter Billie, whose devotion to the Thorntons’ children’s clothing empire has kept her from finding love. It is also the story of Fanny’s relationship with enigmatic businessman Marcus Reed—and the poignant, powerful quest for acceptance that drives the members of these two unforgettable families . . . Praise for Vegas Rich “[A] sweeping family saga reminiscent of her Texas series.” —Booklist “If history doesn’t lie, Michaels won’t disappoint her fans.” —Kirkus Reviews “Her characters are well constructed.” —Publishers Weekly
Publisher: Kensington Books
ISBN: 1420137840
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 420
Book Description
“A fascinating family saga” continues as the Thornton dynasty’s fortunes rise and fall—from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Vegas Rich (Romantic Times). Vegas Heat is the story of the Thornton empire . . . of Fanny Thornton, who takes over Babylon, the family’s magnificent Las Vegas casino, when her ex-husband Ash falls desperately ill . . . of Fanny’s twin sons, Sage and Birch, one content in his conventional life, while the other’s search for happiness leads to tragedy—and renewed hope . . . of Fanny’s daughter Sunny, betrayed by her husband, fighting a battle no woman should ever have to face . . . of her daughter Billie, whose devotion to the Thorntons’ children’s clothing empire has kept her from finding love. It is also the story of Fanny’s relationship with enigmatic businessman Marcus Reed—and the poignant, powerful quest for acceptance that drives the members of these two unforgettable families . . . Praise for Vegas Rich “[A] sweeping family saga reminiscent of her Texas series.” —Booklist “If history doesn’t lie, Michaels won’t disappoint her fans.” —Kirkus Reviews “Her characters are well constructed.” —Publishers Weekly
Two Billionaires in Vegas
Author: Nicole Casey
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781702059152
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 178
Book Description
"This is your last chance to back out. You sure you're ready?" "Yes, I'm ready." "Then it's time for your first scene." Erin I let out a sigh when I see Greer smiling so happily in her wedding dress. Everyone seems to be getting their happily ever after, except me. At least, that's what I thought. Until I meet them. Two sexy, domineering, utterly irresistible alpha males. Ex-Marines. Best friends. Intimidating and powerful. Jackson and Caleb. The owners of the dungeon. One sets my body on fire. Charming, rugged, and rock-hard. The other makes me tremble. Dominant, intense, and damaged. When the elevator doors close, I know there's no coming back. They tell me something that makes me weak in the knees - they want to share me. Pleasure me. Together. Buckle up, let's head downstairs now and see what these two beasts will do to me... Reader's review: "The way it unfolds like a wet dream come to life is torching every nerve fiber of my being, making me warm moist and intoxicated from one eye popping ravenous page to the next. This story was definitely smoking hot with an intriguing storyline that kept me thirsty, excited and on edge." Nicole's Note: Happy Halloween! Two Billionaires in Vegas is an exciting and thrilling romance in my new Reverse Harem Romance series - Love by Numbers. It's the first book in the series, but it can be read as a standalone. I've also included a preview of the next book in the series for you. Happy reading!
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781702059152
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 178
Book Description
"This is your last chance to back out. You sure you're ready?" "Yes, I'm ready." "Then it's time for your first scene." Erin I let out a sigh when I see Greer smiling so happily in her wedding dress. Everyone seems to be getting their happily ever after, except me. At least, that's what I thought. Until I meet them. Two sexy, domineering, utterly irresistible alpha males. Ex-Marines. Best friends. Intimidating and powerful. Jackson and Caleb. The owners of the dungeon. One sets my body on fire. Charming, rugged, and rock-hard. The other makes me tremble. Dominant, intense, and damaged. When the elevator doors close, I know there's no coming back. They tell me something that makes me weak in the knees - they want to share me. Pleasure me. Together. Buckle up, let's head downstairs now and see what these two beasts will do to me... Reader's review: "The way it unfolds like a wet dream come to life is torching every nerve fiber of my being, making me warm moist and intoxicated from one eye popping ravenous page to the next. This story was definitely smoking hot with an intriguing storyline that kept me thirsty, excited and on edge." Nicole's Note: Happy Halloween! Two Billionaires in Vegas is an exciting and thrilling romance in my new Reverse Harem Romance series - Love by Numbers. It's the first book in the series, but it can be read as a standalone. I've also included a preview of the next book in the series for you. Happy reading!
Elvis in Vegas
Author: Richard Zoglin
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
ISBN: 1501151207
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 304
Book Description
“Outstanding pop-culture history.” —Newsday The “smart and zippy account” (The Wall Street Journal) of how Las Vegas saved Elvis and Elvis saved Las Vegas in the greatest musical comeback of all time. Elvis’s 1969 opening night in Vegas was his first time back on a live stage in more than eight years. His career had gone sour—bad movies, mediocre pop songs that no longer made the charts—and he’d been dismissed by most critics as over-the-hill. But in Vegas he played the biggest showroom in the biggest hotel in the city, drawing more people for his four-week engagement than any other show in Vegas history. His performance got rave reviews; “Suspicious Minds,” the song he introduced there, gave him his first number-one hit in seven years; and Elvis became Vegas’s biggest star. Over the next seven years, he performed more than 600 shows there, and sold out every one. Las Vegas was changed, too. By the end of the ‘60s, Vegas’ golden age—when the Rat Pack led a glittering array of stars who made it the nation’s premier live-entertainment center—was losing its luster. Elvis created a new kind of Vegas show: an over-the-top, rock-concert extravaganza. He set a new bar for Vegas performers, with the biggest salary, the biggest musical production, and the biggest promotion campaign the city had ever seen. He opened the door to a new generation of pop/rock artists and brought a new audience to Vegas—not the traditional well-heeled older gamblers, but a mass audience from Middle America that Vegas depends on for its success to this day. At once “a fascinating history of Vegas as gambling capital, celebrity playground, mob hangout, [and] entertainment Valhalla” (Rolling Stone) and the incredible “tale of how the King got his groove back” (Associated Press), Elvis in Vegas is a classic feel-good story for the ages.
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
ISBN: 1501151207
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 304
Book Description
“Outstanding pop-culture history.” —Newsday The “smart and zippy account” (The Wall Street Journal) of how Las Vegas saved Elvis and Elvis saved Las Vegas in the greatest musical comeback of all time. Elvis’s 1969 opening night in Vegas was his first time back on a live stage in more than eight years. His career had gone sour—bad movies, mediocre pop songs that no longer made the charts—and he’d been dismissed by most critics as over-the-hill. But in Vegas he played the biggest showroom in the biggest hotel in the city, drawing more people for his four-week engagement than any other show in Vegas history. His performance got rave reviews; “Suspicious Minds,” the song he introduced there, gave him his first number-one hit in seven years; and Elvis became Vegas’s biggest star. Over the next seven years, he performed more than 600 shows there, and sold out every one. Las Vegas was changed, too. By the end of the ‘60s, Vegas’ golden age—when the Rat Pack led a glittering array of stars who made it the nation’s premier live-entertainment center—was losing its luster. Elvis created a new kind of Vegas show: an over-the-top, rock-concert extravaganza. He set a new bar for Vegas performers, with the biggest salary, the biggest musical production, and the biggest promotion campaign the city had ever seen. He opened the door to a new generation of pop/rock artists and brought a new audience to Vegas—not the traditional well-heeled older gamblers, but a mass audience from Middle America that Vegas depends on for its success to this day. At once “a fascinating history of Vegas as gambling capital, celebrity playground, mob hangout, [and] entertainment Valhalla” (Rolling Stone) and the incredible “tale of how the King got his groove back” (Associated Press), Elvis in Vegas is a classic feel-good story for the ages.
Empty Mansions
Author: Bill Dedman
Publisher: Ballantine Books
ISBN: 0345534522
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 498
Book Description
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY Janet Maslin, The New York Times • St. Louis Post-Dispatch When Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Bill Dedman noticed in 2009 a grand home for sale, unoccupied for nearly sixty years, he stumbled through a surprising portal into American history. Empty Mansions is a rich mystery of wealth and loss, connecting the Gilded Age opulence of the nineteenth century with a twenty-first-century battle over a $300 million inheritance. At its heart is a reclusive heiress named Huguette Clark, a woman so secretive that, at the time of her death at age 104, no new photograph of her had been seen in decades. Though she owned palatial homes in California, New York, and Connecticut, why had she lived for twenty years in a simple hospital room, despite being in excellent health? Why were her valuables being sold off? Was she in control of her fortune, or controlled by those managing her money? Dedman has collaborated with Huguette Clark’s cousin, Paul Clark Newell, Jr., one of the few relatives to have frequent conversations with her. Dedman and Newell tell a fairy tale in reverse: the bright, talented daughter, born into a family of extreme wealth and privilege, who secrets herself away from the outside world. Huguette was the daughter of self-made copper industrialist W. A. Clark, nearly as rich as Rockefeller in his day, a controversial senator, railroad builder, and founder of Las Vegas. She grew up in the largest house in New York City, a remarkable dwelling with 121 rooms for a family of four. She owned paintings by Degas and Renoir, a world-renowned Stradivarius violin, a vast collection of antique dolls. But wanting more than treasures, she devoted her wealth to buying gifts for friends and strangers alike, to quietly pursuing her own work as an artist, and to guarding the privacy she valued above all else. The Clark family story spans nearly all of American history in three generations, from a log cabin in Pennsylvania to mining camps in the Montana gold rush, from backdoor politics in Washington to a distress call from an elegant Fifth Avenue apartment. The same Huguette who was touched by the terror attacks of 9/11 held a ticket nine decades earlier for a first-class stateroom on the second voyage of the Titanic. Empty Mansions reveals a complex portrait of the mysterious Huguette and her intimate circle. We meet her extravagant father, her publicity-shy mother, her star-crossed sister, her French boyfriend, her nurse who received more than $30 million in gifts, and the relatives fighting to inherit Huguette’s copper fortune. Richly illustrated with more than seventy photographs, Empty Mansions is an enthralling story of an eccentric of the highest order, a last jewel of the Gilded Age who lived life on her own terms. Praise for Empty Mansions “An amazing story of profligate wealth . . . an outsized tale of rags-to-riches prosperity.”—The New York Times “An evocative and rollicking read, part social history, part hothouse mystery, part grand guignol.”—The Daily Beast “Fascinating . . . [a] haunting true-life tale.”—People “One of those incredible stories that you didn’t even know existed. It filled a void.”—Jon Stewart, The Daily Show “Thrilling . . . deliciously scandalous.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Publisher: Ballantine Books
ISBN: 0345534522
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 498
Book Description
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY Janet Maslin, The New York Times • St. Louis Post-Dispatch When Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Bill Dedman noticed in 2009 a grand home for sale, unoccupied for nearly sixty years, he stumbled through a surprising portal into American history. Empty Mansions is a rich mystery of wealth and loss, connecting the Gilded Age opulence of the nineteenth century with a twenty-first-century battle over a $300 million inheritance. At its heart is a reclusive heiress named Huguette Clark, a woman so secretive that, at the time of her death at age 104, no new photograph of her had been seen in decades. Though she owned palatial homes in California, New York, and Connecticut, why had she lived for twenty years in a simple hospital room, despite being in excellent health? Why were her valuables being sold off? Was she in control of her fortune, or controlled by those managing her money? Dedman has collaborated with Huguette Clark’s cousin, Paul Clark Newell, Jr., one of the few relatives to have frequent conversations with her. Dedman and Newell tell a fairy tale in reverse: the bright, talented daughter, born into a family of extreme wealth and privilege, who secrets herself away from the outside world. Huguette was the daughter of self-made copper industrialist W. A. Clark, nearly as rich as Rockefeller in his day, a controversial senator, railroad builder, and founder of Las Vegas. She grew up in the largest house in New York City, a remarkable dwelling with 121 rooms for a family of four. She owned paintings by Degas and Renoir, a world-renowned Stradivarius violin, a vast collection of antique dolls. But wanting more than treasures, she devoted her wealth to buying gifts for friends and strangers alike, to quietly pursuing her own work as an artist, and to guarding the privacy she valued above all else. The Clark family story spans nearly all of American history in three generations, from a log cabin in Pennsylvania to mining camps in the Montana gold rush, from backdoor politics in Washington to a distress call from an elegant Fifth Avenue apartment. The same Huguette who was touched by the terror attacks of 9/11 held a ticket nine decades earlier for a first-class stateroom on the second voyage of the Titanic. Empty Mansions reveals a complex portrait of the mysterious Huguette and her intimate circle. We meet her extravagant father, her publicity-shy mother, her star-crossed sister, her French boyfriend, her nurse who received more than $30 million in gifts, and the relatives fighting to inherit Huguette’s copper fortune. Richly illustrated with more than seventy photographs, Empty Mansions is an enthralling story of an eccentric of the highest order, a last jewel of the Gilded Age who lived life on her own terms. Praise for Empty Mansions “An amazing story of profligate wealth . . . an outsized tale of rags-to-riches prosperity.”—The New York Times “An evocative and rollicking read, part social history, part hothouse mystery, part grand guignol.”—The Daily Beast “Fascinating . . . [a] haunting true-life tale.”—People “One of those incredible stories that you didn’t even know existed. It filled a void.”—Jon Stewart, The Daily Show “Thrilling . . . deliciously scandalous.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
The Strip
Author: Stefan Al
Publisher: MIT Press
ISBN: 026203574X
Category : Architecture
Languages : en
Pages : 267
Book Description
The transformations of the Strip—from the fake Wild West to neon signs twenty stories high to “starchitecture”—and how they mirror America itself. The Las Vegas Strip has impersonated the Wild West, with saloon doors and wagon wheels; it has decked itself out in midcentury modern sleekness. It has illuminated itself with twenty-story-high neon signs, then junked them. After that came Disney-like theme parks featuring castles and pirates, followed by replicas of Venetian canals, New York skyscrapers, and the Eiffel Tower. (It might be noted that forty-two million people visited Las Vegas in 2015—ten million more than visited the real Paris.) More recently, the Strip decided to get classy, with casinos designed by famous architects and zillion-dollar collections of art. Las Vegas became the “implosion capital of the world” as developers, driven by competition, got rid of the old to make way for the new—offering a non-metaphorical definition of “creative destruction.” In The Strip, Stefan Al examines the many transformations of the Las Vegas Strip, arguing that they mirror transformations in America itself. The Strip is not, as popularly supposed, a display of architectural freaks but representative of architectural trends and a record of social, cultural, and economic change. Al tells two parallel stories. He describes the feverish competition of Las Vegas developers to build the snazziest, most tourist-grabbing casinos and resorts—with a cast of characters including the mobster Bugsy Siegel, the eccentric billionaire Howard Hughes, and the would-be political kingmaker Sheldon Adelson. And he views the Strip in a larger social context, showing that it has not only reflected trends but also magnified them and sometimes even initiated them. Generously illustrated with stunning color images throughout, The Strip traces the many metamorphoses of a city that offers a vivid projection of the American dream.
Publisher: MIT Press
ISBN: 026203574X
Category : Architecture
Languages : en
Pages : 267
Book Description
The transformations of the Strip—from the fake Wild West to neon signs twenty stories high to “starchitecture”—and how they mirror America itself. The Las Vegas Strip has impersonated the Wild West, with saloon doors and wagon wheels; it has decked itself out in midcentury modern sleekness. It has illuminated itself with twenty-story-high neon signs, then junked them. After that came Disney-like theme parks featuring castles and pirates, followed by replicas of Venetian canals, New York skyscrapers, and the Eiffel Tower. (It might be noted that forty-two million people visited Las Vegas in 2015—ten million more than visited the real Paris.) More recently, the Strip decided to get classy, with casinos designed by famous architects and zillion-dollar collections of art. Las Vegas became the “implosion capital of the world” as developers, driven by competition, got rid of the old to make way for the new—offering a non-metaphorical definition of “creative destruction.” In The Strip, Stefan Al examines the many transformations of the Las Vegas Strip, arguing that they mirror transformations in America itself. The Strip is not, as popularly supposed, a display of architectural freaks but representative of architectural trends and a record of social, cultural, and economic change. Al tells two parallel stories. He describes the feverish competition of Las Vegas developers to build the snazziest, most tourist-grabbing casinos and resorts—with a cast of characters including the mobster Bugsy Siegel, the eccentric billionaire Howard Hughes, and the would-be political kingmaker Sheldon Adelson. And he views the Strip in a larger social context, showing that it has not only reflected trends but also magnified them and sometimes even initiated them. Generously illustrated with stunning color images throughout, The Strip traces the many metamorphoses of a city that offers a vivid projection of the American dream.
The Smart Money
Author: Michael Konik
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 0743281721
Category : Games & Activities
Languages : en
Pages : 346
Book Description
A riveting inside look at the lucrative world of professional high-stakes sports betting by a journalist who lived a secret life as a key operative in the world's most successful sports gambling ring. When journalist Michael Konik landed an interview with Rick "Big Daddy" Matthews, the largest bet he'd placed on a sporting event was $200. Konik, an expert blackjack and poker player, was no stranger to Vegas. But Matthews was in a different league: the man was rumored to be the world's smartest sports bettor, the mastermind behind "the Brain Trust," a shadowy group of gamblers known for their expertise in beating the Vegas line. Konik had heard the word on the street -- that Matthews was a snake, a conniver who would do anything to gain an edge. But he was also brilliant, cunning, and charming. And when he asked Konik if he'd like to "make a little money" during the football season, the writer found himself seduced . . . So began Michael Konik's wild ride as an operative of the elite Brain Trust. In The Smart Money, Konik takes readers behind the veil of secrecy shrouding the most successful sports betting operation in America, bypassing the myths and the rumors, going all the way to its innermost sanctum. He reveals how they -- and he -- got rich by beating the Vegas lines and, ultimately, the multimillion-dollar offshore betting circuit. He details the excesses and the betrayals, the horse-trading and the paranoia, that are the perks and perils of a lifestyle in which staking inordinate sums of money on the outcome of a single event -- sometimes as much as $1 million on a football game -- is a normal part of doing business.
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 0743281721
Category : Games & Activities
Languages : en
Pages : 346
Book Description
A riveting inside look at the lucrative world of professional high-stakes sports betting by a journalist who lived a secret life as a key operative in the world's most successful sports gambling ring. When journalist Michael Konik landed an interview with Rick "Big Daddy" Matthews, the largest bet he'd placed on a sporting event was $200. Konik, an expert blackjack and poker player, was no stranger to Vegas. But Matthews was in a different league: the man was rumored to be the world's smartest sports bettor, the mastermind behind "the Brain Trust," a shadowy group of gamblers known for their expertise in beating the Vegas line. Konik had heard the word on the street -- that Matthews was a snake, a conniver who would do anything to gain an edge. But he was also brilliant, cunning, and charming. And when he asked Konik if he'd like to "make a little money" during the football season, the writer found himself seduced . . . So began Michael Konik's wild ride as an operative of the elite Brain Trust. In The Smart Money, Konik takes readers behind the veil of secrecy shrouding the most successful sports betting operation in America, bypassing the myths and the rumors, going all the way to its innermost sanctum. He reveals how they -- and he -- got rich by beating the Vegas lines and, ultimately, the multimillion-dollar offshore betting circuit. He details the excesses and the betrayals, the horse-trading and the paranoia, that are the perks and perils of a lifestyle in which staking inordinate sums of money on the outcome of a single event -- sometimes as much as $1 million on a football game -- is a normal part of doing business.
Las Vegas
Author: Robert Macy
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780964909663
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 94
Book Description
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780964909663
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 94
Book Description
Texas Rich
Author: Fern Michaels
Publisher: Ballantine Books
ISBN: 9780345449597
Category : Austin (Tex.)
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
With more than sixty million copies of her books sold worldwide, "New York Times bestselling author Fern Michaels writes big, bold, provocative stories of love and heartbreak, drama and desire that are impossible to put down. Standing out amongst her most treasured works is the breathtaking Texas series. Now for the first time in a new hardcover edition comes "Texas Rich, the extraordinary novel that introduces the unforgettable Coleman family- and the brilliant heroine who began a powerful American dynasty. Young and pretty Billie Ames naively fell for the exciting pilot Moss Coleman at the Philadelphia Navy Yard during World War II. Within a few months she was pregnant, married, and traveling across the country to Austin . . . to the 250,000-acre spread known as Sunbridge and into the tantalizing world of the Texas rich. In a vast land dominated by the industrious Colemans, Billie fights to maintain control of herself and her marriage. This is the captivating story of four generations. There's Moss, living in the shadow of a father whose obsession with power overshadows the needs of his only son; Jessica, the doomed mother who gave up everything to become the perfect Coleman wife; Moss and Billie's children, struggling against the family's legacy while desperately trying to live up to insurmountable expectations; and the grandchildren, heirs to a tarnished empire who just might fulfill their dreams. Most of all this is the triumphant story of Billie Ames Coleman, a woman of courage and strength who holds them all together even as her own life falls apart. In the hands of consummate storyteller Fern Michaels, "Texas Rich sweeps across the twentieth century with seductiveintensity and fiery passion in a tale as magnificent as the land that inspired it.
Publisher: Ballantine Books
ISBN: 9780345449597
Category : Austin (Tex.)
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
With more than sixty million copies of her books sold worldwide, "New York Times bestselling author Fern Michaels writes big, bold, provocative stories of love and heartbreak, drama and desire that are impossible to put down. Standing out amongst her most treasured works is the breathtaking Texas series. Now for the first time in a new hardcover edition comes "Texas Rich, the extraordinary novel that introduces the unforgettable Coleman family- and the brilliant heroine who began a powerful American dynasty. Young and pretty Billie Ames naively fell for the exciting pilot Moss Coleman at the Philadelphia Navy Yard during World War II. Within a few months she was pregnant, married, and traveling across the country to Austin . . . to the 250,000-acre spread known as Sunbridge and into the tantalizing world of the Texas rich. In a vast land dominated by the industrious Colemans, Billie fights to maintain control of herself and her marriage. This is the captivating story of four generations. There's Moss, living in the shadow of a father whose obsession with power overshadows the needs of his only son; Jessica, the doomed mother who gave up everything to become the perfect Coleman wife; Moss and Billie's children, struggling against the family's legacy while desperately trying to live up to insurmountable expectations; and the grandchildren, heirs to a tarnished empire who just might fulfill their dreams. Most of all this is the triumphant story of Billie Ames Coleman, a woman of courage and strength who holds them all together even as her own life falls apart. In the hands of consummate storyteller Fern Michaels, "Texas Rich sweeps across the twentieth century with seductiveintensity and fiery passion in a tale as magnificent as the land that inspired it.