Boardwalk Empire a New York Times Best Seller

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Rob Colding (609) 654-6500, ext. 330 [email protected] Boardwalk Empire a New York Times Best Seller October 15, 2010, Medford, NJ—Boardwalk Empire: The Birth, High Times, and Corruption of Atlantic City is debuting on the New York Times paperback nonfiction best seller list on October 17. Written by first-time author Nelson Johnson and published by a small, independent New Jersey regional press, Boardwalk Empire was tapped by Martin Scorsese and Terence Winter as the inspiration for their hit HBO TV series of the same name. After printing fewer than 5,000 copies of Boardwalk Empire in 2002 and selling just 10,000 copies through 2009, Plexus Publishing, Inc. has been challenged to keep up with demand in the wake of the series’ record-setting popularity. The publisher printed an additional 85,000 copies in September alone. “We are certainly very proud to have our first New York Times best seller,” said Plexus President and CEO Thomas H. Hogan, “and it is even more rewarding for us to reach that milestone with this particular title. Nelson Johnson’s account of the crime and corruption that shaped the history of Atlantic City is a project we’ve believed in from the beginning.” Plexus was first approached about the film rights to Boardwalk Empire in 2006. “When we were told that Mark Wahlberg and Stephen Levinson were interested in producing a primetime series for HBO based on our book, we were excited, but only cautiously optimistic,” Hogan said. “Hundreds of books are optioned every year, but relatively few make it to the screen, let alone become major success stories.” The series premiered on HBO on September 19 and was watched by an estimated 7.1 million viewers that evening. According to the publisher, the tie-in edition of Boardwalk Empire that is currently on the New York Times list includes a foreword by series executive producer, writer, and creator Terence Winter; more than 35 photos of the cast and set; and a new afterword by author Nelson Johnson. The book is nationally distributed to the book trade by Independent Publishers Group (IPG)..

Copy Link

Recommended publications

Franklin Roosevelt, Frank Hague, and the Presidential Election of 1936 in New Jersey
NJS: An Interdisciplinary Journal Winter 2016 120 “A Common Interest” Franklin Roosevelt, Frank Hague, and the Presidential Election of 1936 in New Jersey By Si Sheppard DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.14713/njs.v2i1.30 The Great Depression and the New Deal forged a mutually beneficial alliance between President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Mayor Frank Hague of Jersey City. Each needed the other. Hague benefited from the federal funds he was allocated by the New Deal relief agencies. Channeling this government assistance through his political machine in Jersey City enabled him to consolidate his control over Hudson County and ultimately become the dominant figure of the Democratic Party in New Jersey. In return, Hague pledged to secure New Jersey for Roosevelt in his reelection campaign. Ironically, Hague got the better of this arrangement. Roosevelt’s personal popularity would have ensured his reelection in 1936 regardless of Hague’s level of commitment. But by entrenching Hague’s authority, as the New Deal tide ebbed over the ensuing years, and elections in New Jersey became more competitive, the President became ever more dependent on the capacity of the Mayor to deliver the votes he needed. This necessitated a policy of willful indifference towards Hague’s increasingly autocratic and corrupt maladministration. New Jersey today is a loyal “Blue” state, having delivered its electoral votes to the Democratic Party’s candidate for President in every election for a generation. That was not always the case, however; when Franklin D. Roosevelt ran for reelection in 1936, New Jersey was considered a key “swing” state.
[Show full text]
Plexus Publishing and Author Nelson Johnson Are Recipients of Two Coveted Book Awards Recognizing the Best in Independent Publishing
NEWS RELEASE Plexus Publishing, Inc. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Rob Colding (609) 654-6500, ext. 330 [email protected] Plexus Publishing and Author Nelson Johnson Are Recipients of Two Coveted Book Awards Recognizing the Best in Independent Publishing Boardwalk Empire and its Sequel, The Northside, Take Gold in the 2011 Independent Publisher [IPPY] Book Awards Competition May 16, 2011, Medford, NJ—Plexus Publishing, Inc., a small New Jersey regional publisher, and author Nelson Johnson have been named double gold winners in the Independent Publisher [IPPY] Book Awards. The publisher/author team won for both the 2010 tie-in edition of the New York Times bestseller that inspired HBO’s blockbuster series and for The Northside: African Americans and the Creation of Atlantic City. Boardwalk Empire won gold in the “Mid-Atlantic, Best Regional Non-Fiction” category while The Northside took national gold in the “Multicultural Non-Fiction Adult” category. “Winning gold medals for two books in different categories is very rare for any one author/publisher team,” said Jim Barnes, IPPY Awards Director. “The nomination process for the IPPYs is very rigorous—Plexus Publishing and Nelson Johnson impressed two sets of judges—they should be very proud of this wonderful achievement.” John B. Bryans, editor-in-chief and publisher of the Book Publishing Division at Plexus, said, “We are thrilled to receive gold honors for these two great books by Nelson Johnson, and nothing could make me happier than the win for The Northside. It’s a remarkable story of triumph over adversity and the national gold IPPY is sure to help bring it the wide readership it deserves.
[Show full text]
Boardwalk Empire: the Romantic Side of Crime and Capitalism
Boardwalk Empire: The Romantic Side of Crime and Capitalism ASHLEY M. DONNELLY Boardwalk Empire, HBO’s series about Atlantic City during Prohibition, was adapted by Emmy Award-winning screenwriter and producer Terence Winter from Nelson Johnson’s Boardwalk Empire: The Birth, High Times, and Corruption of Atlantic City. The series is a beautifully scripted piece of historical fiction, beginning in 1919 on the boardwalk of Atlantic City on the eve of Prohibition. The protagonist, Enoch “Nucky” Thompson, is based loosely on the real-life Atlantic City politician Enoch L. Johnson. Nucky is Atlantic City’s treasurer, master schemer, and effective ruler of the city. The onset of Prohibition offers a new black market in the United States, and the ruling politicians and law enforcement agents of Atlantic City are eager for a piece of the pie, cheering as Nucky declares he will keep the city “wet as a mermaid’s twat,” despite the federal mandate. Nucky offers a unique vision of an American gangster with the aid of actor Steve Buscemi’s skill at performing this complex character. Nucky also helps bring Atlantic City alive, allowing it to shine as the centerpiece of the show, a show that encourages its audience to cheer for a crooked anti-hero and all of the antics of those that produce a narrative perpetuating an idea that corruption is an inevitable part of U.S. culture and that the black market and flesh trade are somehow linked with escapism and harmless civil disobedience. The Gangster From the rise of the mafia to the biker gangs of California, certain attributes have become associated with the archetype of “gangster:” he swaggers, he is physically dominant, he is quick to anger, his emotions are on the surface, and confrontation is not something he avoids, but often seeks.
[Show full text]
Read Book Boardwalk Empire: the Birth, High Times and The
BOARDWALK EMPIRE: THE BIRTH, HIGH TIMES AND THE CORRUPTION OF ATLANTIC CITY PDF, EPUB, EBOOK Nelson Johnson | 320 pages | 03 Nov 2011 | Ebury Publishing | 9780091941253 | English | London, United Kingdom Boardwalk Empire: The Birth, High Times and the Corruption of Atlantic City PDF Book Nov 01, Barbara VA rated it really liked it Shelves: movies , non-fiction , read , history , state-new-jersey , states. Fortunately, the book picked up steam in its final sections. Impersonal in his relations, he attracted supporters in much the same way people latch on to an abstract principle. If they could get away with it one day a week, why not seven? About Nelson Johnson. 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. See you on the Boardwalk, baby! Some of the meanest streets of America in terms of poverty can be found just blocks from the casinos. For the next 10 to 15 years, the problem with the mosquitoes and greenhead flies was dealt with by pouring coal oil on the water of the ponds and wet spots that dotted the islands. I have an interest in the Volstead Act and how prohibition helped organised crime get a foothold in America. The fees were the personal income of the sheriff and he answered to no one except his political allies. An officer may fire only in pursuit of persons guilty of felony. So much is said on this HBO series about flowers……one of the script writters must love flowers.
[Show full text]
Boardwalk Empire: the Birth, High Times, and Corruption of Atlantic City by Nelson Johnson
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Corinne Liccketto [email protected] 856-489-8654 x309 The book inspiring HBO’s much-anticipated Atlantic City series... Boardwalk Empire: The Birth, High Times, and Corruption of Atlantic City By Nelson Johnson ATLANTIC CITY: A MECCA OF POLITICAL CORRUPTION AND ORGANIZED CRIME —Atlantic City historian’s book about the legendary “naughty” resort town is the inspiration behind a Martin Scorsese-produced dramatic series now in production for HBO— During the Roaring Twenties, with Prohibition under strict enforcement and the American worker dutifully laboring for the Industrial Revolution, people sought a retreat—a place where they could cut loose. And, from piles of sand, the seaside resort of Atlantic City, New Jersey, was born. Boardwalk Empire, by historian and New Jersey Superior Court Judge Nelson Johnson, documents the rise of the resort that offered “a naughty good time at an affordable price.” Adapted for HBO by Executive Producer Terence Winter (The Sopranos), the book is the inspiration for a recently announced dramatic series, with a pilot episode directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Steve Buscemi. Executive-produced by Terence Winter, Martin Scorsese, Stephen Levinson, Mark Wahlberg, and Tim Van Patten, Boardwalk Empire is currently in production for HBO. “Liquor flowed freely, almost as though Prohibition didn’t exist, prostitution was celebrated, and gambling was a way of life,” says Johnson. “Resort owners made their money by giving people what they wanted—whether it was legal or not—and visitors were their only source of income.” In Boardwalk Empire, Johnson describes the political and social forces that set Atlantic City on its unique course.
[Show full text]
Atlantic City, New Jersey Governors and Casino Gaming
Atlantic City, New Jersey Governors and Casino Gaming By Donald Linky Table of Contents The Early Years ......................................................................................................................................... 3 Exploration and Settlement .................................................................................................................... Emergence of Cape May ........................................................................................................................ Dr. Pitney, the Railroad and the New Resort ........................................................................................ Growth of the Machine: Louis “the Commodore” Kuehnle .............................................................. 7 Rise to Power .......................................................................................................................................... Election of 1910: Frank Hague, Woodrow Wilson and Imprisonment ................................................. The Boom Years: “Nucky” Johnson, the Roaring ‘20s and the Depression .......................... 9 Prohibition, Bootlegging and the Mob ................................................................................................... Election of Governor Walter Edge .......................................................................................................... Repeal and the Depression ....................................................................................................................
[Show full text]
Boardwalk Empire the Birth, High Times, and Corruption of Atlantic City 1St Edition Download Free
BOARDWALK EMPIRE THE BIRTH, HIGH TIMES, AND CORRUPTION OF ATLANTIC CITY 1ST EDITION DOWNLOAD FREE Nelson Johnson | 9780966674859 | | | | | Boardwalk Empire: The Birth, High Times, and Corruption of Atlantic City As good, if not better, than the television series Independent The book is full of compelling anecdotes and characters First imagined as a high-end spa resort town, Atlantic City instead became a blue-collar getaway Boardwalk Empire The Birth Philadelphians; a gleaming Prohibition-era haunt for vices, it became a downtrodden fly-by as Americans chose Florida and the Caribbean over "ordinary" New Jersey; and a gambling mecca that has never matched Las Vegas, and seemingly fallen short of its promise to fundamentally lift the entire city. The people of the city are getting the government they want. If you want a broad history of Atlantic City and its politics, then you might like this. After reading it, Boardwalk Empire The Birth 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. There is something colossal about its vulgarity. Enter your email to sign up. Their pastors preached about a very real heaven and hell. View all online retailers. As long as the railroad reached their properties, they cared little whether the train made it to the seacoast and even less what became of Absecon Island. Under the Commodore, the Republican Party established its own private welfare system, dispensing free food, clothing, and Boardwalk Empire The Birth and paying Boardwalk Empire The Birth bills.
[Show full text]
Stockton to Confer Honorary Doctorate on Boardwalk Empire Author Nelson Johnson
Stockton to Confer Honorary Doctorate on Boardwalk Empire Author Nelson Johnson For Immediate Release Thursday, February 17, 2011 Contact: Tim Kelly Office of Public Relations Galloway Township, NJ 08240 [email protected] (609) 652-4950 Galloway Township, NJ- The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey will confer an honorary degree, Doctor of Humane Letters, on Nelson Johnson, author of the books Boardwalk Empire and the sequel, The Northside, at its spring Commencement ceremonies. Johnson’s first book is the basis for the award-winning HBO dramatic series of the same name. The announcement was made yesterday at the meeting of the College’s Board of Trustees. “We are pleased to confer this degree on a man who has devoted many years to researching the Atlantic City region’s history and preserving it for future generations,” Stockton President Herman J. Saatkamp, Jr., said. Johnson’s family has been in Atlantic County before the founding of Atlantic City itself. A lifelong resident of Hammonton, he practiced law for 30 years and has been active in Atlantic City and Atlantic County civic matters during that time. He was an attorney for the Atlantic City Planning Board at the time of the approvals for many of the city’s casinos; Johnson was inspired to make sense of the city’s history and to write an objective account. The interviews, research and writing involved in his first book spanned nearly 20 years. The book is currently the subject of an acclaimed dramatic series produced by HBO, which recently won numerous Golden Globe Awards. The Northside: African Americans and the Creation of Atlantic City, Johnson’s follow-up book, was recently released by Plexus Publishing, Inc.
[Show full text]
2010 Nov Gomagazine.Pdf
PROMOTION: ATLANTIC CITY ATLANTIC CITY BY BRET LOVE 56 ON THE BOARDWALK A brief history of 72 CONVENTIONAL WISDOM The $268 million Atlantic City. Atlantic City Convention Center is at the center of the city’s redevelopment plan. 61 THE NEW “BOARDWALK EMPIRE” A look at Atlantic City’s incredible growth spurt. 74 HALL OF FAME At 81, Boardwalk Hall remains one of America’s hottest mid-sized venues. 65 FOODIE FRENZY Forget the buffet: Atlantic City’s gone gourmet. 76 CALENDAR OF EVENTS Annual events in Atlantic City. 68 AHHHHHH-TLANTIC CITY These spas are sure to help you turn off in a town that’s 77 ATLANTIC CITY HAS IT ALL If you’ve already “always turned on.” shopped, gambled and checked out the spas, restaurants and nightclubs, but you’re still 70 THE OTHER “CITY THAT NEVER SLEEPS” looking for something to do, don’t worry— A guide to the best of Atlantic City nightlife. Atlantic City has plenty more to offer. 54 71 HELLO, GOOD BUYS! The best places in TRAVEL INFORMATION: Atlantic City to shop ’til you drop. atlanticcitynj.com l 1-888-AC-VISIT PHOTO COURTESY OF THE ATLANTIC CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU PHOTO COURTESY OF THE ATLANTIC AAtlantictlantic CityCity AdvertorialAdvertorial pp054-077.indd054-077.indd 5454 111/11/20101/11/2010 112:422:42 PROMOTION: ATLANTIC CITY ON THE BOARDWALK A brief history of Atlantic City. THE DATE IS Sept. 16, 2010. At Caesars Hotel & Casino and the private event space One Atlantic, workers are busily milling about like bees, making preparations for one of the biggest events to hit Atlantic City in years.
[Show full text]
We've Got the Jersey Shore Covered
SEPTEMBER 2010 BEHIND THE SCENES of THE STORY BEHIND THE STORY AS TOLD BY AUTHOR NELSON JOHNSON AND EMMY AWard-winning WRITER TERENCE WINTER MOB SNAPSHOTS: A LOOK AT ATLANTIC CITY’S MOST NOTORIOUS GANGSTERS THE RETURN OF DENNIS GOMES | “THE SITUATION” IN SEASIDE HEIGHTS | TASTE OF THE QUARTER AT TROPICANA we’ve got the jersey shore covered We Can Help You Go Solar! The most convenient way to care for your home. Start a Revolution Energy Independence starts at your house. Only Nogginhaus has the know-how to help free you from the shackles of high oil bills, gas bills and electric bills. If you’d like to learn more about the exciting things Nogginhaus is doing to eliminate your utility bill, call today RUNNEMEDE and schedule a home visit. plumbing • heating • cooling • electric You’ll be on your way to making your Unexpected breakdowns can be quite a hassle. It can get even more frustrating trying to find house a Nogginhaus. a good company after “normal” business hours. At Runnemede, we understand that you have more important things to do. That’s why we make scheduling easy for you with service hours 7am to 10pm, Monday through Saturday. So relax, visit thebigredr.com, schedule your heating, cooling, plumbing or electric and consider it done. Serving ALL of South Jersey! Hours of Operation: Mon-Sat 7AM - 10PM 24-Hour Emergency Service Emergencies don’t take time off. Neither do we. 856-939-4299 TheBigRedR.com 39 N. Black Horse Pike • Runnemede, NJ 08078 • O: 856-939-6652 F: 856-939-4619 Licenses: Jeffrey Stanch BI 10697, Sean McErlean 12215 www.nogginhaus.com James J.
[Show full text]
2012 Issue No. 22 — Hyperaesthetic Culture Sensory Regimes in TV Marketing: Boardwalk Empire’S Chromatic Enhancement and Digital Aesthetics by Enrica Picarelli
TRANSFORMATIONS Journal of Media & Culture http://www.transformationsjournal.org/issues/22/article_0... ISSN 1444-3775 2012 Issue No. 22 — Hyperaesthetic Culture Sensory Regimes in TV Marketing: Boardwalk Empire’s Chromatic Enhancement and Digital Aesthetics By Enrica Picarelli In the last decade, television channels have often employed experimental promotional campaigns to launch new shows and make viewing more interactive. At the height of its popularity, for example, Lost (ABC 2004-10) had about forty ancillary components, being also the first show available for real-time download on iTunes and streamed full-length on mobile phones. In addition, Lost counted many textual and diegetic extensions such as candy bars and working clothes inspired by the show. Through these synergies, ABC sought to increase the visibility and quality of the audience’s relationship with Lost by extending the narrative universe into the real lives of viewers (Mittell). Following in this track, other networks have been devising ways that intensify the audience’s commitment to TV worlds. Drawing on industrial and corporate sources, this paper focuses on HBO’s marketing for Boardwalk Empire (2010-present), contending that its promotional campaign deploys a hyperaesthetic use of digital colour and commercial tie-ins as a means to bind consumers affectively and sensorially. Here, hyperasthetics stands as both an innovative strategy of digital design (Lunenfeld) and a mode of immersive marketing aimed at captivating a viewer’s senses through visual and gustatory stimulation (Howes). To this end, the paper focuses first on the chromatic treatment employed in Boardwalk Empire’s trailers, title sequence and character posters, contending that this design inspires a “haptic,” that is, intimate response in the viewer.
[Show full text]
Boardwalk Empire: the Romantic Side of Crime and Capitalism
Boardwalk Empire: The Romantic Side of Crime and Capitalism ASHLEY M. DONNELLY Boardwalk Empire, HBO’s series about Atlantic City during Prohibition, was adapted by Emmy Award-winning screenwriter and producer Terence Winter from Nelson Johnson’s Boardwalk Empire: The Birth, High Times, and Corruption of Atlantic City. The series is a beautifully scripted piece of historical fiction, beginning in 1919 on the boardwalk of Atlantic City on the eve of Prohibition. The protagonist, Enoch “Nucky” Thompson, is based loosely on the real-life Atlantic City politician Enoch L. Johnson. Nucky is Atlantic City’s treasurer, master schemer, and effective ruler of the city. The onset of Prohibition offers a new black market in the United States, and the ruling politicians and law enforcement agents of Atlantic City are eager for a piece of the pie, cheering as Nucky declares he will keep the city “wet as a mermaid’s twat,” despite the federal mandate. Nucky offers a unique vision of an American gangster with the aid of actor Steve Buscemi’s skill at performing this complex character. Nucky also helps bring Atlantic City alive, allowing it to shine as the centerpiece of the show, a show that encourages its audience to cheer for a crooked anti-hero and all of the antics of those that produce a narrative perpetuating an idea that corruption is an inevitable part of U.S. culture and that the black market and flesh trade are somehow linked with escapism and harmless civil disobedience. The Gangster From the rise of the mafia to the biker gangs of California, certain attributes have become associated with the archetype of “gangster:” he swaggers, he is physically dominant, he is quick to anger, his emotions are on the surface, and confrontation is not something he avoids, but often seeks.
[Show full text]