Reading Las Vegas

Résumé du livre

A cultural reading of Las Vegas from its origins in the early 1900s to the present day, this book examines everything from its seedy underbelly to its family-friendly amusement park quality. With its uniquely kitsch appeal, Las Vegas makes for a perfect case study of American's postmodern use of space and representation. Drawing on film and literature, the author examines how the city is represented versus its reality. McGowan focuses on the 'virtual tourism' aspect whereby visitors are encouraged to move between Paris, New York, ancient Egypt and Venice, all within the space of a few casinos. The book will differentiate itself from its competition by its thorough cultural and geographic examination of Vegas from 1905, as well as looking ahead to its future in the twenty-first century.