About:
Action Park: Fast Times, Wild Rides, and the Untold Story of America’s Most Dangerous Amusement Park by Andy Mulvihill and Jake Rossen is a memoir of Mr. Mulvihill who is the son of the park’s creator and owner.
- 352 pages
- Publisher : Penguin Books
- Language : English
- ISBN-10 : 0143134515
My rating for Action Park – 5
Buy Action Park from Amazon.com*
More Books by Andy Mulvihill*
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Thoughts:
This book caught my eye since I grew up in the New Jersey area, and Action Park was always in the background. I haven’t been there many times, but I remember all news it generated.
Action Park by Andy Mulvihill and Jake Rossen is a fascinating and interesting read. Gene Mulvihill, the park’s owner, and the author’s father was a businessman who believed in bending the rules to the point where they start to crack – which makes for a hilarious read. Even though I knew how dangerous Action Park was, and all the laws and regulations it was skirting, I couldn’t help but cheer for Gene many times.
Andy Mulvihill gives the reader an insider look into the workings of the park. He grew up working in it, running some of the attractions, and managing the “lands”. With great humor and wit, he describes the most dangerous aspects of the park, especially concerning/amusing/charming/entertaining are his descriptions of the water rides and pools. Frankly, the fact that they didn’t have a daily death count of drownings is either a miracle or a testament to the lifeguards.
You choose!
Action Park would never be able to operate today. Gene Mulvihill believed that the owner is responsible to operate the park, but it’s up to the patrons to figure out if it’s safe for them to ride. There were no helmets, or protection. A wrong move would scrape your skin off, break teeth, or worse.
And patrons loved it. They loved the freedom and the actual, not perceived danger.
As entertaining as this book it, it’s also a cautionary tale. People cannot be trusted, insurance and regulations exist for a reason (mostly)
Buy Action Park from Amazon.com*
More Books by Andy Mulvihill*
More Books by Jake Rossen*
Zohar — Man of la Book
Disclaimer: I bought this book
*Amazon links point to an affiliate account, the money is usually spent on books
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