The First 100: Portraits of the Men and Women Who Shaped Las Vegas

by A.D. Hopkins (Editor)

Meet the explorers, builders, outlaws, gamblers, and 14-karat characters who transformed Las Vegas from a desert waterhole to the extraordinary city it is today.

A.D. Hopkins and K.J. Evans of the Las Vegas Review-Journal have compiled one hundred in-depth profiles of the remarkable men and women who ushered Las Vegas to the forefront of popular culture. This far reaching roundup of notable Southern Nevadans includes explorer John C. Fremont, pioneers O.D. Gass and Helen J. Stewart, mob boss, Bugsy Siegel, cowboy gambler Benny Binion, millionaire eccentric Howard Hughes, Rat Pack crooner Frank Sinatra, and flamboyant Liberace, as well as contemporary movers and shakers E. Parry Thomas, Kirk Kerkorian, Irwin Molasky, Jerry Tarkanian, Bob Stupak, and Steve Wynn. Illustrated with hundred of black-and-white photographs culled from the private collections of dozens individuals, the files of state and city agencies, and the vast archives of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, this classic collection of condensed biographies brings the history of Las Vegas alive in a way that no other book has before.

376 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1999

About the author

A.D. Hopkins spent 46 years as a journalist in Virginia, North Carolina, and Las Vegas. Much of that time he was an investigative reporter and editor, and part of it he was a touring correspondent focusing on small-town life. Hopkins’ fiction reflects realities and people he met in the small towns, police stations, and courthouses of Virginia. Hopkins co-authored a respected history of Las Vegas, and is an authority on early Nevada gunslingers. In 2010 he was named to the Nevada Newspaper Hall of Fame. In years past Hopkins taught fencing and was a Scoutmaster for an inner-city troop. Hopkins lives in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Reviews

[Howard Brooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent book about one hundred people who were instrumental in the development of Las Vegas. Two groups appealed to me the most: the early founders explorers and residents; and the business executives who created the modern gaming economy.

[Roxanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about the men who shaped Las Vegas. It talks about Benny Binion, Steve Wynn, Fremont, Frank Sintra, Howard Hughes. It is a fact filled book with pictures.