Palisades Amusement Park: The Book

Follow That Man (aka Man Against Crime), Volume 7

While many television shows used Palisades Amusement Park as their location, few are available to view today. This is an exception. Just released is this classic Ralph Bellamy classic that contains footage shot at Palisades in the Winter of 1954. Many of the familiar sites of the Park including the midways, swimming pool and Cyclone coaster are featured in the episode entitled "Free Ride" on Volume 7 of "Follow That Man."

Ed.Note: I just finished watching the "Free Ride" episode for the first time and I must say, it was better than I could have imagined. The storyline was decent, the acting was fair (Ralph Bellamy's stunt work and punching technique leaves much to be desired), but as a Palisades fan, this show was filled with sites I haven't seen since the park closed. I couldn't take my eyes of the screen as Palisades Amusement Park served as a perfect location for the storyline. Scenes are filmed inside the Administration Building, inside the Tunnel of Love, in the Carousel building, and part of it takes place inside the empty swimming pool. The climax takes place on top of the Cyclone coaster. It's a great opportunity to see the park in a whole new light. Don't miss it! - Vince

Something in the Air: Radio, Rock, and the Revolution That Shaped a Generation (Hardcover)

"There's not a bit of dead air in this well-written and researched history of radio and its pivotal role in the emergence of American youth culture. Washington Post columnist Fisher (After the Wall: Germany, the Germans and the Burdens of History) traces the evolution of radio from the 1950s, when the spread and popularity of television made it almost extinct, to its rise to become 'the sound track of American life' and 'the mere act of listening made you feel like a part of a secret society.' Built around narratives compiled from nearly 100 interviews, Fisher knits together a compelling story detailing how radio helped penetrate race barriers, created a 'shared pop culture' and was the 'birthing room of the counterculture.' Fisher shows readers how the personalities of radio shaped our popular culture, from visionaries like marketing genius Todd Storz to radio artists Cousin Brucie of New York and Jean Shepherd, who was a precursor to Garrison Keillor and Ira Glass. He follows radio's decline from a medium driven by freedom and passion to one comprising wastelands of unmanned stations, prefab formats and narrow niche markets. Fisher does more than take a nostalgic look backward at what we've lost." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)