If there is one person who personifies the journalistic voice of Las Vegas it is John L. Smith. For 20 years this fourth-generation Nevadan has been writing for the Las Vegas Review-Journal. He may not know where all the bodies are buried in and around Las Vegas, but there's a good chance he talked to them in the weeks preceding their disappearance. Sharks in the Desert is his approach to Las Vegas history focusing on the casino moguls who built this remarkable city.
Each of the 39 chapters is a mini-biography detailing the impact one person has had on today's Las Vegas. Not everyone profiled is a casino boss, but most are. A few have had enough of an impact to deserve two chapters. Those who are well-read on the topic of Las Vegas history will have encountered many of the subjects of this book before. No history of Las Vegas is complete without mentioning Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel, Moe Dalitz, or Benny Binion. Some luminaries, such as Bob Stupak and Steve Wynn, have been profiled by Smith in a book of their own. One can hardly argue, though, that those covered in these pages are not seminal figures in the development of Las Vegas.
Most of this material and all of these people have been mentioned in books on Las Vegas history before. Consequently, anyone who has read even a fair bit on this subject will encounter stories they have read before. For my own part I did find quite a bit that was new to me, but what sets this book apart is the author's perspective. It's fresh, insightful, and often unorthodox. Smith isn't afraid of ruffling feathers. Even regarding those people Smith clearly admires, he isn't afraid to air their dirty laundry. He's not trying to make friends, he's trying to call 'em as he sees 'em.
Smith is a skilled an engaging writer, and Sharks in the Desert is an entertaining read, but I think the book does have some shortcomings. First, as was mentioned earlier, the topics and layout is familiar. While the viewpoint is new, there's nothing ground-breaking here. There may be some who have read, say, The Players by Jack Sheehan, who will feel like they have essentially read this book before. Second, the theme of the book seems to be that the old casino bosses with links to organized crime weren't all that different from the new "corporate" casino bosses. Both have the same goal, separate gamblers from their money. The differences are that the former are more violent and the latter are, if anything, more efficient. My problem is that this theme is executed inconsistently throughout the book. Smith brings it up when it suits him to do so, but fails to deeply consider the implications of his thesis.
Overall, though, I found the book to be entertaining and engrossing. There's enough of a new perspective here to be interesting to Las Vegas history junkies that have read just about every source of history on this fascinating place. For those who are relatively new to this topic, Sharks in the Desert provides a well-written account of the key people who have shaped Las Vegas. Therefore, I expect that most people who are intrigued by this book will find enough of value in its pages to make it well worth reading. Therefore, I recommend Smith's latest book.
Sure, the Las Vegas literary world will find a considerable amount of overlap between Sharks in the Desert and other similar books that have gone before it, and I can point to some places where I think the book exhibits some faults, but it's a well-written, informative work about the people who made Las Vegas what it is today. Consequently, I recommend it to both those who are familiar with and new to the history of this remarkable city.
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