Carnival fans and amusement park historians alike will delight in the many beautiful images of a dying breed - the small travelling carnival and family owned amusement parks.Mr. Brouws takes us up close and behind the scenes, and the many nighttime photos of the midway's dazzling lights are worth the price of admission alone.Mr. Caron's colorful commentary is definitely not your usually tepid "guided tours" that so many other amusement industry books offer, with wild insights and historic tidbits that are sure to amuse.Many never before seen photos appear from other photographers personal archives, bringing a rich sense of tradition to the subject at hand.The final chapter is dedicated to San Francisco's Playland.Mr. Brouws takes a look back at the Playland of his childhood, echoing sentiments from any of us who have spent their afternoons strolling along those tawdry but always fascinating midways of yesterday.We see the peeling paint, the crooked games with cheap prizes, the worn out rides and run-down fun house.But we also realize why these places captivated us, the simple, carefree fun these places held for us for just a few days each summer.The few photos he did take (with his first camera) before the park disappeared combine with his childhood tales to add the perfect epilogue to this colorful story.
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