There have been numerous books about Las Vegas, however there’s by no means been one fairly like The Las Vegas Ebook, a brand new, high-end espresso desk guide by Joris Dekkers.
“It has been a fantastic venture driving it ahead from the primary thought to in direction of completion and I’ve liked each step of the way in which,” Dekkers instructed PokerNews. “I’ve at all times been fascinated by Vegas and being a little bit of a historian sort of drove me to ask questions each time I set foot on this loopy desert city, however I do not suppose any concrete concepts culminated till I visited the Wynn for the primary time, which impressed me a lot. I felt actually kind of related to that place.”
The Las Vegas Ebook explores how the town turned the capital of leisure by exploring, via each textual content and images, the historical past of Sin Metropolis, from The Mob and Sinatra within the Fifties to Jay Sarno’s Caesars Palace and Howard Hughes within the Nineteen Sixties. Kirk Kerkorian’s Worldwide Lodge – starring Elvis Presley – opened the megaresort period, in the end main as much as essentially the most lavish vacation spot resorts constructed by Steve Wynn: The Mirage, The Bellagio, and Wynn & Encore Las Vegas.
Value: $495 USDManufactured in: Italy (Handmade) w/ velvet inside and a leather-based case with gold foilWeight: 8kg / 18 lbs Dimensions: 39 x 33 x 6 (cm) / 16” x 13” x 2.3”Version: First, Restricted (3,500)Language: English28 Chapters; 450 PagesPhotos: +300Worldwide delivery inside 24 hours weekday orders. Delivery prices calculated at checkout
Dekkers not too long ago joined the PokerNews Podcast to speak about his guide, which you’ll be able to watch on the 24:25 mark on this video:
An Concept Involves Life
When he was round 30, Dekkers first visited the Wynn, which made an indelible mark on the person from the Netherlands. The seed for The Las Vegas Ebook was planted greater than a decade in the past, nevertheless it took some time to develop.
“I believed Vegas deserves not solely an up-to-date guide but additionally one thing extra majestic that is actually one thing to be proud to have at your private home.”
“Nothing sparked me to put in writing a guide in these starting years, however I saved coming again after which COVID occurred and I believed, ‘I wish to do one thing with my outdated ardour, my outdated pastime, and why, why should not it’s Vegas?’ So, that obtained me into studying after which ultimately writing about it.”
There isn’t any scarcity of books on Las Vegas, most of that are hardcover, however most date again to both the 90s or 2000s.
“I believed Vegas deserves not solely an up-to-date guide but additionally one thing extra majestic that is actually one thing to be proud to have at your private home. Espresso desk books are actually upcoming … however none of them ever went into the historical past and the evolution of Las Vegas, and that shocked me. Vegas is such a wierd factor, you may’t evaluate it to any metropolis, proper? You’re there and after a couple of days you are like, ‘Oh my God, how am I going to outlive for much longer?’ There’s alcohol kicking in, there’s partying, there’s lengthy poker periods – it is kind of a matrix the place you are plugged in and then you definitely go dwelling and rapidly issues appear boring. I hope that this guide at the least brings folks again to these wonderful moments that they skilled when driving the waves in Vegas.”
Enlisting Consultants
Whereas Dekkers knew he wished to do a guide that may do justice to Las Vegas, he quickly realized how huge of a job that is perhaps.
“I feel the thought to publish essentially the most lavish, grand, majestic guide about Las Vegas is placing plenty of stress on your self,” he instructed PokerNews. “I began asking myself the query – why am I the man that’s going to do this? Who am I? I am only a man from the Netherlands rising up in a small city. So, who am I to say that this can be a guide that Vegas followers must have? Relieving that stress and beginning that journey, you may’t do it with out assist of consultants.”
One professional he introduced on board was Roger Thomas, who has been the right-hand man of Steve and Elaine Wynn for greater than 4 a long time. He’s thought-about the perfect inside designer of luxurious on line casino resorts together with the Golden Nugget, Mirage, and Wynn & Encore.
“Roger performed a serious position in creating these opulent locations, and from the onset, he was not solely my editor when it comes to design and put a guide like this collectively, however he was additionally an adviser, a connector. He related me to just about everybody that I wanted to talk to or work with to create this guide. I can not thank him sufficient.”
He additionally had ex-CFO Circus Circus Enterprises and CEO Mandalay Bay Glenn Schaeffer to assist edit the guide by lending his in depth information of the Strip.
Greater than 25 folks have been concerned within the artistic course of surrounding The Las Vegas Ebook Undertaking together with a videographer, a number of photographers, a design firm, textual content editors, and a back-office staff.
Breaking Down on the Strip
Now, you is perhaps questioning what a videographer could be doing with a guide. Properly, the reply is Dekkers & Co. launched an intensive advertising marketing campaign, together with a movie-like trailer for The Las Vegas Ebook.
In it, Dekkers talks concerning the venture whereas making his manner from the desert to Las Vegas in a basic automobile. There’s truly a enjoyable story behind that.
“We had this concept to lease a automobile, drive within the desert, get a drone, and simply movie one thing that may painting the journey from me, as an writer, driving via the desert after which slowly onto the Strip,” he defined. “I used to be looking out a classic automobile on Toro and I discovered this 1965 Jaguar … it is a very clearly fragile automobile. We drove it in August, the automobile was actually struggling. It truly broke down close to the top. I believed it was an issue with the engine as a result of overheating and the over utilization, nevertheless it was truly that I ran out of gasoline.”
He continued: “So, I needed to park the automobile on the Strip subsequent to the Flamingo. The police needed to kind of shut off the highway for me. It was insane as a result of there have been so many individuals driving previous me they usually have been like, ‘Wow, what an superior automobile. Who is that this man in a swimsuit? It’s sort of a James Bond look there. However it was improbable, I’ll always remember it.”
Saying Goodbye to the Mirage
One of many properties featured within the guide is the Mirage, which Steve Wynn opened in 1989. The property revolutionized the Strip and even turned the middle of poker motion for a few years. Nevertheless, the Mirage’s run got here to an finish final yr when the on line casino shuttered to make manner for an upcoming Seminole Exhausting Rock venue.
“I feel there is not any extra iconic place that is left than the Mirage on the Strip. You could possibly say the Flamingo is much more iconic when it comes to longevity, however the Mirage revolutionized the Strip,” Dekkers mentioned of the resort. “When Steve Wynn constructed that place, he reworked the whole lot in Las Vegas. All the pieces obtained 10x greater when it comes to funding, resort measurement, creativeness, and storytelling. It was the heyday of Vegas. Economically, the 90s was the biggest progress period. Steve Wynn utterly took benefit of it in one of the best ways doable with that lovely resort that modified the face of the Strip.”
The timing was coincidental, however The Las Vegas Ebook helps function a kind of swansong for the Mirage by highlighting its inception and appreciating its historic affect.
For extra on The Las Vegas Ebook, you may observe them on each Instagram and TikTok.
Be taught Extra and Order Your Copy of The Las Vegas Ebook right here!
Win a Copy of The Las Vegas Ebook w/ PokerNews
Joris Dekkers has been form sufficient to supply a replica of The Las Vegas Ebook to giveaway to at least one fortunate fan of PokerNews. Now via the top of February, poker followers can enter to win a replica of the $495 guide just by following these three steps.
Try this and you will be entered to win. A winner can be randomly chosen on March 1, 2025, and introduced on the March 7 episode of the PokerNews Podcast.
*Pictures courtesy of Joris Dekkers and The Las Vegas Ebook.
Chad Holloway
PR & Media Supervisor
