Santa Monica Pier: A Century on the Last Great Pleasure Pier

Celebrate a century of good times on the Santa Monica Pier! Vintage images and magnificent color photos capture this beloved international icon at its very best. Its dramatic story of survival -- fighting Mother Nature, politics and changing times -- makes Santa Monica Pier more than a landmark, more than a pleasure pier or a must see on the West Coast. Santa Monica Pier is a slice of American history to be enjoyed again and again and again.

Take a ride on the Carousel. Take a dip on the coaster. Or just take a stroll on the deck. There's something for everyone on the Santa Monica Pier. A classic pleasure pier with a certain je ne sais quoi, it attracts crowds of visitors from all over the world and its sign has become an international icon, symbolizing all that is right with the world. For a hundred years the Pier has represented the link between people and the Pacific, a connection to all that's possible, probable and worthy of dreams. This commemorative collection of vintage images, colorful artwork, fascinating history and amazing lore invites anyone who has ever enjoyed the Pier to revisit its past and contemplate its future. Who knew that Popeye was born on the Pier? That Joan Baez strummed a guitar in an apartment above the Carousel? That Robert Redford and Paul Newman tossed a football on the deck while they filmed The Sting? That Cirque du Soleil once shared sand with the Pier? Or that a hundred years ago, George Freeth, the father of modern surfing, hung out at the Pier? Official pier historian James Harris brings his favorite spot in the world to life in 128 pages of pure nostalgia and fascinating facts. If you love the Santa Monica Pier―and who doesn't?―you'll treasure this trip back through time.