The American Roller Coaster Author:Scott Rutherford Recent attendance spikes at amusement parks and a long line of features in mainstream media outlets give witness to a bona fide American roller coaster renaissance. From the anything-but-vertigo-inducing roller coasters of the mid-19th century to today's twisted monsters of steel and wooden retro designs, this complete history rattles through al... more »l the ups and downs of coaster lore. Marvelous archival imagery and all-new color photographs help document the emergence of amusement parks in the 1880s, the golden age of roller coasters from 1900 to 1930, the roller coaster's decline in the 1960s, and the revival that continues to clatter toward its peak today. All of the country's most famous roller coasters, old and new, are featured, and sidebars cover famous designers, innovative manufacturers, evolving technology, and today's craziest roller coasters.« less