Book Review: Forgotten Man
Friday, November 19, 2010
Ever since I learned a few months ago that Jack Sheehan was writing a book about the life of Bill Bennett, I’ve been on the lookout for word of its publication. As an avid aficionado of Las Vegas history, I was eager to learn more about the man behind Circus Circus, Excalibur, and Luxor. As the title of Sheehan’s book acknowledges, Bennett is the “Forgotten Man” among the elite cadre that shaped Las Vegas in the last three decades of the twentieth century. Wynn, Kerkorian—those names pop up frequently when people write and talk about the development of the Strip. Why not Bennett? As the man most responsible for making Las Vegas a destination for the Wal-Mart crowd, Bennett should be recognized for the force he was. Thanks to Sheehan’s work in Forgotten Man: How Circus Circus’s Bill Bennett Brought Middle America to Las Vegas
When I sat down to read Forgotten Man, I expected a chronological narrative supported by interviews with Bennett’s family, friends, and business associates. I found this in Sheehan’s introduction, which provides an overview of Bill Bennett’s life, from his youth in Glendale, Arizona, his stint in the Navy, his bankruptcy in Arizona, his new start in Lake Tahoe, his rise to fabulous success in Las Vegas and Laughlin, and his final tragic decade. As I finished reading this concise account, I wondered what I would find in the following six chapters. What I discovered was that Sheehan’s introduction was a snapshot, and the rest of the book created a vivid image of a complex man whose impact is still being felt, not only by his family and the people who worked with him, but also by the city he so greatly influenced.
How many hours Sheehan spent interviewing Bennett’s family, friends, and business associates, I can’t even imagine. From those interviews, he crafted a remarkable matrix—a virtual mold built of all the anecdotes, memories, and opinions of those who knew Bennett best. By the end of six chapters—from “The Early Years” to “His Rightful Place,” a three-dimensional image of the man emerges from all the first-person accounts and recollections. Along the way, the reader also gains insights into a number of other Las Vegas personalities: Bennett’s daughter Diana and son Bill Allen, Bill Paulos, Scott Menke, Elias and Jody Ghanem, Carol Harter, and Glenn Schaeffer, to name just a few.
From now on, I’ll never be able to drive by the Luxor without thinking about Bill Bennett and the challenges he and his team faced while trying to follow building codes as they constructed a giant glass pyramid. I’ll always recall that the Excalibur was once the biggest hotel in the world, and that it was totally paid for in less than three years. And how can I ever forget that there was once a flying elephant inside Circus Circus? Most importantly, of course, is that I now know the story of how Bill Bennett arrived in Las Vegas and left a lasting legacy. In addition, I have a picture of a real person who faced numerous challenges and whose last decade was especially difficult. It’s a credit to his family, friends and biographer that Bill Bennett’s life has been documented so candidly. It’s easy to speak about glorious achievements and truckloads of money. It takes strength to reveal hardships and shortcomings. It’s because this book includes both that it’s a worthwhile read and a genuine tribute to its subject. He may have once been a “Forgotten Man,” but Bill Bennett has now been ably and honestly remembered.
(3 votes, average: 4.67 out of 5)
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