James Dean Died Here: The Locations of America's Pop Culture Landmarks by Chris Epting

James Dean Died Here: The Locations of America's Pop Culture Landmarks Reviews

• 
  J Earl

  It Happened Right Here by Chris Epting collects pop culture landmarks from previous books with some new entries added. While not a guidebook, it is an essential companion book for anyone wanting to visit such places.
  
  Organized thematically, and alphabetically within each thematic chapter, this will require some effort if you are looking for places to see on a trip you might be taking. If, however, you have some idea of what landmarks might be in that area, the entries will be easy to navigate. Rather than use a place name people might not recognize, the name associated with it is what the entry is listed under. Additionally, there are groupings within the chapters that list places connected to the same person.
  
  Having stated all that, this is a fun book to read. While I did read the entire book, I didn't read it straight through. I started with chapters that most appealed to me and then jumped around. This actually offered me the opportunity to do two things. First, I used these entries as catalysts to look into many of the people and events more closely. Second, and this links to the previous paragraph, I started jotting down places I wanted to visit in parts of the country I go to, or through, regularly.
  
  It was always fun when I would come across a place I had visited or, for some, I went by regularly at some time in my life. There were even a few places that I'm sure I passed but had no idea it was considered a pop culture landmark. I have to admit, I am looking forward to some of my future trips, though there are many places that have either been razed or that I just wouldn't feel comfortable stopping to gawk. That said, it doesn't mean I might not drive by and have a companion take a picture.
  
  This is a fun reference book for places to visit as well as a fun book that might make an excellent bedside book for the nights you don't want to get back into a longer book you're reading, but still want to read a bit before sleep comes over you. But keep either a file open for notes or a pen and pad of paper handy for places to look up online or visit when you are not preparing to sleep.
  
  Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
• 
  Kevin

  If you're like me, a dedicated traveler with a passion for pop culture, then Chris Epting's "It Happened Right Here: America’s Pop Culture Landmarks" is a treasure trove of entertainment. The pioneer of the pop culture road trip, has taken us on an epic journey across North America to relive the moments that have shaped our cultural landscape.
  
  Epting's previous books like "James Dean Died Here," "Elvis Presley Passed Here," and "Led Zeppelin Crashed Here" became cult classics, and "It Happened Right Here" celebrates their 20th anniversary by compiling the best of the best from those classics while adding a variety of new and exciting destinations inspired by the pop culture of the 21st century.
  
  Epting transforms ordinary locations into portals to iconic moments in history. It's a road map of pop culture sites, from the birthplace of Apple Computer to the garage where Facebook was conceived. Whether you're a fan of classic TV series like "Breaking Bad" and "Curb Your Enthusiasm" or are more into the 21st-century phenomena like "Stranger Things," this book has it all.
  
  The book's illustrated pages bring these landmarks to life, making you feel like you're right there, reliving these iconic moments. From the beautiful sites featured in "La La Land" to the quirky locations from "Napoleon Dynamite," Epting's meticulous research takes you on a whirlwind tour of pop culture's most significant events.
  
  Epting hasn't just stopped at revisiting his classics; he's added new sites that have become cultural touchstones in recent years. Whether you want to visit the elevator where Jay-Z, Beyoncé, and Solange made headlines or the dorm room that birthed Facebook, you'll find it here.
  
  Epting's book isn't just a travel guide; it's a time machine that lets you step into the shoes of the icons and legends who have left their mark on American pop culture. It's an encyclopedia of weird, wonderful, shocking, and bizarre moments that have become a part of our collective memory.
  
  So, if you're ready to embark on a journey that will take you to the heart of pop culture history, "It Happened Right Here" is your ticket. With Epting as your guide, you'll not only see these locations; you'll experience the magic that happened right there.
• 
  Riley K.

  Author Chris Epting established a new genre in book publishing when a trio of titles in the early 2000s— James Dean Died The Locations of America’s Pop Culture Landmarks , Elvis Presley Passed Here , and Marilyn Monroe Dyed Here —were released to critical acclaim and introduced readers to a groundbreaking travel The pop culture road trip. Epting promptly followed these hugely popular and influential titles with two more legendary Led Zeppelin Crashed Here and Roadside Baseball .
  
  
  A Booksense 76 pick at the time, James Dean Died Here was covered by such major news outlets as NPR’s "All Things Considered," USA Today , Los Angeles Times , and Publishers Weekly . Everyone from Ken Burns to The Sporting News to the New York Post expressed their love for Roadside Baseball , while Led Zeppelin Crashed Here was recommended for all public libraries by Library Journal and outlets from the Associated Press to Newsday encouraged any fan of rock and roll history to buy the book.
  
  
  Now, in honor of the 20th anniversary of James Dean Died Here , Epting has produced It Happened Right America’s Pop Culture Landmarks , which collects the best of the best from all of Epting’s prior books, and then adds dozens and dozens of new sites, many of them based on the pop culture of the 21st century. It Happened Right Here once again takes you on a journey across North America to the exact locations where the most significant events in American popular culture took place. It’s a road map for pop culture sites, from Patty Hearst’s bank to the garage where Apple Computer was born. Fully updated, the book includes such new entries.
  
  A very informative read. Really enjoyed learning about pop culture places.
• 
  Poppy Marlowe

  Synopsis: (from Netgalley, the provider of the book for me to review)
  ************************************************************************************************************
  Packed with historical information, this travel guide explores the sites where pop culture history was made. With hundreds of photographs, this encyclopedic resource covers approximately 600 sites of the most famous and infamous pop culture events. The greatest landmarks from Americana, movies, music, tragedy, crime, television, and sports are included, such as where George Washington crossed the Delaware River; the diner in the film Diner; the site of the Planet of the Apes finale; the Hindenburg crash site; the Brady Bunch house; and the location of the 1980 Olympic “Miracle on Ice” hockey team victory. This offbeat travelogue provides the armchair traveller or road warrior tourist with all the information needed to visit America's pop culture sites of significance.
  
  We love to travel and find history as we are there --- the Titanic Cemetery in Halifax. NS was an exciting adventure. In fact, we love all cemeteries as they have so many interesting stories and tragedies in them...just go through and look at all the women dying in their early 20s and you can pretty much guarantee to be child-birth-related. Or a grave where three siblings died in two days... Spanish fly.
  
  This is great if you are into "famous" or infamous places - they are everywhere to be found. A wonderful: "what kind of different book do you have" read. Highly recommended to lovers of pop culture and history and travel...Graceland is one prime example of a place like that.
  
  #shortbutsweetreviews
• 
  Boyce McClain

  The United States is the land of pop culture. TV, movies, books, celebrities, collectibles, locations, etc. have an irresistible draw to Americans.
  
  We love our movie stars, TV personalities-so much so that we want to know where they live, their personal lives, etc.
  
  We also can’t resist visiting sites seen in movies and TV shows from restaurants, towns and more.
  
  And it doesn’t have to be all about celebrities, TV or movies. Historical sites, locations where important events occurred and all things historical draw us in.
  
  In It Happened Right Here America’s Pop Culture Landmarks, by author Chris Epting and publisher Santa Monica Press LLC, pop culture fever and addiction is tackled head on.
  
  Check out the info bits and photos that detail historical, first time, celebrity, movie/TV sites, crime scenes and so much more.
  
  It’s a veritable cornucopia of pop culture gotta sees.
  
  If you love trivia, little known facts, fun stuff and pop culture phenomenon then this is the book for you!
  
  "For who makes you differ from another? And what do you have that you did not receive? Now if you did indeed receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?" — 1 Corinthians 4:7
• 
  AcademicEditor

  If you're a trivia buff, a pop culture enthusiast, or just love a good road trip, "It Happened Right Here" is a great guidebook for your next adventure. From the birthplace of Apple Computer to the dorm room where Facebook was conceived, Epting's meticulous research transforms ordinary locations into portals to iconic moments in history. Whether you're a fan of classic TV series like "Breaking Bad" or more into recent hits like "Stranger Things," this book has something for everyone.
  
  But Epting doesn't stop at revisiting his classics; he introduces new sites that have become cultural touchstones in recent years. Whether you want to visit the elevator where Jay-Z, Beyoncé, and Solange made headlines or the Subway sandwich shop associated with Jussie Smollett, you'll find it all here.
  
  I received an ARC of "It Happened Right Here" from the publisher, and I can't wait to hit the road and explore these iconic landmarks myself!
• 
  Colleen

  Even though Chris Epting has already published several dozen books dedicated to music and movie pop culture tourism, "It happened here" falls flat in clearly defining its subject matter beyond the title.
  
  Epting is callous in placing tragedies like the 2012 Aurora Colorado shooting in to a looky-loo tourism book that features the Napoleon Dynamite house on the cover and dons the subtitle "America's pop culture landmarks."
  
  If we really think it's necessary to outline the exact location of haneous events throughout history, I'd hope the people doing so were mindful about its presentation
• 
  AnnieM

  This detailed and entertaining and at times morbid book takes us through a journey of pop culture in the U.S. The book has photos and addresses for movies, sports, famous and infamous incidents and tragedies. I found it interesting to see where movies were filmed (being a huge movie buff myself). This book is inspiring me to look up some of these sites when I travel I enjoyed that these facts are all contained in one guide. A really interesting read!
  Thank you to Netgalley and Santa Monica Press for an ARC and I left this review voluntarily.
• 
  J Kromrie

  Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC.
  
  A fascinating collection of information for any trivia fan, this book covers information ranging from where famous crimes took place, to where celebrities are their last meal, to the creation of the first Buffalo wing, this book has everything for enthusiasts ranging from the merely curious about pop icons, to the truly rabid enthusiast.
  
  Highly entertaining collection of information, this is truly the "best of the best".
• 
  Sarah Buron

  2.5 stars! This book is absolutely packed with info and I wanted to love it but didn’t. It was so long that I ended up skimming through to certain sections that interested me more. It could make a good coffee table book. Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!
• 
  Annarella

  I think it's the perfect book to read when you are travelling and want to see something off the beaten track or with reference to pop culture.
  Entertaining, informative.
  Highly recommended.
  Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine
• 
  Ashley

  This was interesting and lead to some more research on s couple of things. Sadly,its an older book and somewhat outdated. It would be cool if this was a series with updates and new locations.
• 
  ericas_bookreviews

  Thanks for Netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.
  A really interesting, educational read with that's of facts I didn't know.
  A fun easy read and a great Travel guide.
• 
  Morgan

  I accessed a digital review copy of this book from the publisher.
• 
  Christian Finch

  A well organized and informative read. Each chapter has a theme and is organized alphabetically. You will also find all the information you need to be able to visit the pop culture landmarks.
  It Happened Right Here covers all aspects of pop culture, even the infamous and gory. It is a risk, but a risk the author is successful in taking. Pop culture covers all aspects of our lives and Chris Epting makes sure we know that in this book,
• 
  John Orman

  Not just Dean's death site, but also pop culture sites from Patty Hearst's bank to the Apple Computer birth site in a garage.
  
  Weird and wonderful moments are memorialized here.
  
  I've been close to the Bigfoot site where the famous Patterson film was shot in 1967, in Six Rivers Forest in CA. I've been to the first McDonald's restaurant in San Bernadino. Also been to Yankee Stadium, and Dealey Plaza in Dallas, as well as the Sixth Floor Museum and Love Field.
  
  I've been on the U. of Oregon campus, where Animal House was filmed. Also drove around the Oregon State Mental Hospital in Salem, site of filming for One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. I've skied around the Timberline Lodge on Mount Hood, site of filming for exterior scenes of the hotel in The Shining.
  
  In New Mexico, I have been to Trinity Site, Billy the Kid's grave, and the UFO Crash 50th anniversary celebration in Roswell!
  
  I would love to see the Field of Dreams in Iowa someday!
• 
  Judi

  I wanted to like this book but just didnt. I felt like I was reading an encyclopedia. I found myself skimming it after a while, choosing what i found interesting. And honestly I wasnt too big on him declaring Marilyn Monroe's death a suicide when not even the coroner could say for sure or what he said about Fatty Arbuckle. He could have written that his statements were his opinions and not stated them as fact...just MY opinion.
• 
  K.D. Richardson

  If you're into Hollywood, this is a fine book. Good photos and explanations of what was shot at a particular location around the United States. I was looking for a particular location where a movie scene was shot, and I stumbled across another interesting location of a Hollywood tragedy. I ended up writing a screenplay about it.
• 
  Jennifer Daniel

  I now have a big ole' bunch of places I want to visit now! I would drive 10 hours to see the theater where Pee Wee Herman was arrested for masturbating, or the graves of Bonnie and Clyde. I may start closer to home with the MothMan bridge. I could start a whole niche travel company catering to weirdos like me who want to see the bizzare and disturbing side of things. Hmmmmm....
• 
  Brittanie

  I like that each entry is accompanied with a photo but it didn't keep my attention like Micheal Largo's similar books have. I think it has to do with the categorization and possibly the choice of sites. This book would be good for someone on a road trip with these listed places in mind.
• 
  Jennifer

  What a fun read !!!!! It was such a treat reading about some of the places I have actually been to, the places I had no idea about and even some of the places I really had no desire to know about. Very enjoyable!!!
• 
  Michelle

  My cousin introduced me to Chris Epting and I love his books! It makes me want to travel and go to all of these landmarks across the U.S.!
• 
  Kimandrevil

  Fun road trip planner
• 
  Harle

  A lovely collection of pop culture landmarks all around America. Especially good for trivia nuts.
• 
  Suzanne

  Must look at anytime I am going on vacation. It is amazing what America has to offer!
• 
  Sara Huard

  Fascinating.