Boardwalk Empire: The Birth, High Times, and Corruption of Atlantic City by Nelson Johnson is the story of Atlantic City and how it came to be, during construction, high times and obvious politics corruption. The popular television show Boardwalk Empire, starring Steve Buscemi, focuses on the role of its characters, Enoch “Nucky” Thompson, rather than emphasizing the growth of Atlantic City. Although Nucky Johnson was instrumental in Atlantic City's heyday, the book focuses on the city itself and how it attracted many. The Boardwalk Empire television pilot is set in 1920 Atlantic City. The audience is exposed to a flash forward as the opening scene. The pilot then goes on to reveal the character known as Nucky Thompson. Widower, political figure, powerful: Nucky embraces his role as the "boss" of Atlantic City, supplying many with illegal alcohol and making a fortune in the process. From the pilot episode, we see Nucky as the stereotypical mob boss, a bad boy, someone who can kill without feeling anything. He expresses his political side by telling a sob rags-to-riches story to the Women's Temperance League, making them all swoon with admiration for his ability to persevere through the difficult times his father put him through. But then we see another side of Nucky. We see the powerful Nucky, an all-night partyer, supplying illegal alcohol to those who pay for it. This contradiction of Nucky is fascinating because at first you see Nucky as a strong, law-abiding figure, but then you are quickly introduced to his devious and cunning ways, circumventing the law, with the assistance of his sheriff brother, to avoid prison. for many of his crimes. We are also taken back to Nucky's generous, political... middle of paper... a place of illegal activity and political corruption. As he moved leaders from the early Kuehnle, to the more powerful Nucky who reinvented Atlantic City, to Farley who ended corruption, Atlantic City was a powerhouse for New Jersey due to its high political corruption. The acclaimed television show Boardwalk Empire revolves around Nucky "Thompson" and showcases his real-life lifestyle, his power of control and his interactions with people. Boardwalk Empire: The Birth, High Times, and Corruption of Atlantic City is the story of Atlantic City, including those who shaped it to be what it has become. Works Cited “Boardwalk Empire.” A Boardwalk Empire. You write. Terenzio Winter. Directed by Martin Scorsese. HBO, 2012. DVD.Johnson, Nelson. Boardwalk Empire: The Birth, Times, and Corruption of Atlantic City. Medford, NJ: Medford Book, 2002. Print.