Kings Island: A Ride Through Time

Very well written with great interviews, details and history of Kings Island from its inception til now. I've been going to the park for 25 years and new a bit about it, but I learned a tremendous amount from this book.I was surprised to learn that the author wrote this while in high school- I would have assumed he was a seasoned author. He told a fantastic story in a way that made me want to keep reading. Well done!

My daughter has loved Kings Island since she was old enough to ride the kiddie rides. She is 20 now and has been to all of the major theme parks in the country. She says Kings Island is the best and compares every roller coaster to the ones at Kings Island (The Beast is the best). This book was the perfect gift for her and I would recommend it to anyone who loves Kings Island.

This is one of the best amusement park histories I've ever read. I really felt like I was a part of the process when Kings Island was developed. The book is well organized and heavily researched, and written in a conversational style that gets all the information across in an easily-digestible way. There are dozens of interviews. Some get a bit repetitive, but for the most part they're well-integrated and shed light on different aspects of the park. One thing I thought that was interesting was how the tone of management noticeably changes as time goes on. In the beginning, the people involved come across as "park people", simple businessmen who loved their work and cared about their guests and employees. As the park gets gobbled up by one big corporation after another, I noticed the shift to "corporate-speak", where the managers talk more about maximizing profit and integrating corporate properties. But happily, the book ends with park people returning (though a different breed of them) and steering Kings Island back toward its roots. The author paints a vivid picture of the park's long journey through changing eras. It was very captivating.

I like roller coasters and history books, but I think anyone with a passing interest in fun can get a lot from this book. An exceptionally detailed yet rapid-paced history of Kings Island, from conception to today, brimming with insight from the people who made the industry-shaking decisions of the day. This is a great read for fans of roller coasters, amusement parks, business visionaries, or just Ohio natives!Evan is actually still working at Kings Island this year (2021) and is nice enough to sign your book for you! You can buy a copy there, but it's so popular that it stays sold out so buy one online and bring it with you. Hopefully, this young author feels inspired to write another book like this; he has such an obvious talent for combining the historical facts with the beating heart of the people who made it happen.

This is an extraordinarily well-written book, obviously authored by someone with a passion for Kings Island and the amusement park industry as a whole. The extensive research and work he did interviewing the various principals involved with Kings Island and other associated companies provides the reader with a first-hand account of not only the park’s development and growth, but also the behind-the-scenes business dealings which have resulted in Kings Island’s nearly 50 years of success. In particular, Evan’s account of the maneuverings behind the development and building of Kings Island was absolutely riveting. If you want to know all about Kings Island, this is your book.

What a wonderful read! A masterful job of blending together the content of personal interviews with many of the people who created the magic, into a pleasing narrative form. Having spent a number of years working in Entertainment at the park, the book was like visiting with an old friend and reminiscing - but also looking at the things that have been added and changed since those days. You don't have to be familiar with Kings Island to enjoy Mr. Ponstingle's work; it has a very broad appeal. Great exploration into the aspect of amusement/theme park development. A delight! Buy the book!

Interesting book of the history of King’s Island. It told you about how the park got its name and the different amusement rides that have come and gone and much more. A good resource book.

I loved this book. I usually don’t read, but this is about our local theme park and it’s history. It was very interesting. I wish there would have been more pictures of rides from the past, but other than that I loved it.