On the Sunset Strip in Los Angeles in 1965 and 1966 an electrifying scene appeared out of nowhere, exploded into creativity, and then, just as suddenly, vanished. So much remarkable music, art, and social revolution came from one place at one time, it's difficult now to grasp how it all happened. This book tells the story of the astonishing time when rock'n'roll displaced movies as the centre of action in Hollywood. From the moment The Byrds debuted at Ciro's on March 26th 1965-with Bob Dylan joining them onstage-right up to the demonstrations of November 1966, Sunset Strip nightclubs nurtured and broke The Doors, Love, Buffalo Springfield (featuring Neil Young and Stephen Stills), Frank Zappa's Mothers Of Invention, Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band, The Turtles, The Mamas and The Papas, and many others. The Strip was a hotbed for garage punk bands such as The Standells, The Electric Prunes, and The Leaves. Folk-rock and psychedelia were born there, while it was also a favourite hangout and inspiration for The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and The Velvet Underground. Republished to coincide with the 50th anniversary of these incredible times, Riot On Sunset Strip: Rock'n'Roll's Last Stand In Hollywood captures the excitement of this great artistic awakening, telling how the scene came together and then fell apart at the Monterey Pop festival, the tragic grand finale of the Summer of Love. It serves as a startling evocation of the social and artistic revolution that was the 60s.

Pacific Ocean Park--or as it was commonly known in Los Angeles from the '50s through the '70s, P.O.P.--was extraordinary in both its glamorous rise and spectacular fall.

As a family-oriented attraction in the '50s with modernist-styled rides designed by Hollywood's best, P.O.P.'s attendance surpassed that of Disneyland.

Christopher Merritt and Domenic Priore's spectacular history includes hundreds of images, most of them unseen elsewhere, including original ride designs and illustrations, including Tiki-rich, space age, and nautical rides. P.O.P. was often widely seen in movies and television shows throughout the '60s. Its Cheetah auditorium hosted important early rock shows, including those by Ritchie Valens, The Doors, and Pink Floyd.

P.O.P. was located at the dividing line between Santa Monica and Venice, the only spot during Prohibition-era Los Angeles were residents were allowed to dance and consort in a carnival-like atmosphere. The book also backgrounds the infamous "Dogtown" of the 70's in which surfers took advantage of big waves that rolled through P.O.P.'s rotting piers near homeless junkies.

Buyers will be able to download audio files heard from all P.O.P.'s attractions.

Christopher Merritt currently designs amusement parks in Asia and also co-wrote "Knott's Preserved."

Domenic Priore also co-wrote the celebrated volumes "Riot on Sunset Strip," "Pop Surf Culture," and "Smile: The Story of Brian Wilson's Lost Masterpiece."