Was the job at an Ocean City amusement park a dream come true? Or hell in disguise? Check your restraint bar and take a twisting ride through the summer of 1980 for the answer.

"Playland takes you back to a time when Ernie's Donuts were always hot and delicious, the Admirals played at the Pier Ballroom, and a great amusement park existed on 65th Street. It's a great beach read!"
- Hunter "Bunk" Mann, author, Vanishing Ocean City and Ghosts in the Surf

But Playland: Greetings From Ocean City, Maryland is more than just a summer story. It's about people. It's about dreams. And it's also history, capturing the sights and sounds of a time and a place that no longer exists.

"Weaving two stories together, one from his childhood, the other as a young man working during the summer, Earl Shores brings Ocean City, Maryland to life, vividly, as it was during the 60s, 70s, and 80s."
- Sandy Hurley, Curator, Ocean City Life-Saving Station Museum

Playland Amusement Park was a real place. It sat on a westward pointing finger of land at 65th Street in Ocean City, Maryland. The park first opened in 1965, and over the next 15 years became a playground for millions of beachgoers.

Author Earl Shores was lucky enough to land a job in the park for the summer of 1980. At first, this position seemed like the most perfect job in the world. Running the rides on warm summer nights as the park's flashing lights and the squeals of happy children filled the air was a world of pure fantasy.

But little did Shores realize that his Playland summer would turn out to be the roller coaster ride of his life.

"Playland far exceeds all expectations by transporting readers to a simpler time in Ocean City history, and our society in general. All OCMD local residents and tourists alike will get a kick out of reminiscing while enjoying this truly great body of work."
- Brandon Seidl, founder, Trimper's Haunted House Online, co-founder, The Bill Tracy Project, co-author, Trimper's Rides and Ocean City Oddities (2020)

"Earl Shores take us back to his special summer in 1980 when he lived in Ocean City, Maryland and worked as a ride operator at Playland Amusement Park. It turned out that this would be the final summer that Playland operated and Shores takes us back to the park with his vividly descriptive style of storytelling. The rides, the co-workers and the customers provide a rich tapestry of a lost place that provided so many memories and shaped a person's life forever."
- Jim Futrell, historian, National Amusement Park Historical Association

"Playland transports us back to a time when summers were magical and friendships were made and renewed year after year. The words put into motion an emotional ride that allows us to check-off a bucket list item that ceased to exist long ago. Read the book, close your eyes, and realize that 'Playland' still exists."
- Rick Machado, Playland alumnus 1976-80

"Anyone who has ever worked at or visited an amusement park will appreciate Playland. As a former ride operator, I quickly related to the stories Earl had at each ride. The difficulty operating the Spider, and arguing with parents when their child wasn't tall enough to ride. Upon completion of the book, I wanted to know how the next chapter of Earl's life unfolded as he returned to school and reflected on his Ocean City summer."
- Joshua Litvik, National Amusement Park Historical Association

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