Fun While It Lasted ― My Rise and Fall in the Land of Fame and Fortune

Fun While It Lasted is the whirlwind story of Bruce McNall's life as a player in a seemingly endless number of high-stakes games. McNall started in the ancient coin business, becoming one of the youngest and most successful dealers of antiquities in the country. Soon, he branched out into horse racing, movies (The Fabulous Baker Boys), and major league sports as owner of the L.A. Kings hockey team. McNall was the toast of Los Angeles, partaking of glamorous Hollywood and sports world parties, and living the life of a celebrity. Eventually, however, he had to borrow huge amounts to keep his various businesses going, and ultimately his empire collapsed amid charges of fraud and deception. He was sent to prison for admittedly bilking banks out of more than $200 million.
Here is the tale of McNall's relationship with Wayne Gretsky and how he convinced "The Great One" to leave the Edmonton Oilers to play for his Kings; how he helped Merrill Lynch start a coin fund that eventually lost millions of dollars; how he and film legend David Begelman played fast and loose in Hollywood.
McNall's memoir is a compelling, fascinating book about life at the top - what it's like to have one's most carefully laid schemes come crashing down, and how hard and fast one can fall.

Movie-maker, sportsman, and raconteur, Bruce McNall was one of the most famous coin collectors of all time. He was released from prison in 2001 and currently lives in Los Angeles.

Michael D'Antonio is the author of ten books, including Tin Cup Dreams, Tour '72, and Mosquito. A Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, he lives in New York.