- Category: Books » History Books » Military - Other
- Format: Hardcover Learn more about the Hardcover format using Tower WIKI.
- Publisher: Crown Publishing Group (NY)
- Number of Pages: 336
- ISBN: 1400051622
- WAPI (Tower ID): 112483964
- Release Date: June 9, 2009
- Average Customer Review: There are no customer reviews yet. Be the first to write a review!
- Tower.com Sales Rank: #63880 in Books (See Top 100 Books Bestsellers)
- #2791 in History Books (See Top 100 History Books Bestsellers)
- #103 in Military - Other (See Top 100 Military - Other Bestsellers)
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Product DescriptionRun a Quick Search on "The Devil's Tickets: A Night of Bridge, a Fatal Hand, and a New American Age" by Gary M. Pomerantz to Browse Related Products:Browse more products related to "The Devil's Tickets: A Night of Bridge, a Fatal Hand, and a New American Age"Browse more products related to "Gary M. Pomerantz"Review"[A] deliciously detailed and splendidly written account of the emergence of bridge as America's No. 1 pastime....Illuminating a crime and card game of passion, and the gentle gender-bending of the Roaring Twenties and Great Depression, Pomerantz weaves a compelling read even for people who don't know the difference between a trick and a trump." Publisher's noteTells the true story of Myrtle Bennett who murdered her philandering husband over a game of bridge in 1929, and the dramatic courtroom trial that made Ely Culbertson, who provided color commentary of the proceedings, a card game celebrity. AnnotationIn 1929, a Kansas City housewife named Myrtle Bennett shot and killed her husband Jack after he had slapped her. The source of their dispute? A game of bridge. Gary Pomerantz uses this intriguing incident as a starting point for his wonderful examination of bridge culture in the 1920s and '30s, focusing primarily on a publicity hound and bridge wizard named Ely Culbertson, who rose to stardom in the aftermath of the Bennett murder. While American men and women disputed the surprising acquittal of Myrtle Bennett, Culbertson ingeniously promoted bridge as the ideal level playing field for the battle of the sexes, and helped generate a huge spike in the game's popularity. Pomerantz packs his pages with all the best elements of thrilling nonfiction--a controversial crime, interesting and eccentric characters, fascinating historical insight, and a specific singular event that encapsulates a larger moment in time. As the Roaring Twenties' last celebratory peals rang through a nation about to slip into the Depression, Myrtle Bennett, a glamorous Kansas City housewife, killed her philandering husband over a bridge game. At her ballyhooed murder trial, her defense attorney was a two-time Democratic presidential candidate and Pendergast Machine-man, James A. Reed. Merely the most famous man in Kansas City, Reed, a riveting orator, represented the likes of Henry Ford and oil companies. For Myrtle, he put on a dramatic courtroom show of logic, eloquence, and a few tears. Watching from New York was Ely Culbertson, a tuxedoed boulevardier with a Russian accent and a gorgeous American wife, Josephine, who was his bridge partner. As the P.T. Barnum of the game of bridge, Ely Culbertson offered trial commentary and used the Bennetts' story to sell bridge, his instructional books, and himself. Housewives adored him and rushed to hear his lectures. A few months after the 1931 trial, when the Culbertsons won the Bridge Battle of the Century at the Waldorf-Astoria amid the glitter of New York's high society and Hollywood newsreels, they became millionaire icons. If You Enjoy "The Devil's Tickets: A Night of Bridge, a Fatal Hand, and a New American Age (Hardcover)", May We Also Recommend:Customer Reviews for "The Devil's Tickets: A Night of Bridge, a Fatal Hand, and a New American Age (Hardcover)" by Gary M. Pomerantz (Author)There are no customer reviews yet. Be the first to write a review! Military - Other Bestsellers
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