Titanic Thompson
Book description
Titanic Thompson is the rollicking true story of one of the most charismatic characters in twentieth-century America. Travelling only with his golf clubs, a .45 revolver, and a suitcase full of cash, this is the legendary tale of a man who was married five times to five different girls, all…
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Why read it?
1 author picked Titanic Thompson as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?
Like lots of books I’ve ended up loving, I came across this by chance.
It turned out to be an immensely entertaining portrait of a twentieth-century American gambler whose name meant nothing to me until then. Born Alvin Thomas, he ended up being known as Titanic Thompson.
He was a so-called proposition gambler, who challenged wealthy people to all sorts of often bizarre wagers. One of my favourite anecdotes from Kevin Cook’s anecdote-stuffed book involves Titanic betting Al Capone that he could hurl an orange onto the roof of an adjoining multi-story building.
Read Titanic Thompson and you’ll have plenty…
From Paul's list on twenty-first century true-crime.
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