Titanic Thompson: The Man Who Bet on Everything

Kevin Cook

Picador

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 teenagers on their wedding day; of a man who murdered five men, though he'd say 'they'd all agree they had it coming to them'; and of a man who won and lost millions in a time when being a millionaire still really meant something. Filled with fascinating facts and famous faces Harry Houdini, Al Capone, Arnold Rothstein and Jean Harlow all make appearances this is a brilliant and compelling snapshot of life on the road in freewheelin' America.

Crafts, Hobbies & Home

Crafts & Hobbies

Picador USA

[MP3CD audiobook format in vinyl case.]The rags-to-riches story of a groundbreaking, beloved entertainer. When The Flip Wilson Show debuted in 1970, black faces were still rare on television, black hosts nonexistent. So how did Clerow ''Flip'' Wilson go from Jersey City grade-school dropout to national celebrity, heralded on the cover of Time as ''TV's first black superstar''? Flip is a candid, entertaining biography of a consummate comedian who changed the face of American popular culture. Kevin Cook chronicles Flip's meteoric rise through the Chitlin' Circuit of segregated nightclubs to his breakthrough on Johnny Carson's Tonight Show to his hit variety show, on which he created such outrageous and hilarious characters as the sassy Geraldine and flock-fleecing Reverend Leroy. As one of the biggest stars of his time, he performed and partied with Richard Pryor, George Carlin, Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley, and other stars of the 1970s. Drawing on interviews with family, friends, and celebrities, Cook delivers the inspiring story of a complex man who broke the prime-time color barrier, blazing a trail for generations of African American performers who followed him.

Flip: The Inside Story of Tv's First Black Superstar

Humor & Entertainment

Blackstone Pub

The rags-to-riches story of a groundbreaking, beloved entertainer. When The Flip Wilson Show debuted in 1970, black faces were still rare on television, black hosts nonexistent. So how did Clerow ''Flip'' Wilson go from Jersey City grade-school dropout to national celebrity, heralded on the cover of Time as ''TV's first black superstar''? Flip is a candid, entertaining biography of a consummate comedian who changed the face of American popular culture. Kevin Cook chronicles Flip's meteoric rise through the Chitlin' Circuit of segregated nightclubs to his breakthrough on Johnny Carson's Tonight Show to his hit variety show, on which he created such outrageous and hilarious characters as the sassy Geraldine and flock-fleecing Reverend Leroy. As one of the biggest stars of his time, he performed and partied with Richard Pryor, George Carlin, Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley, and other stars of the 1970s. Drawing on interviews with family, friends, and celebrities, Cook delivers the inspiring story of a complex man who broke the prime-time color barrier, blazing a trail for generations of African American performers who followed him.

Blackstone Publishing

[Library Edition Audiobook CD in vinyl case.] The rags-to-riches story of a groundbreaking, beloved entertainer. When The Flip Wilson Show debuted in 1970, black faces were still rare on television, black hosts nonexistent. So how did Clerow ''Flip'' Wilson go from Jersey City grade-school dropout to national celebrity, heralded on the cover of Time as ''TV's first black superstar''? Flip is a candid, entertaining biography of a consummate comedian who changed the face of American popular culture. Kevin Cook chronicles Flip's meteoric rise through the Chitlin' Circuit of segregated nightclubs to his breakthrough on Johnny Carson's Tonight Show to his hit variety show, on which he created such outrageous and hilarious characters as the sassy Geraldine and flock-fleecing Reverend Leroy. As one of the biggest stars of his time, he performed and partied with Richard Pryor, George Carlin, Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley, and other stars of the 1970s. Drawing on interviews with family, friends, and celebrities, Cook delivers the inspiring story of a complex man who broke the prime-time color barrier, blazing a trail for generations of African American performers who followed him.

Flip: The Inside Story of TV's First Black Superstar

Blackstone Audiobooks

Capturing the spirit of a freewheeling era, this rollicking biography brings to life the gambler-hero who inspired Guys and Dolls. Born in a log cabin in the Ozarks, Alvin "Titanic" Thompson (1892-1974) traveled with his golf clubs, a .45 revolver, and a suitcase full of cash. He won and lost millions playing cards, dice, golf, pool, and dangerous games of his own invention. He killed five men and married five women, each one a teenager on her wedding day. He ruled New York's underground craps games in the 1920s and was Damon Runyon's model for slick-talking Sky Masterson. Dominating the links in the pre-PGA Tour years, Thompson may have been the greatest golfer of his time, teeing up with Ben Hogan, Sam Snead, Lee Trevino, and Ray Floyd. He also traded card tricks with Houdini, conned Al Capone, lost a million to Minnesota Fats, and then teamed up with Fats and won it all back. A terrific listen for anyone who has ever laid a bet, Titanic Thompson recaptures the colorful times of a singular figure: America's original road gambler.

Titanic Thompson

Sports & Outdoors

Biographies

Audible Studios on Brilliance Audio

Opened in 1950 to host the ever-popular University of Kentucky men’s basketball games, Memorial Coliseum has been a stately fixture along the Avenue of Champions in Lexington for 75 years. Known as “The House That Rupp Built,” at one time the venue was the largest arena in the South and could seat 12,000-plus. Perhaps more importantly, the building was designed as a monument to the nearly 10,000 Kentuckians who lost their lives during World War II, and it continues as a memorial to the Commonwealth’s honored war dead through today. In his book, Memorial Coliseum: 75 Years as Monument, Stage, and Arena, author Kevin Cook takes us on a visual tour of the coliseum from its planning stages and construction, through its glory years in the 1950s-70s, and today as the renovated home of UK women’s athletics, including the school’s basketball, volleyball, gymnastics, and stunt teams. Memorial Coliseum: 75 Years as Monument, Stage, and Arena is a beautiful tribute to one of Lexington’s most celebrated and elegant structures.

Memorial Coliseum

Basketball

Acclaim Press, Inc.

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Kevin Cook. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Kevin Cook

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Kevin Cook. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Titanic Thompson: The Man Who Bet on Everything

Titanic Thompson: The Man Who Bet on Everything

Flip: The Inside Story of Tv's First Black Superstar

Flip: The Inside Story of Tv's First Black Superstar

Flip: The Inside Story of TV's First Black Superstar

Titanic Thompson

Memorial Coliseum