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OverviewIn 1923, not long after oil had started gushing from northern Montana fields, real-estate sales in nearby Shelby were declining, dimming the little town’s prospects of becoming the “Tulsa of the West.” Then the mayor’s son dreamed up a marketing ploy: offer to host heavyweight champion Jack Dempsey’s next fight. What began as a publicity stunt soon spiraled into a civic drama unlike any Montana had ever seen—or ever would again. Shelby’s Folly tells this story in full for the first time. Against the background of boom-and-bust Montana history, the folly of Shelby’s would-be promoters unfolds in colorful detail. It took months to persuade Dempsey’s conniving manager, Jack “Doc” Kearns, to sign a $300,000 contract. With less than two months before the July 4th fight, the town still had no stadium and no accommodations for tens of thousands of expected fans. Jason Kelly describes the promoters’ desperate measures and their disastrous results, from the first inkling of the idea to the bitter end of the fifteen-round boxing match. Shelby residents identified with the underdog challenger, Tommy Gibbons, who went toe-to-toe with the champion in an atmosphere crackling with tension. Nerves were so frayed that a holiday firecracker exploding in the arena sent shockwaves of fear through the crowd. A soap opera of financial intrigue and chicanery, Shelby’s Folly chronicles how Big Sky ambition and the scheming mind of Doc Kearns collided to produce one of the most preposterous series of events in boxing history. Watch the Shelby's Folly book trailer on YouTube. Full Product DetailsAuthor: Jason KellyPublisher: University of Nebraska Press Imprint: University of Nebraska Press Dimensions: Width: 14.00cm , Height: 2.30cm , Length: 21.60cm Weight: 0.449kg ISBN: 9780803226555ISBN 10: 0803226551 Pages: 238 Publication Date: 01 May 2010 Audience: General/trade , General Format: Hardback Publisher's Status: Out of Print Availability: Out of stock  Table of ContentsList of Illustrations 1. High Noon in Shelby 2. Boom and Bust 3. The Cerebral Slugger 4. A Shark Takes the Bait 5. Sticky Fingers 6. A $300,000 IOU 7. The Circus Comes to Town 8. Checks and Balances 9. Under Water 10. Standing Their Ground 11. A Cut of Heaven's Gate BibliographyReviews""A friend once told me about driving to Shelby. I was jealous. No more. Now Jason Kelly has taken us not only to the place but to the time. His vivid piece of Americana breathes life into legends."" Dave Kindred, author of Sound and Fury: Two Powerful Lives, One Fateful Friendship A friend once told me about driving to Shelby. I was jealous. No more. Now Jason Kelly has taken us not only to the place but to the time. His vivid piece of Americana breathes life into legends. Dave Kindred, author of Sound and Fury: Two Powerful Lives, One Fateful Friendship Author InformationJason Kelly is an associate editor of the University of Chicago Magazine. He is the author of Mr. Notre Dame: The Life and Legend of Edward “Moose” Krause. Tab Content 6Author Website:Countries AvailableAll regions |
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