Tully, Jim – The Bruiser 1936 reprint edition.

Description

Tully, Jim – The Bruiser. 1936 248-page reprint edition published by Grosset & Dunlap, New York. Good plus condition, no dust jacket.

The Bruiser is a gritty 1936 boxing novel written by ex-hobo and former prizefighter Jim Tully, celebrated for its raw realism and considered a foundational text of the hard-boiled school of American literature.

Content & Background:
The novel follows Shane Rory, a young drifter who rides the rails as a hobo before entering the brutal world of professional prize fighting, working his way up through the heavyweight ranks.
• The Authenticity: Unlike standard sports fiction of the era, Tully drew directly from his personal years spent traveling the country as a vagabond and boxing on the Ohio circuit. Sportswriter Damon Runyon famously remarked that the book’s fight scenes “literally smell of whizzing leather.”
• The Dedication: As shown in the third image, the book is dedicated “To My Fellow Road-Kid Jack Dempsey.” Dempsey, a close friend of Tully who similarly rose from a hobo background to win the world heavyweight championship, highly praised the book, noting that its prose packed the same devastating punch he used to wield inside the ropes.

Physical Bibliographic Description (Pictured Edition):
• Publisher: Grosset & Dunlap, New York (1936 Reprint Edition). (Note: The true first printing was published the same year by Greenberg; Grosset & Dunlap issued this matching hardcover edition immediately after using the same text block layout).
• Length: 248 pages.
• Binding: Hardcover bound in original tan/light orange cloth boards with the title and author stamped sharply in bold black lettering on the front cover and spine.