Kessler, Gene – Joe Louis, The Brown Bomber

Description

Kessler, Gene ‘Joe Louis, The Brown Bomber’ 1936 Big Little Book 3 3/4″ x 4 3/4″. 236 pages. Good to good +.

Book Description
Joe Louis: The Brown Bomber (Big Little Book #1105) was written by sports journalist Gene Kessler and published in 1936 by the Whitman Publishing Company.
Measuring roughly 3.75″ x 4.5″ with a thick 1.5″ spine, this compact hardcover is one of the earliest published biographies of Joe Louis. It spans 238 pages and uses Whitman’s classic Big Little Book format, which features a page of text alternating with a full-page illustration. Instead of drawings, this particular edition is highly prized for its abundance of real black-and-white historical photographs sourced from Wide World Photos. The narrative captures the spectacular early rise of Louis, tracing his journey from his youth through his explosive ascent in the heavyweight division up to 1936.

Estimated Value:
An original 1936 copy of this book in Good to Good Plus condition is estimated to be worth between $30 and $50 USD.
• The Condition Factor: “Big Little Books” were printed on cheap, highly acidic pulp paper and wrapped in soft cardboard hardcovers, meaning they were easily damaged by the children who read them. Most surviving copies suffer from missing spine covers, loose pages, or heavy edge flaking.