Schoor,Gene – The Jack Dempsey Story

Description

Schoor, Gene ‘The Jack Dempsey Story’ 1956 British edition. Nicholas Kaye, London. 186 pgs. Good minus hardcover with foxing on the first few pages and worn covers, with a fair dust jacket.

The 1956 British edition of The Jack Dempsey Story by Gene Schoor (written with Henry Gilfond), published by Nicholas Kaye, London, is the first UK printing of this classic sports biography. Originally published in the United States by Julian Messner in 1954, this edition brought the legendary heavyweight’s life story to British sports fans.

Physical & Bibliographic Description:
• Format: Standard octavo (8vo) hardcover.
• Pagination: 186 pages.
• Binding: Hardcover cloth boards (typically red or green textured cloth depending on the binding run) featuring clean spine lettering.
• Dust Jacket: Issued with an illustrated, stylized mid-century dust jacket featuring a bold, colorful sporting layout.
• Illustrations: Features black-and-white photographic plates interspersed throughout the text, capturing Dempsey in his prime, historic fight sequences, and training camps.

Content Overview:
Gene Schoor was an accomplished sports biographer and former college boxing instructor known for his cinematic, fast-paced narratives. This 186-page volume covers:
• The Early Years: Dempsey’s dirt-poor childhood in Colorado and his rough early career fighting in mining towns and lumberjack camps under the moniker “Kid Blackie”.
• The Rise to Greatness: His ascent to the heavyweight championship under the management of Doc Kearns, culminating in his historic 1919 victory over Jess Willard.
• Historic Bouts: Vivid play-by-play retellings of his most iconic matchups, including his legendary fights against Georges Carpentier and his controversial “Long Count” rematch with Gene Tunney.