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Devil's Tickets: A Night Of Bridgefatal Hand, And A New American Age (2014)

by Gary M. Pomerantz(Favorite Author)

3.17 of 5 Votes: 2

ISBN

1299205542 (ISBN13: 9781299205543)

languge

English

genre

History & Biography

publisher

Crown Publishing Group (NY)

review 1: A book about the Bennett bridge murder and trial in 1929, the concurrent emergence of contract bridge as a national pastime with Ely Culbertson as its high priest, and a leisurely look at the obscure latter years of Mrs. Bennett in the wake of her acquittal. Of the three narratives, I much preferred the story of the Culbertsons' (husband and wife) role in the popularization of contract bridge. One is aware of Culbertson's reputation as an innovator and expert, but his flamboyant personality and constant promoting were news to me. Really a fascinating story, not the least interesting part of which is the role played by his wife Josephine. Mrs. Bennett's later life, recounted at tedious length at the end of the book, seems oddly superfluous and can be skipped if you happ... moreen to read the book.
review 2: Wow! I really liked this book. The story is about bridge, murder, self-promotion, prohibition, marriage, 20's and 30's American history, philandering, our past court system, ... a dozen or more topics that caused me to take to the computer and search out particulars mentioned in this book.Picking up the book, I knew NOTHING about the game of bridge. The author does a fine job of describing the game, its origins and its rise in popularity. The first fifty pages or so is dedicated to laying out the groundwork for the key players, so it does start out slowly and rather dry at first. I'm glad I continued reading!I learned of events in history that I NEVER would have known about, save for this book! Yes, the story is about a killing committed during a game of bridge in September, 1929, in Kansas City, Missouri. And, it is about the bridge tournament touted as, "The Bridge Battle of the Century", begun in NYC in December, 1931, lasting more than 30 days. The characters involved are colorful, their lives are intriguing. The common denominator is the game of bridge, with all its variables. And, the story upholds the idea that 'the more things change, the more they stay the same'. Human flaws and weaknesses, as well as personal aggrandizement, continue through the decades...(think the OJ Simpson trial, reality TV, etc.)The author gives a special treat, more than 75 years later, by seeking out friends and relatives of these people, gathering information on them, following their 'claims to fame'. It was interesting, and surprising, to know how these people lived, and eventually died. less

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