Titanic Thompson: The Man Who Bet on Everything by Kevin Cook

The extraordinary life of a legendary hustler

Good Condition - a torn sticker remnant on the front and minor creasing and nicks at the edges and spine ends.

Kevin Cook recounts the life of Alvin "Titanic" Thompson, a gambler whose talents ranged from cards and dice to golf and seemingly impossible wagers. Travelling across America with cash, clubs and a readiness to take risks, Thompson made and lost fortunes in a world where sharp practice could be as valuable as skill. His encounters brought him into the orbit of celebrated sportsmen, entertainers and notorious figures, while his private life proved as turbulent as his games. Cook's biography follows a resourceful, dangerous and contradictory character through the changing landscape of twentieth-century America. Part sporting history and part portrait of a professional hustler, it explores the ingenuity and costs behind an enduring gambling legend.