The Real McCoy: A Novel by Strauss, Darin - 2002

New York, New York, U.S.A.: E P Dutton, 2002. Book. Fine. Hardcover. First Edition. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. Like-new condition. Appears unread. NO remainder marks or price clippings. Tight spine - Bright pages. NO writing, marks or tears inside book. Stated First Edition. 326 pages. In Chang and Eng, Darin Strauss offered a realistic novel based on the stranger-than-fiction lives of P. T. Barnum's original Siamese twins. Here he exposes the rough-edged exploits of "Kid" McCoy, a boxer/scam artist loosely based on the elusive Charles "Kid" McCoy (1872-1940), a world-class boxer who spent eight years in San Quentin. The "real" McCoy was a fighter with such a penchant for fixed fights and double-crosses that his nickname became a moniker for generations of emulators, both pugilistic and criminal. Strauss' novel captures the gritty aspirations and confused love of a clever barnstorming trickster..