Essay - Jack Dempsey it is Impossible to Write About the 1920s...

Jack Dempsey

It is impossible to write about the 1920s with coming to grips with those factors that caused the 20s to roar, ***** be called ***** Jazz Age, and to give rise to the expatriates living in Paris who would become known as the Lost Generation. Perhaps prime among those w***** the First World War, known as the Great War at the time (*****worldwar.com Web site). It was the first war ***** which virtually all ***** 'civilized' n*****ions participated, ***** it produced enormous numbers of casualties. The United States lost 58,480 and another 189,955 were wounded.

France lost 1,359,000, with 4,200,000 wounded. Even New Zealand was involved, losing 16,130, with ***** 40,750 wounded. The wounds, as well, ***** more grievous than in previous *****s; this was the first war ***** used aircraft, the first with ***** rudiments ***** truly horrific war-fighting machinery, the first ***** mustard gas (Firstworldwar.com Web site). Adding ***** ***** horror, the figures represent only military personnel; there is probably no accurate accounting of the losses in the civilian populations ***** Europe (Firstworldwar.com ***** site).

The war ended in November 1918, but the great influenza pandemic had already begun. "The influenza pandemic of 1918-1919 killed ***** people ***** the Great War, known today as World War I (WWI), at somewhere between 20 and 40 million people. ***** h***** been cited as the most devastating epidemic in recorded world history. More ***** died of *****fluenza in a single ye*****r than in four-years of the Black Death Bubonic Plague from 1347 to 1351. Known as 'Spanish Flu' or 'La Grippe' the influenza of 1918-1919 was a global disaster" (Stanf*****d Web site).

Roberts makes the point, although not so boldly, that the United ***** was looking for a hero, preferably one ***** could 'knock 'em dead,' no matter who the enemy. The rugged good looks of Jack ***** fit the bill; ***** did the fact that he began fighting as a youngster, w*****n he ***** only 16. There were questions, as Roberts points out, concerning Dempsey's service in World ***** I. *****n fact, he w***** often booed. Ho*****ever, his boxing prowess was such—and the newfangled ***** of press agents so dedicated—that any questions ***** Dempsey's ***** record were, if *****t quelled, at least handled (Roberts 1983).

***** a ***** for the age, Dempsey had what it **********, and everyone seemed to admire him. When he fought Luis Firpo in New Jersey ***** 1924, *****re was a ***** crowd to watch the fight, including ***** working-class aficionados one would expect. But also at ringside were some ***** the most notable figures of ***** age ***** vaudeville impresario Flo Ziegfeld, the wealthy A.J. Drexel Biddle Jr. and Sr., ***** Mrs. W.K. Vanderbilt (Roberts).

Despite ***** broken nose and scarred face, Dempsey was a clo*****shorse. For ***** brief period in the early 20s, he even emulated the loud suits ***** his *****nt. The Roar*****g Twenties was flamboyant, and saw men wearing clothing in colors other than gray, navy or black for the