New York: Harcourt Brace & Company, 1997. Hardcover. Fine/Near Fine. First edition. 257pp. Illustrated from black and white photographs. Fine in near fine dust jacket with light edgewear. Advance Review Copy with publisher's materials laid in. The author pieces together memories of a father he barely knew, a small-time gangster in 1930s-1950s Chicago.

Synopsis

Ruby Wilson, Barry Gifford's father, ran an all night liquor store/drugstore in Chicago, next door to the Club Alabama, where Barry used to watch showgirls rehearse on Saturday afternoons. Some mornings he ate breakfast at the small lunch counter in the store, dunking doughnuts with the organ-grinders' monkey. Other times he rode with his father to small towns in Illinois, where Ruby would meet someone while Barry waited for him in a diner. Everybody who was anybody in Chicago in the 30s, 40s, and 50s knew Barry Winston. Ruby Winston separated from Barry's mother when Barry was eight, married agaid (as did his mother), and died when Barry was twelve, leaving behind an elusive but powerful imprint, a constant, translucent presence. The Phantom Father explores the many sides of his unique bounty that remain in Barry Gifford's life-the allure and excitement of his father's world, the mystery he left in Barry's life, and the yearning to understand what he left behind. When Barry was a teenager, a friend of his asked, "Your father was a killer, wasn't he?" There is no easy answer to that question. Ruby Winston was a good man to know, and sometimes a dangerous man to know, but he was always a fascinating man to know.

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Details

Seller: Between the Covers- Rare Books, Inc. ABAA (US)
Seller's Inventory #: 543363
Title: The Phantom Father: A Memoir
Author: GIFFORD, Barry
Format/Binding: Hardcover
Book Condition: Used - Fine
Jacket Condition: Near Fine
Quantity Available: 1
ISBN 10: 0151002509
ISBN 13: 9780151002504
Publisher: Harcourt Brace & Company
Place of Publication: New York
Date Published: 1997
Keywords: Biography, AmerLit20thCent

Terms of Sale

Between the Covers- Rare Books, Inc. ABAA

All books are first editions unless otherwise noted. All books are returnable within ten days if returned in the same condition as sent. We accept VISA, MASTERCARD, AMERICAN EXPRESS, DISCOVER, PAYPAL, checks and money orders. New Jersey residents please add 6.625% sales tax. All items guaranteed, all items subject to prior sale. Members ABAA, ILAB. Shipping is $4.50 for Media Mail, $10.00 for Priority Mail or UPS Ground. Tracking is provided for every order. Alternate shipping available by request. Shipping costs are based on books weighing 2.2 LB, or 1 KG. If your book order is heavy or oversized, we may contact you to let you know extra shipping is required.

About the Seller

Between the Covers- Rare Books, Inc. ABAA

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About Between the Covers- Rare Books, Inc. ABAA

Between the Covers-Rare Books, Inc., founded in 1985, specializes in first editions of 20th Century American and English fiction. Our inventory of over 75,000 first editions includes: African-American literature & history, Mysteries, Detective Fiction, Drama, Books into Film and Sports books. We routinely issue extensively illustrated color catalogs, available by subscription. We are members of the Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America (ABAA)and the International League of Antiquarian Booksellers (ILAB). Tom Congalton, founder of Between the Covers-Rare Books, Inc., actively promotes the ethics and standards of these professional organizations and served as President of the ABAA from 2000 to 2002.

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Advance Review Copy: Advance Review Copy, a specially printed copy of the book, generally paperback, which has been produced and distributed by the...
Fine: A book in fine condition exhibits no flaws. A fine condition book closely approaches As New condition, but may lack the...
First Edition: In book collecting, the first edition is the earliest published form of a book. A book may have more than one first edition in...
Jacket: Sometimes used as another term for dust jacket, a protective and often decorative wrapper, usually made of paper which wraps...