11 Hours on the Ledge
Bloomsbury Academic (Verlag)
9798216371823 (ISBN)
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11 Hours: Madness, Mob Mentality and the Media is the incredible story of John William Warde, a privileged, wealthy, educated young man who inexplicably stepped out onto the 17th-floor ledge of the Hotel Gotham in midtown Manhattan in 1938 and subsequently captivated the entire nation for 11 thrilling hours before leaping dramatically to his death—to the delight of a cheering crowd estimated at up to 100,000. His last words were: “Look at all those people down there, I can’t disappoint them. It’s showtime!”
The fledgling NBC network featured a live broadcast of the event to launch their new media platform. Walter Wichell was providing play-by-play on CBS radio. Film footage was being shot for a newsreel that would subsequently generate nearly $20 million in today’s dollars during a Great Depression economy.
Although it is a story set in another era, it clearly surfaces contemporary issues such as media ethics and impact, the psychology of mob mentalities, and mental illness. It also features strains of dark humor.
Presented in chapters that count down each of the eleven hours of the unfolding drama, the suspense builds exponentially as Warde is trying to literally be talked “off the edge” by pastors, priests, psychiatrists, reporters, evangelists, hookers, beat cops, the mayor of New York, the New York Police Commissioner, family members, and a few random hucksters and interlopers. When all these efforts fail, the NYPD attempts a series of comic “rescues” in vain. Beginning on a sweltering summer day, the drama builds in intensity with every passing hour until it reaches a fever peak of hysteria at the eleventh hour.
The author has unearthed previously unreported information that makes the case of John Warde even more titillating for today’s readers. The manuscript is meticulously researched and well-resourced from thousands of newspaper accounts of the time, and magazine articles of the era. The author’s approach includes multiple perspectives—conversations among the key characters, narrative storytelling, and contemporary reports from journalists, classmates and family members, ancestry researchers, psychiatrists, and detectives from the day.
Jerry Jamison has been an award-winning advertising copywriter for more than forty years, with more than thirty national writing commendations during his career. As the principal in a California-based advertising agency, he helped create and guide successful and memorable campaigns for a wide range of clients throughout the country. Jamison has been the recipient of numerous national awards during his career including a national commendation, alongside Senator Edward Kennedy, for his service to underserved communities. Jamison graduated from Westmont College with a degree in Sociology and currently lives with his wife in Chula Vista, California.
Acknowledgments
Chapter 1: The Early Hours
Chapter 2: Zero Hour
Chapter 3: Hour One
Chapter 4: Hour Two
Chapter 5: Hour Three
Chapter 6: Hour Four
Chapter 7: Hour Five
Chapter 8: Hour Six
Chapter 9: Hour Seven
Chapter 10: Hour Eight
Chapter 11: Hour Nine
Chapter 12: Hour Ten
Chapter 13: Hour Eleven
Chapter 14: After Hours
Chapter 15: The Aftermath
Chapter 16: Fourteen Hours
About the Author
Notes
Bibliography
Index
| Erscheint lt. Verlag | 3.9.2026 |
|---|---|
| Zusatzinfo | 15 bw photos |
| Verlagsort | New York |
| Sprache | englisch |
| Maße | 152 x 229 mm |
| Themenwelt | Literatur ► Biografien / Erfahrungsberichte |
| Recht / Steuern ► EU / Internationales Recht | |
| Recht / Steuern ► Privatrecht / Bürgerliches Recht ► Medienrecht | |
| Recht / Steuern ► Privatrecht / Bürgerliches Recht ► Medizinrecht | |
| ISBN-13 | 9798216371823 / 9798216371823 |
| Zustand | Neuware |
| Informationen gemäß Produktsicherheitsverordnung (GPSR) | |
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