{"product_id":"madam-biography-polly-adler-debby-applegate-9780307744128","title":"Madam: The Biography of Polly Adler, Icon of the Jazz Age | Debby Applegate","description":"\u003ch2\u003eAbout Madam: The Biography of Polly Adler, Icon of the Jazz Age by Debby Applegate\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStep through the velvet doors of history's most notorious Manhattan brownstone with \u003cem\u003eMadam: The Biography of Polly Adler, Icon of the Jazz Age\u003c\/em\u003e. Written by Debby Applegate, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of \u003cem\u003eThe Most Famous Man in America\u003c\/em\u003e, this compulsively readable and sometimes jaw-dropping biography delivers the definitive chronicle of a diminutive dynamo who as much as any single figure helped make the twenties roar.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003ePlot Summary \u0026amp; Key Themes\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSimply put: Everybody came to Polly's. Pearl \"Polly\" Adler (1900–1962) was a Jewish immigrant from Eastern Europe whose life story represents a classic, radical American tale of success and assimilation. Starting out like a gritty immigrant novel before transforming into a glittering, real-life account straight out of F. Scott Fitzgerald, Polly declared her fierce ambition to become \"the best goddam madam in all America\"—and she succeeded wildly. During the height of the Roaring Twenties, her luxury establishments became far more than underground brothels; they served as the premier, elite crossroads of New York City.\u003c\/p\u003e \n\u003cp\u003eAuthor Debby Applegate uses Polly’s colorful life as a master key to unpack the appallingly corrupt yet undeniably glamorous and transformational ecosystem of the Jazz Age. The narrative tracks how a society standing at the peak of its post-war power allowed the cultural elite, major politicians, Broadway stars, and Café Society swells to openly mingle, drink, and negotiate with the most violent figures of the criminal underworld—including legendary gangsters and corrupt police networks. It is a breathless, panoramic study showing how the intense collision between high and low culture became the unique, volatile ingredient that permanently fueled American pop culture.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eBook Details \u0026amp; Specifications\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eTitle:\u003c\/strong\u003e Madam: The Biography of Polly Adler, Icon of the Jazz Age\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/strong\u003e Debby Applegate\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/strong\u003e 9780307744128\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFormat:\u003c\/strong\u003e Hardcover \/ Paperback (Doubleday \/ Vintage Books Edition)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eGenre:\u003c\/strong\u003e Biography \/ American History \/ Roaring Twenties \u0026amp; Jazz Age \/ True Crime Histories\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eThemes:\u003c\/strong\u003e Immigrant Assimilation, Organized Crime, High Society Gossip, Corporate \u0026amp; Political Corruption\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhy Read This Book?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePulitzer Prize-Winning Pedigree:\u003c\/strong\u003e Crafted with absolute narrative panache and backed by years of meticulous, extraordinary primary-source research by a premier American historian.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCritically Acclaimed Masterpiece:\u003c\/strong\u003e Highly praised by \u003cem\u003eThe New York Times Book Review\u003c\/em\u003e as a fast-paced, breathless tale tracking high-stakes court battles, front-page newspaper headlines, and intense mobster dealings.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEssential Social History:\u003c\/strong\u003e An indispensable, unputdownable addition for history buffs, true crime enthusiasts, and literature lovers looking to understand the real-world, unvarnished history behind \u003cem\u003eThe Great Gatsby\u003c\/em\u003e era.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Bust-Down Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51512809750843,"sku":"0307744124","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0855\/2077\/7531\/files\/9780307744128.jpg?v=1785369728","url":"https:\/\/bustdownbooks.com\/products\/madam-biography-polly-adler-debby-applegate-9780307744128","provider":"Bust-Down Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}