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The Last Showman: The life and times of an Outback tent-boxing legend

By Fred Brophy
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Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The Last Showman: The life and times of an Outback tent-boxing legend by Fred Brophy offers a riveting glimpse into the world of Australia's outback tent boxing. It chronicles Brophy's journey as he upholds his family's legacy, offering colourful anecdotes about the challenges and adventures of running this iconic, albeit fading, showbiz tradition. The book encapsulates a mix of personal history, cultural commentary, and a celebration of a uniquely Australian way of life.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you're captivated by thrilling tales of adventure and resilience, as it dives into the extraordinary life of an iconic Outback tent-boxing legend. It offers an authentic glimpse into the rural Australian spirit, making it ideal for readers interested in unique cultural histories and charismatic personalities.

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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

'My life has been a mad travelling show, meeting some of the strangest and greatest people who've ever lived. I've had my fair share of trouble and I'm lucky to be here. But I've always been a showman and I've done my best to preserve a precious part of an old Australia that's fast disappearing.'

Son of a sideshow operator and trapeze artist, fourth-generation showman Fred Brophy grew up on the road, travelling the length and breadth of Australia. He did time in jail as a wild teenager before establishing his own successful boxing tent. It has become a star attraction in the Outback and is now the only one of its kind in the world.

Fred tells stories of living on the smell of an oily rag, rescuing battlers, and becoming embroiled in some of the most bizarre adventures imaginable. This is one helluva life, full of hardship, hilarity and unexpected turns, including Fred being inducted into the Queensland Boxing Hall of Fame and receiving a Medal of the Order of Australia.

'Now ladies and gentlemen, let's go inside. The show's about to begin ...'

One of the wildest, funniest, most extraordinary Australian autobiographies you could ever squeeze into 300 pages. R.M. Williams Outback Magazine

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780143572862

Publisher: Penguin Random House Australia

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 01 February 2016

Country: Australia

Imprint: Penguin Random House Australia

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 21.0mm

Width: 128.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 272g

Pages: 336

Collections

Biography & Memoir Fred Brophy Non-Fiction Penguin Books

About the Author

Fred Brophy is an Australian icon. He's a fourth generation showman who still operates his boxing tent - the last of its kind in the world. He makes an annual appearance at Birdsville Races where the tent is a major drawcard. He was admitted into the QLD Boxing Hall of Fame in 2010, and was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in 2011 for services to charity and to the entertainment industry in keeping old-style tent boxing alive. Fred is now sixty and lives in his pub at Kilkivan, Queensland, with his partner, Sandi. He also has a pub in Cracow. A major two-part documentary about his boxing tent, Outback Fight Club, shows regularly on Qantas flights domestically and all over the world and every time he travels overseas, he invariably meets locals who've heard of him.

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