When the Laughing Stopped: The Strange, Sad Death of Will Rogers

by John Evangelist Walsh

Book Overview

The sudden death of renowned American entertainer Will Rogers inspired a national mourning not seen since Lincoln's death, and it still resonates today. In this intimate and informed recounting, John Evangelist Walsh recalls the events of that day and the plane crash that ended it all.

The plane carrying Rogers and aviator Wiley Post crashed in a lagoon just outside Barrow, Alaska on August 15, 1935. Walsh retells the tragic tale from various...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1602230412
• ISBN13: 9781602230415
• Release Date: February 2011
• Publisher: University of Alaska Press
• Length: 150 Pages
• Weight: 0.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 6.1" x 8.8"

Customer Reviews

Including an in-depth analysis of the cause of the crash and a close scrutiny of Mary's subsequent m

In the summer of 1935, beloved American "cowboy philosopher" and popular movie/radio star Will Rogers perished in a plane crash, on the shore of the Arctic Ocean in northernmost Alaska. By pure chance, Rogers' beloved daughter Mary happened to be performing in a play about a plane crash at the time of Rogers' death, an misfortunate coincidence that abruptly ended her career. Further ripples of the tragedy echoed in the hearts and minds of the public. When the Laughing Stopped: The Strange, Sad Death of Will Rogers explores the circumstances behind Will Rogers' passing, including an in-depth analysis of the cause of the crash and a close scrutiny of Mary's subsequent misfortune. A handful of black-and-white photographs illustrate this thoughtful, exhaustively researched account.