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Beggars of Life
Paperback
Biographies General20th Century United States HistoryPoverty & Social Work
ISBN13: 9781025297842
Publisher: Tradd Street Press
Published: Feb 14 2026
Pages: 350
Weight: 1.08
Height: 0.73 Width: 6.14 Depth: 9.21
Language: English
Beggars of Life is a raw and unflinching look into the lives of the American underclass during the early 20th century. Written by Jim Tully, who lived the experiences he chronicles, the work stands as a seminal piece of hobo literature. It follows the journey of a young man navigating the perilous world of freight hopping, jungle camps, and transient existence. Through a series of gritty vignettes, Tully explores the codes of the road, the constant threat of violence, and the desperate search for food and shelter.
The narrative provides an authentic glimpse into a forgotten segment of society, capturing the vernacular and the harsh realities of those who lived outside the bounds of conventional labor and social structures. Beggars of Life is not merely a travelogue but a profound exploration of human resilience and the desire for freedom amidst systemic poverty. Its vivid depictions of life on the rails influenced a generation of hard-boiled writers and remains a powerful testament to the itinerant spirit of a bygone era in American history.
This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you may see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.
This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.
As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
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