Boxing Books
Cornerstone No Ordinary Joe
Book SynopsisJOE CALZAGHE, winner of three consecutive ABA titles as an amateur (a post-war record) and the dominant super middleweight in the world for the past decade, was born in 1972 in Hammersmith, London, growing up from the age of two in Newbridge, Wales. After successfully challenging Chris Eubank for the WBO title, he has remained a super middleweight world champion for more than a decade. He has two sons, Joe and Connor, and lives in Blackwood.Trade ReviewNow this is what sport's all about ... His battles personal, and in the ring, make for fine fight game reading * Daily Sport *The portrayal in this autobiography of Calzaghe as a true warrior who is now enjoying genuine popularity is justified ... candid [and] a fine read. Go on, Joe! * The Independent *A knockout read * The Wharf *A frank, honest and truly inspirational autobiography ... No Ordinary Joe is a must-read for all sports fans * North West Evening Mail *Fittingly gritty * Telegraph *
£11.69
Penguin Putnam Inc Undisputed Truth
Book Synopsis
£20.00
Vintage Publishing Unforgivable Blackness The Rise and Fall of Jack
Book SynopsisWINNER OF THE WILLIAM HILL SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARDHe was the first black heavyweight champion in history (1908-15) and the most celebrated - and most reviled - African American of his age. In Unforgivable Blackness, prize-winning biographer Geoffrey C. Ward brings to vivid life the real Jack Johnson, a figure far more complex than the newspaper headlines could ever convey.Johnson battled his way from obscurity to the top of the heavyweight ranks and in 1908 won the greatest prize in American sports - one that had always been the preserve of white boxers. At a time when whites ran everything in America, he took orders from no one and resolved to live as if colour did not exist. Because of this, the federal government set out to destroy him and he was forced to endure a year of prison and seven years of exile. As Ward shows, Johnson was seen as a perpetual threat to white and African Americans alike - profligate, arrogant, amoral, a dark menace and a dangeTrade ReviewA significant achievement... An utterly convincing and frequently heartrending portrait -- Joyce Carol Oates * New York Review of Books *A formidable accomplishment...Ward has successfully brought this deep and colourful personality, this insufficiently understood and altogether amazing man, back to life -- David Margolick * New York Times Book Review *A portrait of a fascinating figure, whose oversized personality fills every page. -- Bruce Schoenfeld * Washington Post *Ward is a distinguished and diligent historian, and he has mined original sources to tremendous effect. The detail is dazzling... It deserves an audience far beyond fans of the ring game -- Andrew Baker * Daily Telegraph *'a delicious detail on almost every page... Research this powerful gives Unforgivable Blackness a richness that rewards contemplative reading', -- Jon Hotten * Scotland on Sunday *
£11.69
Random House Shadow Box
Book SynopsisFrom the author of Paper Lion Stepping into the ring against light-heavyweight champion Archie Moore, George Plimpton pauses to wonder what ever induced him to become a participatory journalist. Bloodied but unbowed, he holds his own in the bout and brings back this timeless book on boxing and its devotees, among them Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, Ernest Hemingway, and Norman Mailer. Shadow Box is one of Plimpton's most engaging portraits of professional sport seen through the eyes of an inquisitive and astute hopeful. From the gym, the locker room, the ringside, and even in the harsh glare of the ring itself, Plimpton documents what it truly means to be a boxer in some of the finest writing of his career.Trade ReviewExcellent... The chapters on Muhammad Ali are delightful, and Ali is not easy to write about * Time *With his gentle, ironic tone, and unwillingness to take himself too seriously, along with Roger Angell, John Updike and Norman Mailer he made writing about sports something that mattered * Guardian *What drives these books, and has made them so popular, is Plimpton’s continuous bond-making with the reader and the comedy inherent in his predicament. He is the Everyman, earnests and frail, wandering in a world of supermen, beset by fears of catastrophic violence and public humiliation, yet gamely facing it all in order to survive and tell the tale… A prodigious linguistic ability is on display throughout, with a defining image often appended at the end of a sentence like a surprise dessert... It is a fan’s book, not only displaying the awe and devotional piety of the true fan but also the perils of the condition. -- Timothy O'Grady * Times Literary Supplement *
£11.69
Headline Publishing Group Gypsy Jem Mace First Heavyweight Champion of the
Book SynopsisA few miles from New Orleans, at LaSalle's Landing - in what is now the city of Kenner - stands a life-size bronze statue of two men in combat. One of them is the legendary Gypsy Jem Mace, the first Heavyweight Boxing Champion of the World and the last of the great bare-knuckle fighters. This is the story of Jem Mace's life.Trade Review"A laid-back and beguiling writer." - The Sunday Times "Poolman is a writer of considerable dexterity and razor-sharp insight" - Washington Post
£10.44
Penguin Books Ltd Believe
Book SynopsisTHE STORY BEHIND THE WOMAN WHO CHANGED THE FACE OF BOXING FOREVER, OBE NICOLA ADAMSAt London 2012, Nicola Adams made history when she became the first woman ever to win an Olympic Gold medal for boxing. In Rio 2016, with the nation cheering her on, she did it all over again. Years of relentless training, fundraising and determination have seen Nicola battle through injury, prejudice and defeat to become one of Britain best-loved athletes and an inspiration to all those who are chasing after a seemingly impossible dream. From a leisure centre in Leeds to the Olympic Stadium in Rio, Nicola with her famous smile has become an LGBTQ+ icon and the poster girl for women in sport. This is her story of grit, talent and the real person behind the smile.Nicola is soon to be a contestant on BBC''s Strictly Come Dancing in the show''s first same-sex pairing. ____________________WHAT READERS ARE SAYING ABOUT NICOLA:Trade ReviewThe British public don't just admire her, they love her * Guardian *
£12.71
Penguin Books Ltd Kellie
Book SynopsisTHE PHENOMENAL MEMOIR OF A NATIONAL TREASUREAfter Kellie Harrington won gold at the Tokyo Olympics, the Irish public recognized her as not merely a sporting hero, but a deeply inspirational human being. Now, Kellie tells the story of her unlikely journey to the top, and of the many obstacles and setbacks she overcame along the way.Growing up in Dublin''s north inner city, Kellie was in danger of going down the wrong path in life before she discovered boxing. The local boxing club was all-male and initially wouldn''t let her join, but she persisted.She was not an overnight success. For years she struggled in international competition. At times she felt unsupported by the national boxing set-up. More than once she considered giving up the sport. But some spark of ambition and love for boxing kept her going, and gradually she made herself world class.Writing with Roddy Doyle, the award-winning author of The Commitments, Kellie tells the story of her unlikely rise to greatness and her continuing dedication to living a normal life - which has involved remaining an amateur boxer and keeping the job she loves, at a Dublin psychiatric hospital. She shares exceptionally vivid and revealing details about being a woman in a historically male sport, and about how she manages her body and her mind. It is a vastly inspiring look inside the life and psychology of a woman who is both brilliantly ordinary and utterly exceptional.Trade ReviewReaders will be with her every step of the way . . . her voice is so radiant -- Tommy Conlon * Sunday Independent *Doyle has captured the full Kellie experience here, all heart and laughs and a mouth like a sailor -- Malachy Clerkin * Irish Times *A terrific collaboration. Kellie Harrington's story is unique . . . Doyle coaxes her journey to Olympic gold out of her with warmth, wit and tenderness * Irish Times Books of the Year *By the end of this read, you know exactly how to feel about Kellie's life so far. Extraordinary. And the book leaves you in one position: in Kellie's corner -- Sinéad Kissane * Irish Independent *Perfectly capture[s] the story of a champion who couldn't be stopped from reaching her dreams * Irish Daily Mail *
£10.44
MO - University of Illinois Press Sweet William
Book SynopsisA tribute to Billy Conn, one of the greatest light-heavyweight boxing champions of all timeTrade Review"Affectionate yet evenhanded biography of the fighter known as 'The Pittsburgh Kid.' O'Toole makes a relatively normal life sing with his obvious passion for his subject, his meticulous research and his ability to empathize with Conn, his family and the colorful characters who inhabited the boxer's literal and metaphorical corner. A welcome addition to the boxing-literature canon."--Kirkus Reviews, October 15, 2007"The rough-and-tumble sports world of the late 1930s and early 1940s emerges vividly, as O'Toole describes the way mobsters infiltrated the fight game and how Conn needed the help of Pittsburgh Steeler owner Art Rooney to stay clear of the unsavory types. Conn, though not widely known today, was a beloved, blue-collar American hero in his era, and O'Toole masterfully re-creates both the life and the times. For all fans of boxing history."--Wes Lukowsky, Booklist“Before Roberto Clemente, Terry Bradshaw, or Mario Lemieux became household names, Billy Conn was Pittsburgh’s most famous athlete. In Andrew O’Toole’s Sweet William: The Life of Billy Conn, the East Liberty-born boxer’s career is examined, and there’s much to enjoy. O’Toole is a thorough chronicler, but the best parts of the book are the colorful backroom stories that seem to be intrinsic to boxing lore."--Pittsburgh Tribune-Review"Unapologetic, fearless and uncompromising: That's the Billy Conn, and that's the city of Pittsburgh, that O'Toole portrays in Sweet William. The book is a great read for sports fans and local historians alike. Family dustups notwithstanding, Conn is the 'Pittsburgh Kid' that Pittsburgh kids should learn about and look up to."--Pittsburgh City Paper"A rich, solid book. . . .The author has a command of the mores of both the street and the seamy life of smalltime boxing; thus the reader does indeed see a slice of 'sport in society' as told through experience, interviews, and newspaper accounts rather than the colder eye of a historian. . . . This book is best suited to scholars and fans in search of an authentic voice. Recommended."--Choice"Sweet William compellingly captures the personal life of a public icon--and beloved lifelong Pittsburgh resident--and the pageantry of American sports during the 1930s and 1940s."--Pennsylvania Heritage"A masterful biography of Billy Conn. . . . An excellent portrayal of the Golden Age of boxing."--Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography"As no one else has, O'Toole writes extensively and revealingly about [Conn's life]."--Pittsburgh Post-Gazette "A mesmerizing account."--Aethlon: Journal of Sports Literature"More than just a biography, Sweet William is a sweeping portrayal of an era just before, during, and after World War II when boxing was in its Golden Age. Andrew O'Toole brilliantly captures the essence of the many unique characters of the time, including the dashing, handsome, fearless Billy Conn, the Pittsburgh Kid, whose colorful personality would have made him a celebrity in any era. The book includes his odyssey from the smoke-filled environs of Pittsburgh to New York's famed Jacobs Beach where the enigmatic Conn became the greatest light heavyweight champion of all time."--Angelo Prospero, boxing writer and historian "In Sweet William, Andrew O'Toole takes you to the streets of Pittsburgh and New York prior to World War II. You can't help but feel the sweat, feel the struggle, and get caught up in the glamour. It's a superb piece of storytelling—and an important book about an important fighter from boxing's Golden Age."--Russell Sullivan, author of Rocky Marciano: The Rock of His Times
£15.19
Hachette Books Pacman
Book SynopsisPacMan is a one-of-a-kind ride into the one-of-a-kind life of Manny Pacquiao.- Robert Cassidy, Newsday With his shellacking of Antonio Margarito in November 2010, Manny PacMan Pacquiao became the only boxer ever to win eight world championships in eight different weight classes. Proclaimed the fighter of the decade by ESPN and elected Congressman in the Philippines, he is an inspiration to his countrymen. But to many, he remains an enigma. In PacMan - named one of the best sports books of 2010 by the Guardian - Gary Andrew Poole pulls back the curtain in an amazing tale of how a reed-thin Filipino, who left his home in the poorest pocket of the Philippines (The City of Dust) at the age of 15 . . . became one of the most recognizable names and faces in the world ( Dallas Morning News ). Excellent.- Sports IllustratedTrade ReviewScoop Malinowski, Boxing Insider (BoxingInsider.com)"Manny Pacquiao's rise to superstardom is one of the world's most unlikely stories...Poole takes you on a journey to Planet Pacquiao and it couldn't have been a better read. I loved the book from beginning to end, it's a fantastic, entertaining and informative read...You will simply be awed by insider perspectives on Pacquiao's generosity, modesty, kindness, inspirational powers and just how much he is loved by Filippinos all over the world..."PacMan" is a must-read for all sports fanatics." Daily Telegraph (UK)"a fine biography" Queensbury Rules"a wonderful read, marked by genuine insights" SportsIllustrated.com, 11/2/10"[An] excellent biography...Absolutely worth the read." Boxinginsider.com, 11/2/10 "It couldn't have been a better read...Fantastic, entertaining and informative...As good as any boxing biography my hands have ever touched." Newsday, 11/4/10"[An] amazing behind-the-scenes look into the life of Manny Pacquiao...A one-of-a-kind ride." Daily Telegraph blog, 11/5/10"[A] fine biography." Los Angeles Daily News, 11/12/10"The most thorough piece of work done to date on Pacquiao." Sports Illustrated, 11/2/10"Gary Andrew Poole's excellent biography of boxing's pound-for-pound kingpin is absolutely worth the read." New YorkNewsday, 11/4/10"It is an amazing behind-the-scenes look into the life of Manny Pacquiao. Poole had tremendous access while he traveled the world reporting and observing the fighter. The effort has paid off for the readers because the book is brutally honest. Poole takes you on a one-of-a-kind ride into the one-of-a-kind life of Manny Pacquiao." BoxingInsider.com, 11/1/10"Poole takes you on a journey to Planet Pacquiao and it couldn't have been a better read...I loved the book from beginning to end, it's a fantastic, entertaining and informative read...and I consider it to be as good as any boxing biography my hands have ever touched." Rick Gosselin, Dallas Morning News, 11/10/10 "The book is an amazing tale of how a reed-thin Filipino, who left his home in the poorest pocket of the Philippines ("The City of Dust") at the age of 15 to become a boxer, became one of the most recognizable names and faces in the world. I recommend it." Steve Bunce, BBC, 11/4/10"This is good, one for the ages. It's not a work of a ridiculous fan boy. It's quality. If you listen to me enough, you know I don't endorse books that are garbage." Gareth A. Davies, Daily Telegraph, 11/2/10"PacMan tells the rags to riches story of this remarkable boxer who has begun a journey which will see him transcend the sport. It is a fine biography." Tim Starks, Queensbury Rules, 10/29/10"If you don't know Pacquiao's amazing story, Poole will open your eyes. If you know Pacquiao already, Poole will help you know him more deeply. And with a masterful guide like Poole leading you down the path, you'll enjoy the experience immensely." The Daily Mail, 11/9/10"Offers fascinating insight into the PacMan's crowded life." TheRing, 11/9/10 "Well written and provides fresh in-sight into the life of the world's most-popular boxer." Wall Street Journal website, 11/14/10 "A great read." Daily Beast, 11/15/10"A lively biography." The Examiner, 11/18/10 "A gem...Just like its hero, the book manages to touch our hearts. I highly recommend it."\ Recah Trinidad, The Philippine Inquirer, 11/19/10 "Genius deserves genius and Poole has produced a brilliant book on the Pacquiao legend...A masterpiece...insightful, thrilling prose in the tradition of Truman Capote." The Guardian (UK), 12/18/10"Gary Andrew Poole's PacMan, has something of both the breathless urgency of Pacquiao in the ring and the extraordinary chaos that accompanies him outside." The Observer (UK), 12/18/10"[Pacquiao's] fascinating tale is recounted by Gary Andrew Poole in PacMan...Poole offers brilliant background on his coach, Freddie Roach...and talks about his defiant rise in national politics." New York Daily News, 12/19/10"A nice read."
£20.57
Random House USA Inc Sting Like a Bee
Book Synopsis
£16.62
Farrar, Straus & Giroux Inc The Sweet Science
Book SynopsisA.J. Liebling''s classic New Yorker pieces on the sweet science of bruising bring vividly to life the boxing world as it once was. The Sweet Science depicts the great events of boxing''s American heyday: Sugar Ray Robinson''s dramatic comeback, Rocky Marciano''s rise to prominence, Joe Louis''s unfortunate decline. Liebling never fails to find the human story behind the fight, and he evokes the atmosphere in the arena as distinctly as he does the goings-on in the ring--a combination that prompted Sports Illustrated to name The Sweet Science the best American sports book of all time.
£15.30
Penguin Putnam Inc Iron Ambition
Book Synopsis
£15.30
Transworld Publishers Ltd At Home with Muhammad Ali
Book SynopsisFrom the daughter of Muhammad Ali comes an intimate portrait of the heavyweight boxing champion and a final love letter from a daughter to her father. Through audio journals, love letters and cherished memories, Ali''s daughter Hana tells the story of a very typical and yet fully-unique family, the rise and fall of her parent's marriage and the struggles they faced as a family surrounding Ali's loss to Larry Holmes in 1981.With the decline of Ali's voice, his recordings are important to history as they are to his personal legacy. At Home with Muhammad Ali offers a candid look at a man who was trying to find his purpose in the world as he realized he was coming to the end of his lucrative sporting career, all the while trying to balance fatherhood and his worldly and political obligations. Additionally, Hana tells of the everyday adventures that the family experienced around the housewith visitors like Michael Jackson and Clint Eastwood dropping by. And Trade ReviewThis book is an amazing insight into an incredible man * Lorraine Kelly *To millions of fans his reputation went beyond the boxing ring. In At Home With Muhammad Ali, Hana Ali tells what it was like to grow up with the most legendary name in sport. [The book] vividly evokes an Ali who is barely recognisable as the cocky, complicated boxer and incendiary political figure depicted in obituaries. Instead, Hana fleshes out the Ali of his later years... She presents her father as a funny, doting family man who looks for ways to bring joy to ordinary people. Ultimately, his final victory is his greatest: coming to terms with this illness after realising that it was the one opponent he would never beat. * The Times *Intimate... Moving... [This] memoir charts Hana's treasured memories of a man hailed as one of the first global superstars of sport. * Sunday Mirror *How wonderful, after decades of thoughtful but at-a-distance portraits of Muhammad Ali, we have this exquisite and movingly intimate one. His daughter, Hana, has permitted us all to fill out—with love—our own sense of the real man behind all the mythology. This is a hugely important addition to our understanding of the Greatest of All Time. -- Ken Burns, filmmakerA famous man will be viewed one way by the public. Another by his wife. Another by his children. Hana brings together these vantage points — and allows everyone to see Muhammad Ali in a new light. -- Larry King
£13.49
Princeton University Press Come Out Swinging The Changing World of Boxing in
Book SynopsisGleason's Gym is the last remaining institution of New York's Golden Age of boxing. Jake LaMotta, Muhammad Ali, Hector Camacho, Mike Tyson--the alumni of Gleason's are a roster of boxing greats. Founded in the Bronx in 1937, Gleason's moved in the mid-1980s to what has since become one of New York's wealthiest residential areas--Brooklyn's DUMBO. GTrade Review"Trimbur ... capture[s] the faces and dramas--often internal--of a modern, urban boxing gym."--Choice "This is rich and fascinating book... Lucid and refreshingly free of unessential academic jargon, this is a book that should be read by any anthropologist, historian or sociologist seeking to understand the changing world of sport and leisure since the 1980s. Most importantly, it is a book is written with great humanity."--Tony Collins, Sport in History "Trimbur has written a wonderful book about the world of boxing, specifically that place and space dedicated to boxing known as Gleason's Gym. Anyone who wants to understand boxing as practiced in 21st-century Brooklyn should read the sociological gift bestowed upon us called Come Out Swinging."--Joseph Trumino, American Journal of SociologyTable of ContentsAcknowledgments xi List of Prominent Participants xv Preface xvii Chapter One: Survival in a City Transformed: The Urban Boxing Gym in Postindustrial New York 1 Chapter Two: Work without Wages 16 Chapter Three: Tough Love and Intimacy in a Community of Men 39 Chapter Four: Passing Time: The Expressive Culture of Everyday Gym Life 63 Chapter Five: The Changing Politics of Gender 89 Chapter Six: Buying and Selling Blackness: White-Collar Boxing and the Cultural Capital of Racial Difference 117 Epilogue 142 Methodological Appendix: Ethnographic Research in the Urban Gym 149 Notes 155 References 181 Index 193
£25.50
The Crowood Press Noble Art of Heavyweight Boxing
Book SynopsisThe Noble Art of Heavyweight Boxing is a knockout trip through the history of this popular sport, from the last thrilling bareknuckle contest in 1889 between champion John L. Sullivan and challenger Jake Kilrain, right through to modern times, covering key fights and boxing greats such as Joe Louis, Muhammad Ali, Rocky Marciano, Joe Frazier, George Foreman, Lennox Lewis, and many, many more. Illustrated with contemporary photographs and packed with fascinating true details about the personalities and bouts, this book will be a winner with every sports fan and boxing enthusiast.Trade Review'Another knockout!' Diss Express 'a book packed packed with interesting facts and statistics' ... 'After over 25 years of writing boxing books it's clearly a labour of love for the author' Barking and Dagenham Post 'packed with facts and feats of interest on the division' -- Kate Royall Eastern Daily Press 'a knockout success' Norwich Evening News
£16.19
Arcadia Publishing Philadelphias Boxing Heritage 18761976 Images of
Book Synopsis
£19.99
Arcadia Publishing Inc. Boxing in San Francisco Images of Sports
Book Synopsis
£19.99
Arcadia Publishing Chicago Boxing Images of Sports
Book Synopsis
£19.99
Simon & Schuster The Good Son
Book SynopsisSynopsis coming soon.......Trade Review"Masterful." * Los Angeles Times *"Superb." * Boston Globe *"The best sports biographer we have today." * The Buffalo News *“A timeless mythic tale of fathers and sons . . . Kriegel’s reporting is impeccable, his passion muted but no less heartfelt for that. It takes one hell of a writer—period—to handle so rich a mix of manhood, legacy, and blood sport with such grace.” -- Scott Raab, Esquire, Best Books of the Year“An absorbing blend of psychological drama and fearless reportage, Kriegel deconstructs the sprawling consequences of that fateful day at Caesars Palace, driving at the heart of where the heady romanticism and stark reality of the cruelest sport converge.” -- Sports Illustrated, Best Books of the Year“With The Good Son, Kriegel plays a long shot and wins a unanimous decision. . . . Kriegel knows how to set up a good emotional punch, and plays on the major themes of Mancini’s life like a master novelist.” -- Allen Barra, Chicago Tribune“Goes so deep into the history and entanglement of the dysfunctional and violence-based immigrant Mancini family and the men who strived to make their mark within it, that it reads like something Dostoyevsky might have served up, had he been a modern-day sportswriter.” * Chicago Sun Times *“Our American literary tradition happily disregards the intellectuals and cherishes the sportswriters. As we should, for the great sportswriter combines the fan’s love of American Culture with the scribe’s intuition of tragedy. Or, as Red Smith, Damon Runyon, or Bill Heinz might have put it: ‘Kriegel does for Boom Boom what Margaret Mitchell did for the Civil War.’” —David Mamet“As told by Mark Kriegel, the true tale of Boom Boom Mancini is one of blood and spirit, of the ghosts bequeathed from fathers to sons, from pugilists to their progeny. If The Good Son is a sports book, it’s the best I’ve ever read. Either way, in any genre, it is masterful storytelling.” —David Milch“The Good Son is muscular, literary sportswriting at its best, which is what we've come to expect from Mark Kriegel. But it's also much, much more. Here is the story not just of the rise and fall of a great prizefighter from a hard-luck industrial town—rendered, throughout, with tremendous heart—but of fathers and sons, (and brothers), of America's hunger for mythic heroes, of the tragic collision of two lives. It's a slender, yet epic book, as graceful, layered and achingly intimate as the finest novel.” —Jonathan Mahler, author of Ladies and Gentlemen, the Bronx Is Burning “It’s easy to say The Good Son will go down as one of the great boxing books of all time. But in telling the story of Ray (Boom Boom) Mancini, Mark Kriegel has accomplished something beyond sports. His book is, put simply, a masterpiece; an ode to father-son relationships, to the drive and makeup of champions; to what it is to experience the high of a world championship and the low of watching an opponent die in the ring. There’s a reason Kriegel is one of America’s elite biographers. The Good Son is spectacular.” —Jeff Pearlman, New York Times bestselling author of Sweetness: The Enigmatic Life of Walter Payton "Honestly, it's simply not possible to write a better book—sports, non-sports, fiction, non-fiction—than The Good Son, Mark Kriegel's remarkable biography of Boom Boom Mancini, which is by equal turns uplifting, heartbreaking, cautionary and redemptive. And impossible to put down."––Mike Vaccaro, New York Post columnist"Kriegel is a meticulous researcher and gifted interviewer, and, in this stirring biography, the joy and tragedy experienced by the Mancini family is palpable—never more than in the account of a meeting between Kim’s son and Ray 30 years after Kim died at Ray’s hand. Kriegel picks his subjects carefully and does them justice. Can there be higher praise for a biographer?"––Booklist, starred review"Kriegel’s smoothly written biography tells the story of a rust belt hero whose boxing career was marred by tragedy in the ring. . . . as a saga of two families dealing with hardship and violent death, this boxing history is completely engaging."––Publishers Weekly
£16.20
John Wiley and Sons Ltd Muhammad Ali Trickster in the Culture of Irony
Book SynopsisThis absorbing book unravels the reasons for the enduring respect and reverence that Muhammad Ali commands long after the end of his athletic career. It will appeal to those teaching and studying cultural studies, social theory, sports studies, and sociology, as well as to general readers interested in Muhammad Ali.Trade Review"A brilliant meditation on celebrity and spectatorship and an astute cultural analysis of race and sport, Charles Lemert's Muhammad Ali is also an affectionate biography of one of the most significant figures of our age." Barry Glassner, University of Southern California, author of The Culture of Fear "Ali's fame was launched on the tide of his astonishing athletic prowess, but it was borne along by the spurting cross-currents of culture, race and politics which boiled so fiercely during the 1960s and 1970s. Lemert is excellent on Ali in relation to these cross-currents, but he also dares to dive deeper, into the secret waters of myth, totem and taboo which still underlie more of human thought and feeling than we may like to admit … This is a remarkably interesting and re-readable essay." Financial TimesTable of Contents1. From the Beginnings : GG is Gonna Whip Everybody. 2. Celebrity, Tricks, and Culture: Float like a Butterfly, Sting like a Bee. 3. Trickster Queers the World: I Don’t Have to Be What You Want Me to Be. 4. The Irony of Global Cultures: No Viet Cong ever Called me Nigger. 5. Coming Home to the Heart of Darkness: When we were Kings. 6. Trickster Bodies and Cultural Death: You’ll Die One Day So Better Get Ready. Ali and the World: A Chronology. Notes. Acknowledgments. Index.
£49.50
John Wiley and Sons Ltd Muhammad Ali Trickster In The Culture of Irony
Book SynopsisThis absorbing book unravels the reasons for the enduring respect and reverence that Muhammad Ali commands long after the end of his athletic career. It will appeal to those teaching and studying cultural studies, social theory, sports studies, and sociology, as well as to general readers interested in Muhammad Ali.Trade Review"A brilliant meditation on celebrity and spectatorship and an astute cultural analysis of race and sport, Charles Lemert's Muhammad Ali is also an affectionate biography of one of the most significant figures of our age." Barry Glassner, University of Southern California, author of The Culture of Fear "Ali's fame was launched on the tide of his astonishing athletic prowess, but it was borne along by the spurting cross-currents of culture, race and politics which boiled so fiercely during the 1960s and 1970s. Lemert is excellent on Ali in relation to these cross-currents, but he also dares to dive deeper, into the secret waters of myth, totem and taboo which still underlie more of human thought and feeling than we may like to admit … This is a remarkably interesting and re-readable essay." Financial TimesTable of Contents1. From the Beginnings : GG is Gonna Whip Everybody. 2. Celebrity, Tricks, and Culture: Float like a Butterfly, Sting like a Bee. 3. Trickster Queers the World: I Don’t Have to Be What You Want Me to Be. 4. The Irony of Global Cultures: No Viet Cong ever Called me Nigger. 5. Coming Home to the Heart of Darkness: When we were Kings. 6. Trickster Bodies and Cultural Death: You’ll Die One Day So Better Get Ready. Ali and the World: A Chronology. Notes. Acknowledgments. Index.
£17.09
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC On Boxing
Book Synopsis
£11.69
Ebury Publishing Cyclone My Story
Book SynopsisOn a hot summer''s night, in June 1985, in one of the most emotionally charged fights of all time, Barry McGuigan beat Eusebio Pedroza to become the featherweight champion of the world. An epic battle that lasted a full 15 rounds, it remains one of sport''s greatest moments - watched by 27,000 spectators ringside and by a further 20 million on television around the world.Raised in the border town of Clones, Co. Monaghan, at the height of the troubles, Barry McGuigan united people across sectarian and religious divides during a difficult time in the country''s political history. A Catholic, Barry married his Protestant childhood sweetheart, Sandra in 1981. An Irishman, he fought for the British title, wearing boxing shorts in the colours of the United Nation''s Flag of Peace - and in place of a national anthem his musician father, Pat McGuigan would often sing a heartfelt rendition of ''Danny Boy'' before a fight. Engaging and intelligent, McGuigan is a renowned and rTrade ReviewBarry McGuigan was one of the best fighters of his generation, he had fanatical support. Barry's a great ambassador for the sport of boxing * Sugar Ray Leonard *At a dark hour in Ireland, Barry McGuigan's spirit shone a light towards peace. Barry's not only a champion, he's a hero * Bono *McGuigan has experienced a fighting life as profound as it is grave ... I have not often been lost for words when sitting so close to a boxer whose enduring success and happiness is etched with tragedy ... compelling -- Donald McRae * The Guardian *A real twister of a tale ... frank and moving * Daily Mirror *Britain has never produced a more lucid exponent of the dark trade than the charismatic Irishman who made hearts soar and voices sing when he won the world title on an unforgettable night at Loftus Road 26 years ago ... A measured reflection of the life and times of a man who, like his own hero Muhammad Ali, has transcended his sport through who he was and what he did out of the ring * The Independent *
£15.29
Running Press,U.S. The Ultimate Book of Boxing Lists
Book SynopsisWhat were the ten most fantastic knockouts in boxing history? Which pugilist had the greatest jab of all time? What were the sport's most intense rivalries? What are the biggest upsets in boxing's annals? Who had the greatest nicknames? Which trainers got the most out of their charges? This title answers these questions and many others.Trade ReviewLibrary Journal, March 17, 2011 It's hard to imagine a team better equipped to compile this work than Sugar, boxing writer nonpareil, and Atlas, boxing analyst and trainer of champions. Throw in a few lists by guests like Muhammad Ali, and you have a book that will appeal greatly to boxing enthusiasts. Among the 88 lists are the expected (greatest fighters); the arcane (best body punchers); the amusing (best boxing nicknames); and the puzzling (heavyweight Ernie Terrell's favorite singers and musical groups). The book falls short of Sugar's stated intent to, through a collection of orderly miscellanea, create a kind of shorthand history of the sport, but to do so would be difficult. A winner by a majority decision, though an index sure would have been handy.
£15.29
Rowman & Littlefield Strong Boy
Book SynopsisHailed by the Boston Globe as “one of the best boxing books ever penned,” Strong Boy is the rags-to-riches story of one of America’s first ethnic heroes, the nation’s first million-dollar athlete, a sports hero decades before Babe Ruth, and the forefather of boxing and sports celebrity as we know them today—John L. Sullivan, “The Boston Strong Boy”Trade Review“From the first page to the last, Klein’s prose retains its powers of enchantment and illumination. It is one of the best boxing books ever penned.” —Boston Globe “In this muscular, relentlessly detailed book, Christopher Klein not only tells Sullivan’s story but also documents the evolution of boxing from illicit bare-knuckle savagery akin to today’s steel-cage extravaganzas to the ‘sweet science’ of legally sanctioned bouts between skillful gloved opponent.” —Wall Street Journal “John L. Sullivan was perhaps the first real American sports superstar, and especially because he meant so much as a minority champion, he prefigured Joe Louis, Jackie Robinson, Billie Jean King and the many other athletes who became genuine heroes to the people they represented. The Great John L. is as important a cultural figure as he was a sports idol.” —Frank Deford, journalist, Sports Illustrated senior contributing writer, author of Over Time: My Life as a Sportswriter “You don’t have to be a boxing fan to want to time travel back to the 1880s and sample some nickel beer, free lunch, horse trolleys, and the Babel of immigrants. Christopher Klein, in this well-researched book, delivers the sportin’ life of the Gilded Age when Americans crowned their first athlete-king, John L. Sullivan, in coast-to-coast banner headlines.” —Richard Zacks, best-selling author of Island of Vice: Theodore Roosevelt’s Quest to Clean Up Sin-Loving New York "[A] treasure trove of information that covers sports, celebrity, crime, politics and entertainment as [Christopher Klein] tracks the John L. Sullivan, "Boston Strong Boy," across the country and globe as he rises from the tenement to the heavyweight championship and everything that came with it." —Publishers Weekly "A well-researched, enjoyable biography of boxing's first heavyweight superstar, John L. Sullivan (1858–1918).... Attentive as he is to historical details, Klein’s storytelling gift is most evident in how he depicts 'John L.' as a beloved hero who was eventually undone by ego and who had a legendary appetite for food and drink. Though largely forgotten, Sullivan was the great 'American Hercules' who ruled the late-19th-century boxing world and helped usher it into the modern sporting age.... A lively, consistently entertaining sports biography." —Kirkus Reviews
£13.49
McFarland & Company James J Corbett Biography of the Heavyweight
Book SynopsisA definitive biography of the man who knocked out heavyweight champion John L. Sullivan, and who also knocked out audiences who flocked to see him in vaudeville and silent pictures. The focus is on the real man, the influences on his life, and the social and commercial environment within which he functioned.Trade ReviewA real eye-opener." —Classic Images"Recommended." —Library Journal"Carefully researched, readable, and entertaining account.... A fascinating mix of boxing and popular history." —Booklist"Extensively researched...fascinating...a peerless achievement in theater study." —Classic Images"The best...entertaining...wonderfully illustrated." —Salon.com News"Thorough, scintillating, and enlightening...outstanding...highly recommended." —The Ring"Meticulously researched…definitive biography." —The Recorder: Journal of the Irish Historical Society
£23.74
McFarland & Company The Boxing Filmography American Features 19202001
Book SynopsisThis work examines boxing films from the 1920s. The filmography also includes a section of ""End Notes"" that offers information on studio publicity releases and advertisements, press books and exhibitor campaign materials for each film.
£23.96
McFarland & Company Boxing in Black and White A Statistical Study of
Book SynopsisDrawing upon data from 'The Ring Magazine' and its annual record books, this study endeavours to bolster or refute the popular perception in boxing circles that white fighters of lesser ability are helped along to their sports elite level, as a result of being promotional gold in the eyes of the public.
£20.89
McFarland & Company John L Sullivan The Career of the First Gloved
Book SynopsisFrom his first match in the late 1870s through his final fight in 1905, this biography contains a detailed accounting of John L Sullivan's boxing career. With special attention to the 1880s, it follows Sullivan's skill development and discusses his opponents in detail, providing various viewpoints of a single event.
£23.74
McFarland & Company The Regulation of Boxing A History and
Book SynopsisA study of boxing regulations in the United States that offers an historical overview of the subject, from the earliest attempts at regulating the sport to present-day legislation that may create a national boxing commission. It also examines the disparity of regulations among states, as well as the reasons for some of these differences.
£20.89
McFarland and Company, Inc. Floyd Patterson
Book Synopsis Floyd Patterson delivered a number of knockout punches during his Hall of Fame career, but it might have been the fights he won outside the ring that made him great. Born in 1935, he overcame poverty and prejudice to become the youngest world heavyweight champion in history--and he would later become the first man to regain the crown after losing it. Muhammad Ali called Patterson the most skillful fighter he ever faced. This first complete biography of the former heavyweight champion covers Patterson''s meteoric rise as a boxer while giving equal attention to his life away from sport, including his work as a civil rights activist in the 1960s. Joining Ali and Joe Frazier as boxers who used their celebrity to bring attention to social issues, he became an icon of the movement.
£20.89
McFarland and Company, Inc. The Fearless Harry Greb Biography of a Tragic
Book SynopsisThe legendary Harry Greb stepped into the ring over 300 times from 1913 to 1926. An injury in the ring led to Greb gradually going blind in one eye and should have ended his career, but he kept his condition secret and fought on. This biography includes family recollections, modern doctors' analyses of Greb's eye injury and over 120 photographs.
£20.89
McFarland & Company Primo Carnera The Life and Career of the
Book SynopsisA biography of heavyweight champion Primo Carnera. It details his early life and boxing career, his success as a fighter as well as accusations of fight fixing, his strengths and limitations in the ring, and his later career as a wrestler.
£23.74
McFarland & Company Peter Jackson
Book Synopsis Born to former slaves on St. Croix in 1860, Peter Jackson made his name as a boxer with his smooth, fast style and a dangerous one-two combination. After immigrating to Australia, Jackson became that country''s national heavyweight champion in 1886 before moving on to the United States and claiming the title of Colored Champion of the World in 1888. For the next ten years Peter Jackson remained undefeated, finally losing to the great Jim Jeffries in 1898. Although he never received a shot at the heavyweight title--reigning heavyweight champion John L. Sullivan refused to defend his title against a black man--Jackson remains one of the greatest heavyweights ever.
£23.74
McFarland & Company Tex Rickard
Book Synopsis Whether opening saloons, raising cattle, or promoting sporting events, George Lewis Tex Rickard (1870-1929) possessed a drive to be the best. After an early career as a cowboy and Texas sheriff, Rickard pioneered the largest ranch in South America, built a series of profitable saloons in the Klondike and Nevada gold rushes, and turned boxing into a million-dollar sport. As the Father of Madison Square Garden, he promoted over 200 fights, including some of the most notable of the 20th century: the Longest Fight, the Great White Hope, fight, and the famous Long Count fight. Along the way, he rubbed shoulders with some of history''s most renowned figures, including Teddy Roosevelt, Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson, John Ringling, Jack Dempsey, and Gene Tunney. This detailed biography chronicles Rickard''s colorful life and his critical role in the evolution of boxing from a minor sport to a modern spectacle.
£23.74
McFarland and Company, Inc. Jersey Joe Walcott A Boxing Biography
Book Synopsis
£20.89
McFarland & Co Inc Boxing in New Mexico 18681940
Book Synopsis On June 28, 1868, a group of men gathered alongside a road 35 miles north of Albuquerque to witness a 165-round, 6-hour bare-knuckle brawl between well-known Colorado pugilist Barney Duffy and Jack, an unidentified fighter who died of his injuries. Thought to be the first official prizefight in New Mexico, this tragic spectacle marked the beginning of the rich and varied history of boxing in the state. Oftentimes an underdog in its battles with the law and public opinion, boxing in New Mexico has paralleled the state''s struggles and glories, through the Wild West, statehood, the Depression, war, and economic growth. It is a story set in boomtowns, ghost towns and mining camps, along railroads and in casinos, and populated by cowboys, soldiers, laborers, barrio-bred locals and more. This work chronicles more than 70 years of New Mexico''s colorful boxing past, representing the most in-depth exploration of prizefighting in one region yet undertaken.
£27.54
McFarland & Company The NelsonWolgast Fight and the San Francisco
Book SynopsisOn February 22, 1910, a crowd of more than 15,000 braved chilly, rainy conditions to witness lightweight champion Oscar `Battling’ Nelson against Adolphus `Ad’ Wolgast. This recaptures that historic fight while vividly illuminating the backdrop and the confluence of geographic, historic, and political forces that made it all possible.
£20.89
McFarland & Company Toy Bulldog The Fighting Life and Times of Mickey
Book SynopsisThis is a cradle-to-grave biography of Mickey Walker, former welterweight (1922-1926) and middleweight champion (1926-1931) of the world, one of the greatest fighters in ring history. He fought at a time when boxing was a major sport with only eight championships, and he held two of them over a nine-year period.
£20.89
McFarland and Company, Inc. Heavyweight Boxing in the 1970s The Great
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£23.74
McFarland and Company, Inc. The Rise of Mike Tyson Heavyweight
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£23.74
McFarland & Co Inc Ingemar Johansson
Book Synopsis Ingemar Johansson''s right hand--dubbed The Hammer of Thor--was the most fearsome in boxing, and Johansson''s three fights with Floyd Patterson rank among the sport''s classic rivalries. Yet most fans know little about the Swedish playboy who won the world heavyweight championship with a shocking third round knockout of Patterson and held it for six days short of a year (1959-1960). During his reign, the raffish Ingo hit fashionable nightspots on two continents, romanced Elizabeth Taylor, and refused to kowtow to the mobsters who controlled boxing. This first-ever biography of Johansson chronicles his fistic triumphs as a Goteborg teen prodigy, his humiliating disqualification for cowardice at the 1952 Olympics, his storybook romances with Birgit Lundgren and Edna Alsterlund and his post-career life and tragic early dementia.
£20.89
Grove Press / Atlantic Monthly Press A Fighters Heart One Mans Journey Through the
Book Synopsis
£12.99
Scarecrow Press Historical Dictionary of Boxing Historical
Book SynopsisTrade ReviewThe main dictionary portion of this book covers famous matches, countries, organizations, venues, weight classes, terminology, and other assorted topics related to boxing. Biographical entries, however, represent the largest category. Of necessity, sportswriter Grasso was highly selective as to whom he included; however, most of the notable figures in boxing's colorful history will be found here, including trainers and promoters. In keeping with the publisher's 'Historical Dictionary' series format, a chronology, introductory overview, and bibliography are included. Thirteen appendixes supply additional information, including 'Nicknames and Ring Names,' 'Revised London Prize Ring Rules,' and 'Boxing Movies.'. . . .Grasso's handy print volume is valuable for its excellent overview. It should join the most current edition of The Boxing Register by James Roberts and Alexander Skutt, and Boxing: A Worldwide Record of Bouts and Boxers, by Herbert Goldman on the shelves of libraries with history of boxing collections. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates and above; general readers. * CHOICE *Boxing is one of the world’s oldest sports, dating back at least as far the ancient Greeks. Although its popularity has ebbed in recent years, its long history provides fertile ground for a reference source such as this one. Similar to other works in the Historical Dictionary series, this one-volume source provides brief entries on topics throughout the history of the sport. More than half of the entries are for people primarily boxers but also promoters, trainers, and media personnel. Other entries cover boxing terminology, descriptions of weight classes, and details of notable matches. The time period covered by the book ranges primarily from the late nineteenth century through 2012. The lengthy introduction provides a strong overview of the sport, and a chronology highlights key events from throughout its history. Appendixes cover topics such as the various rules of the sport, lists of Olympic and heavyweight champions, and International Boxing Hall of Fame members. The volume contains a substantial bibliography of books on the sport as well as a list of boxing films. This work will provide a good introduction to boxing and serve as a source for biographical information on lesser-known fighters. In addition, the bibliography will lead interested readers to the best writing on the sport. * Booklist *Although many of the basic facts regarding the game of tennis, such as who won major matches, are accessible online, the boxing enthusiast will enjoy simply sitting down and thumbing through pages that reflect a love for the sport. The bulk of the dictionary is the hundreds of cross-referenced, A-Z entries on important boxers, rules, organizations, and technical terminology. John Grasso, a historian of the Olympics and author of the Historical Dictionary of Basketball (see ARBA 2012, entry 798) as well as other titles in this series, writes these in an accessible, conversational style. The entries are accompanied by a historical overview of boxing from its origins in Ancient Greece, a list of acronyms used throughout, a chronology, appendixes (winners/champions of the major events), and a bibliography subdivided by topic. . . .[P]ublic librarians and boxing historians will want to add the Historical Dictionary of Boxing to their collections. * American Reference Books Annual *
£142.20
Random House Publishing Group The Fight
Book Synopsis
£13.60
Syracuse University Press Harry Haft
Book SynopsisForced to fight other Jews in bare-knuckle bouts for the perverse entertainment of SS officers, Harry quickly learned that his own survival depended on his ability to fight and win. Presenting a story of endurance, desperation, and love, this title provides the first-hand testimony of the author's father, Harry Haft, a holocaust victim.Trade ReviewThe riveting and tragic story of Harry Haft should be, indeed, must be told, for Holocaust narratives have the mandate to provide a lesson for generations to come. I might go even so far as to state that the Harry Haft story is what Hollywood movies are made of. - George Eisen, author of Ethnicity and Sport in North American History and Culture
£19.90
MP - University Of Minnesota Press The Fighting Frenchman Minnesotas Boxing Legend
Book SynopsisTrade Review"Scott’s story is fascinating. He was a complex man, a boy damaged early in his life who grew into a man who excelled in a violent sport but had a heart filled with generosity and tenderness."—Glenn “Chico” Resch, retired National Hockey League goalie"Scott was a funny guy who fought courageous battles in and out of the ring with heart and determination. We shared many laughs and shed a lot of tears through the years."—Bob Goodman, boxing matchmaker, promoter, and member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame"What a story! Scott had a tough life, but he was such a happy-go-lucky guy. He was a generous guy, like a big daddy who loved to guide kids. With Scott LeDoux, what you saw is what you got. When he opened his mouth, people listened and laughed."—Frank Quilici, former Minnesota Twins player and manager"Scott was larger-than-life whenever he entered a room. His quick wit, his endearing charm, and his smile always captured the attention of those who had just met him or knew him a little or a lot. But don't be mistaken, he also had a very serious side, and he wanted to be known for his abilities outside of the ring—he wanted to be more than a guy who could take a punch. This book gives insight to his humor, his suffering, his compassion, and his passion. ALS took him far too soon, and Minnesota lost one of the most charitable celebrities the world has known. His story deserves to be told."—Karla Blomberg, president of Wishes & More, former president of Make-A-Wish International"Nobody ever gave 100 percent like Scott did. You can argue about his technique, but not his heart and effort. Of course, after every fight he lost, he’d say, ‘He never touched me,’ or that it was a lucky punch."—Bob Lurtsema, Minnesota Vikings legend"What a warrior!"—George Foreman, two-time heavyweight champion"Paul Levy’s new book ... gives readers a glimpse into an era of boxing that has all but vanished."—Rochester Post-Bulletin"Boxing fans, sports fans in general and even those just interested in Minnesota history can find interesting reading in The Fighting Frenchman - Minnesota’s Boxing Legend Scott LeDoux. "—Ely Echo"Captures the seamy elements of pro boxing as well as transcendent moments. "—Star TribuneTable of ContentsContentsIntroduction: Five Minutes to Go1. The Great Milford Mining Disaster2. Doc and Mickey3. “I Thought I Had Done Something Bad”4. When Lightning Struck5. The Last Place on Earth6. “I’ve Had Enough”7. Sandy8. Papa Joe9. The Great White Shadow10. One for the Record Books11. A Foreman Grilling12. A Hair-Raising Fix13. A Suspension, a Missing Mouthpiece, a Rematch14. “To Be Somebody”15. The Greatest?16. Always King17. Six Months to Live18. Cold, Hard Cash19. Luck of the Draw20. The Monroe Doctrine21. “What’s an Eye When You’ve Given Your Heart?”22. Last Rounds23. Game Seven24. Down for the Count25. Crucial Confrontation26. Something to Prove27. Funeral for a FriendAfterword: The Greatest and MoreAcknowledgmentsNotesIndex
£18.99
MP-NMX Uni of New Mexico Crazy Fourth How Jack Johnson Kept His
Book SynopsisTells the story of how the African American boxer Jack Johnson - the bombastic and larger-than-life reigning world heavyweight champion - met Jim Flynn on the fourth of July in Las Vegas, New Mexico.
£19.76
