Description
Book SynopsisRelives a lost moment in American postwar history, when boxing ruled as one of the nation's most widely televised sports.
Trade Review"Troy Rondinone's history of television's first go-round with boxing is outstanding in every respect. Twinning it with the riveting life story of the popular veteran of 200 or so pro fights was inspired."--
Cyber Boxing Zone"A superior piece of sports history. . . .
Friday Night Fighter is not only a lively historical analysis of boxing, it is consistently perceptive, avoids sentimentality, and yet is reassuringly sympathetic. . . . A treasure trove."--
Journal of Sport History“Rondinone unearths two important histories. . . . He writes with a nostalgic eye, using sparkling prose,and he culls from diverse sources.”--
The Journal of American History "A fascinating biography. . . . Rondinone links televised boxing's success to television's need for prime-time programming, the role of a blood sport, changing attitudes toward race, Cold War masculinity and the impact of organized crime. Highly recommended."--
Choice"El Indio Gaspar Ortega will always be our first champion. We love him, we cherish him, and we respect him."--Carlos Santana
"Troy Rondinone masterfully and nostalgically captures the romance of boxing on television in the 1950s. It was a sport on the air, in your living room, and at its crossroads. The Friday Night Fighters may be gone--but they will never be forgotten."--Russell Sullivan, author of
Rocky Marciano: The Rock of His Times"This excellent history makes a truly significant contribution to sports scholarship and American studies. With colorful detail, Rondinone uncovers the world of the Latino fighter in the 1950s and discusses important cultural aspects of boxing in this era."--Gerald L. Early, author of
A Level Playing Field: African American Athletes and the Republic of Sports
