best boxing books and why

[Cmoyle]

"It wasn't so much fiction, cm. They were thinly-veiled real fighters. "

Yes, that's true, I'm aware that the central characters were said to be based on the well-known fight manager Jack Hurley and his fighter Harry "Kid" Matthews. I didn't mean to take a shot at the the book by referring to it as fiction.

[john garfield]

Originally Posted by Cmoyle

"It wasn't so much fiction, cm. They were thinly-veiled real fighters. "

Yes, that's true, I'm aware that the central characters were said to be based on the well-known fight manager Jack Hurley and his fighter Harry "Kid" Matthews. I didn't mean to take a shot at the the book by referring to it as fiction.

I know you didn't, C. Hurley was the prototype for Doc, but Billy Graham was the Eddie Brown character, not Matthews.

[Cmoyle]

Ahh, that's right, Billy Graham, of course your right, I forgot about that.

[Stevie G]

Originally Posted by My dinner with Conteh

Good call. Fascinating book about a total cunt.


One of my faves which is seldom mentioned is "Sting Like A Bee" by Jose Torres. I prefer it to most, if not all, Ali books. I also preferred Papa Jack to Unforgivable Blackness. The latter's a greater reference point of course but I liked the flow of the Randy Roberts effort.

Sting Like A Bee was the first book on Ali (and boxing) that I ever read. Very good. Torres was an excellent writer.

[Stevie G]

McIlvanney On Boxing by the Scottish journalist Hugh McIlvanney. Covers nbouts between the sixties and nineties. Very well written.

[Stevie G]

At the other end of the scale,Ray Leonard's biography was terrible. It was nothing more than a glorified diary chronicling Leonard's fights,retirements and comebacks. No anecdotes or insights into what made Ray tick. Nothing about his opinion of the world.

[mcvey]

Originally Posted by john garfield

No love for what Hemingway called the best boxing novel he ever read, W.C. Heinz's THE PROFESSIONAL?

The best fictional boxing novel ever imo.
Any articles by Heinz are great.
In This Corner
The Sweet Science
Papa Jack
Jack Dempsey. Both By Randy Roberts
The Black Lights
Shadow Box
Anything by Mcillvanney
Jacobs Beach

[Stevie G]

Another good one on Ali was by Wilfred Sheed. Written in 1975. Anyone remember it ? The recent one on Roberto Duran was very informative.

[Paradox]

Originally Posted by McGrain

Dark Trade. This is the best book i've read about modern boxing. This guy gets Tyson at the crux of so many of the most important times in his fall. It's worth reading for that alone, but the Toney stuff is absolutley priceless.

Just started reading this at work

Loved the introduction

felt like I was in South Africa, with Cassius, Samson and Naude

I actually bought the book after seeing this thread

so Mcgrain, I thank you.

[Raggamuffin]

The life of Battling Siki. A fascinating insite in not only the life of this fighter but also a look lif in general in that era. Abducted from his homeland Senegal as a child,
being a WW1 warhero only to return to racsism. Living happily in the Netherlands with his dutch wife but never capable of living at peace. Defeating Carpentier for the title against all the odds an finally being gunned down in the back in New York

[thistle1]

one of the best I have ever read, not just your usual boxing book.

But a real Human Interest Story very visual, informative and alive with period flavour and feel. This is among the Top 10 for me, and I've read about 70 odd!

Gilroy was here! - [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

[red cobra]

Originally Posted by Sonny in Dallas

The Gene Tunney biography by Jack Cavanaugh was quite good. The autobiography of Vicki LaMotta (with Thomas Hauser) was excellent. The Two Ton Tony Galento book was weak.

I'd love to find that one. Tunney fascinates me.

[Saintpat]

The Sweet Science, a collection of essays on boxing by A.J. Liebling

A bit of classic Liebling wit, from "Ahab and Nemesis," his treatise on Marciano-Moore:

Some of the reporters, describing the blow in the morning papers, called it a “sneak punch,” which is journalese for one the reporter didn’t see but technically means a lead thrown before the other man has warmed up or while he is musing about the gate receipts.

[duranimal]

EMPIRE of DECEIT is a absolute must read by Dean Allison & Bruce B. Henderson.(FBI Agents who broke the case)

It's back in 81 & for those of us who where around at that time try & recall HAROLD SMITH & M.A.P.S. Muhammad Ali Proffesional Sports where Howard Smith managed to de-fraud Well's fargo bank out of $20+ million & use it to take over boxing & he nearly succeded as he was just a few weeks away from putting on a massive extravaganza that would have seen every WBA/WBC champion face off for the Undisputed Title's over a weekend starting with MSG on a Saturday & Caesars Palace on the sunday & to be shown globally.

Harold Smith would have been able to repay the $21Million & take over boxing compleatly as he's signed every champion up. But it collapsed due to a new clerk employed at the very botton of the bank system. It's a brilliant rollercoaster of a read & the next time i bump into Jim Watt i'll ask him "Was it true Jim that you & Mickey Duff were handed $1/2 million in a rucksack

Published by DOUBLEDAY & COMPANY, INC, Garden City, NY 1985.

I managed to find a copy on ebay

[oli]

Originally Posted by McGrain

PM me or post a review when you're done, let me know what you think.

I read night train about 10 years ago.

Superb book. Fascinating story I loved it

I borrowed it to my prick of an uncle and he lost it