Whilst not as well read on Johnson, as others on the forum, I’ve always had this impression of him as being genuinely ‘fearless’. If so, being able to carry off an air of fearlessness carries with it it’s own kind of menace.
Has anyone here seen Unforgivable Blackness? I've got a copy and really want to give it a watch but it's a three hour plus commitment...
Is it as good as any book written about Johnson, or is there a definitive/better book out there? He's definitely a figure in boxing history I want to get a better handle on.
Liston wasn't "afraid" of Clay but he was certainly rattled because he genuinely thought Clay was crazed. I believe it's true that Liston pulled a gun on Clay when Clay was going nuts in a casino. So.....I think Johnson could have rattled Liston just by making him angry. Johnson was a master at psychological warfare....he might have gotten under Liston's skin; it's not out of the question. But scared, like shaking in his boots scared...no.
It's very good.I would say the two volumes by Adam Pollack,the Rise & The Reign are the definitive books on him because they are so thoroughly researched from every aspect.
That's a hard question to answer,because it depends what you want from a biography. If you mean are they just a collection of facts without any personal or historical context,then no they aren't,and Pollack isn't afraid to offer his opinion after he had presented all the facts for you to peruse. If you want to get to grips with Johnson then they are the ones to go for imo ,same as his book on Jeffries.