What is your favourite ever boxing book and why?

Fiction" The Professional" by WC HEINZ
Non Fiction "In This Corner" by PETE HELLER

Heinz was a great boxing writer,on a par with Jimmy Cannon,
AJ Liebling,whoever, he knew his business.
Ernest Hemingway wrote the foreword."The best fictional book of boxing I have read"

Heller went around and interviewed every world Champion still alive ,who would consent to be interviewed,his is a book that captures the thoughts ,recollections and dreams of Champs ,and contenders from GunBoat Smith , up until Jose Torres and Joey Giardello, fascinating insights .

 

"In this Corner" is my favorite as well. I first read it when I was only a kid. I still pick it up now and again. Like you say it captures the thoughts, recollections and dreams of these old Champs. It also captures the times that these men lived in and an insight into their contemporary's. My personal favorite is Gunboat Smith and his recollections of his fights with Bombardier Billy Wells and Jess Willard, very funny. He sounded like a real character.
This book is a must read for anyone in the classic forum.

 

You beat me to it, mc. Was just about to post exactly what you did about W.C.Heinz and THE PROFESSIONAL. (Tried to make a movie of it when I was 20. Got Heinz's permission and agreement to write the screenplay, plus a year's option. Couldn't raise the money. The DAY my option lapsed, Peter Falk picked it up. He never made the picture, either. Lots of great actors have picked up the option, but no one's been able to bring it to the screen)

 

The Black Lights by Thomas Hauser

Hauser holds nothing back in his view into the sport. From the gym to contract signing, monopolizing promoters to retirement everything is covered as if you are there yourself. Well written.

Agains All Odds - Larry Holmes autobiography

From the fighters perspective, Holmes takes you inside his journey as amatuer boxer to Heavyweight Champion of the World. His thoughts and feelings on everything from his personal life to training and even the seedy dealings with Don King. Great book!

 

Fiction - The Contender. Author, Robert Lipsyte. Summary - A teenager growing up on the streets of new york, named Alfred brooks decides that he wants to be somebody. So he takes up boxing and starts training at a local gym. He never goes far in boxing, but during his journey learns much about himself and about life.

I read this book when I was maybe 13 years old, and it was written for young readers. A nice easy read, and a heart touching tale...

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I don't know if I could pick just one, but here's five that quickly come to mind as boxing books that I thought were entertaining reads, in no particular order:

'No Man Stands Alone' by Barney Ross
'Somebody Up There Likes Me' by Rocky Graziano
'The Flight of the Hawk' by Aaron Pryor
'The Sixteenth Round' by Rubin Carter
'Champions Off Guard' by William Inglis

That last one is a lessor known 1932 title. What I liked most about it was that the author knew many champions intimately, men such as John L. Sullivan, Corbett, Fitzsimmons, etc., and not only shares a number of good stories about each of them, but also sparred with a few of them and tells the reader what that was like. 'The Roosevelt That I Know' by Mike Donovan (1909) is another book along those lines as he knew sparred with Theodore Roosevelt, sparred with John L. Sullivan, was in Jake Kilrain's corner for the Sullivan fight, etc. And then there's 'Muldoon, The Solid Man of Sport' by Edward Van Every. Of course Muldoon trained Sullivan for that fight with Kilrain, so it's interesting to read his chapters surrounding that event, as well as many other boxing stories in the book.

 

Very interesting stuff JG, I would love to see this made into a film,as long as it was a proper job,something along the lines of "The Set Up" with Robert Ryan ,or "Requiem For A Heavyweight" with Anthony Quinn.Maybe one day eh?

 

i liked Ken Buchanans autobiography, four kings, hands of stone, the life and times of benny lynch

 

Charley burley, the life and hard times of an uncrowned champion by allan rosenield, anyone that has read it i am sure will know why, an amazing breakdown of the whole period and the murderers row careers

 

I love all 4 of the books mentioned there :good

 

'Four Kings' was brilliant - didn't necessarily agree with everything written in it - but great read.

'Black Nights' was a pleasant surprise (borrowed from the library) - riveting read - couldn't help feeling sorry for Costello & crew and couldn't put the book down!

There are many more. But these 2 were very good!

 

THE BOXING REGISTER. Can't live without it.

Also:

An Illustrated History of Boxing
Boxing in the 20th Century

Both released by The Ring.

 

Another great one.

 

Facing Ali and The Hardest Game are both very good reads I'll throw out there for anyone needing a new book to read.