Hey im 'sorta' new to boxing, but has grown very fascinated with the older generation of boxers, from Ali and all the way back to Lamotta, Harry Geb, Jack Dempsey and those guys. If I were to read some good exciting boxing books, both about the history but also the fighters, which would you recommend?
1. There are many posters more knowledgeable than me who can give you many more examples. 2. If you go to search and type in books, you will get a few threads that will give you other ideas that may not get listed in this thread. 3. I just got done reading: Gypsy Joe Harris- Son of Philadelphia. A decent biography, but definately written with a hero worship that only a younger brother author could generate. Disappointing that it did not delve quite as much into his boxing exploits as it does his childhood and subsequent legal/health issues. Worth checking out, but again not much in terms of his actually boxing career. Ones I have read and enjoyed: Tunney "Boxings Brainiest Champ" (or something like that) My view from the corner Angelo Dundee Through the ropes Arthur Mercante Barney Ross On my shelf and getting ready to be read: The Onion Picker (Carmen basilio and the 50's) The Longest Fight Joe Gans Good luck!
Not the 'early' era, but the Ray Mancini book "The Good Son" is an excellent read -- written by a truly skilled best-selling author who has taken on other subjects like Joe Namath and Pete Maravich. Incredible research and depth -- including spending a lot of time in Korea interviewing Doo Koo Kim's surviving family to get that side of it. "The Sweet Science," a collection of essays by the late A.J. Liebling, is probably the best boxing book IMO. You will not be able to put it down -- and it covers fighters like Ezzard Charles and Marciano and Archie Moore, among others.
I enjoyed "A Flame of Pure Fire", it is about Jack Dempsey and the 1920's. It goes over the history of what America was going through at the time and Dempsey's life and fights.
I haven't read most of these. If you like Jake Lamotta get the Raging bull book. I have enjoyed Sugar Ray Leonard auto 12 greatest rounds of boxing by Ferdie Pacheco
Yes indeed ,then anything by WC Heinz & Hugh McllVanney,Jimmy Cannon, Red Smith..Jacobs Beach is a good read. Fro Biographies Adam Pollack's series is getting rave reviews,Clay Moyle's books are also very highly thought of.