Boxing book recommendations

Ishy, I've asked that question in the Classic Forum and got a couple of biographies/ books recommended but no definitive history. Most of the boxing encyclopedias I've got have decent bareknuckle sections but I'd like something that digs deeper.

 

i know someone as already mentioned it but just thought i'd show my support for Frank Bruno fighting back. i was going to create a thread just about this book a while ago but i never got round to it. its a good book, topics such as racism and the mental health problems make it more interesting and not just a boxing book, but the boxing aspects are very interesting too!

 

total agreement bro....for me, one of the all time finest boxing writers is mclvanney..some of the articles in mclvanney on boxing are really poignant, that guy KNOW the sport and the fighters.....

..a good fiction read if you like that sort of thing is george mcdonald fraser's 'black ajax', a novel about a turn of the century african american prizefighter, set in egland and america and featuring the wonderfully amoral flashman as the manager!!....

 

In The Red Corner - John Duncan

The Paddy and The Prince - Nick Pitt

Ricky Hatton - The Hitman

Nighel Benn - Nigel Benn

Ken Buchanan The Tartan Legend

Hurricane - The Life Of Rubin Carter

Unforgiveable Blackness -Jack Johnson

Muhammad Ali - Thomas Hauser

Ones i got on the shelfs, think am missing a couple. Currently reading the Teddy Atlas book, had it ages and never got round to it, the writing and his life is damn well interesting, am half way through it and i would say it's well worth a read.
Is the John Duncan doing the cuban book, is he the aussie promoter guy ? The rest are all of different style and matter, out of what i listed i would give Kens book a miss if i had to drop one.
Seemed to be "woke up, trained, had ma tea, slept" x10. Certainly would like to know if anyone else has done a book on him of course, but this style didnt hit me much.

Good Thread :good

 

Ghosts of Manila by Mark Kram
Redemption Song by Mike Marqusee (interesting read about Ali and 60s politics)
Hands of Stone, as mentioned, is very good.
"In this corner..." by Peter Heller is excellent, and parts of "Come Out Writing" are fantastic (especially the piece on Beau Jack).

 

Another vote for "In this Corner".

 

try claret and crossbuttocks you may have to do some hunting around for it

 

I found this today well worth a read enjoy

http://www.archive.org/stream/boxing00allagoog/boxing00allagoog_djvu.txt

 

Cheers. I just ordered it from Amazon secondhand for £7.:good

 

Cheers for the info Gaz and Gutto :good.

 

no problem

 

Do not think it has been mentioned but you also cannot beat your annual dose of the BBB of C Boxing Yearbook (edited by Barry J. Hughman)

This years goodies include excellent articles on Pedlar Palmer (Larry Braysher); Jack Bishop (Bob Lonkhurst); The demise of the Prize-ring (Tony Gee); Malcolm Collins (Ralph Oates).

As well as all the normal regulars including John Jarrett with the reports on British fighters Home and Away; unsurpassed detailed Obituaries by Derek O'Dell and two often google and boxrec proof quizzes.....

 

This is the book that I was gonna mention, In this Corner by Peter Heller. I've read loads but this one is the tops. 40 world champions in their own words. From Pete Herman and Gunboat Smith to Joey Giardello and Jose Torres. Just great.

 

I think your talking about 'War, Baby' Flint.

 

You could check out 'The Fight' by the late Norman Mailer, which charts the 'rumble in the jungle'. It might not necessarily be for the boxing purist, but it is very well written, and is rightly seen as a modern classic of non-fiction. Should be able to track it down for cheap, too.