Best books on Jack Johnson?

So you haven't read those two volumes.
May I ask which of his biographies of heavyweight champions you have read to arrive at your conclusions about him and their contents?
What is , " an activist type ,"exactly? For example, would it be a man who does not consider Nelson Mandela to be a murdering terrorist ?
Perhaps you would like to know more about Adam?
Here is a write up on Cyberzone Boxing.
http://www.cyberboxingzone.com/boxing/adampollack-the-daily-iowan.htm

 

Just seen this Rez.

https://wordery.com/black-man-vs-th...ngGB&msclkid=5af20b80151b1f40fb225674d4cfc5d7

 

What were the sources Ward and Roberts used for the Klondike fight, can you post them please? George Siler the famous referee was at the 1st Johnson v Klondike fight, his account tallies with those provided by Pollack. I have the 4 reports of the fight Pollack produced, to the contrary they all say the fight was stopped because Johnson was clinching too much.None of them mention Johnson,"lying on the floor and quitting like a dog".

The Daily Inter Ocean.
"It was stopped more on account of Johnson holding on than because of any rough milling.Johnson is about 6'2" and has a punch that can fell an Ox in either hand.He could not land it fair on Klondike,although a punch to the head in the second round sent Klondike to the floor.After the third round Johnson tired rapidly and clung to his man at every opportunity"
The Chicago Chronicle.
"Klondike of Chicago was given the decision over Jack Johnson of Springfield Illinois before the end of the 6th round.
The fight between Klondike and Johnson was not as exciting as it should have been ,Johnson had the advantage of height and reach,but before the fight had progressed halfway the sledgehammer blows of his equally dusky opponent made it plain that he was not trained for punishment."
The Chicago Times.
"John Johnson the discovery of George Siler proved to be a husky fighter of enormous height but of insufficient skill to win from Klondike,the latter getting the decision in the 5th round after Lieutenant O Connor had called it off on account of the clinching tactics of the loser".
The Chicago Tribune
"Johnson ,a long rangy colored man from Springfield,looking something like
Bob Fitzsimmons in black showed up well at the start,but weakened under the steady,but ponderous attack of Klondike.

Having diligentlyresearched the fight and read several contemporary ringside accounts of it these are Pollack's conclusions.

" Johnson's debut try out performance in Chicago had not gone very well.
Although he showed early flashes of his ability,his lack of weight,inadequate nutrition,and lack of proper training led to ,early fatigue.
he had failed to impress the locals.
Although he had dropped Klondike in the 2nd rd ,he could not land very often.
When he grew tiredand/or was hurt,he simply grabbed incessantly to survive,until the Police Officer, who felt that he had had enough,or was fed up with the excessive clinching,requested that the referee terminate the contest.
Hence it was eithera TK0,or DQ loss,depending on how you want to look at it.
Klondike had proven to be a much tougher customer than Johnson had anticipated.
This below is the most important part for you to read and digest.
Chief Johnson Hater Number 1!
Regardless ,contrary to the erroneous belief of some,Johnson was not dropped or knocked out,nor did he quit.
given what we later came to learn about Johnson's survival skills,it is likely that he would have lasted the full six rounds and lost a decision had the police not intervened".
Pollack reached his conclusions after studying the ringside accounts of the fight.The names of which papers I have provided.
Now please provide the names of the newspapers that say different, and also these differing reports!
N B
Pollack's two volumes on Johnson received a 100%
5***** Rating on Amazon.

 

In my opinion, the best biographies on boxing figures are The One is Jack Hurley, by John Ochs (which is exhaustively research and is three huge volumes); Live Fast, Die Young, by Steven Compton (a massive biography of Harry Greb); and a Sam Langford biography by Clay Moyle. Adam Pollack's books cover the careers of early world heavyweight champions in great detail, but not nearly as much on their personal lives.

- Chuck Johnston

 

I prefer books about boxers that are written while the boxer was alive. I'm not saying his work isn't quality, that's just me. I never said Mandela was a murdering terrorists, stop lying. I said the African National Congress, not Mandela has had condemnations, racism, and human right issue. And they have.

Please keep your Political donations and Freemason ways out of this forum, I'm not taking the bait.

I'm sure Ward has his sources too, maybe Pollack didn't read those sources, but go ahead and quote the fight with Ward's in his book. I dolt think you have the stones to do that. Pollack sources contradict each other. Is he a 6'2 big man or lanky like Fitz? Obviously Johnson isn't 6'2" tall, not did he have a punch like an OX. Either way Johnson could take the power on Klondike's level. As I said when he was hit and tested, he wasn't so tough.

PS: Still waiting for the purse on Johnson vs Johnson You said you knew.

 

I've asked you for the news papers reports that differ from the ones I have provided.
You have not given a single one that contradicts the ringside reports that I have produced!
And you won't!


AS FAR AS JACK JOHNSON IS CONCERNED YOU ARE A TOTAL JOKE!

 

You are asking for Wards's sources just because you don't like the truth!

I've asked you:

Did Pollack mention Johnson beat his wife within an inch of her life?

Johnson had trouble with women all over the world.

Did he talk about his night club in chicago, which doubled as a ***** house?

Did he mention he assaulted a 120 pound sickly man?

At what page in the book? Do tell! I think Pollack left details out.

You routinely duck questions, and since you've probably read the book multiple times, such questions should be easy to answer!

Once again, what was the purse you claimed to know on Johnson vs Johnson?

You're a complete joke. You have multiple issues with other posters. Gee, I wonder why.

Also, keep politics out of this forum. Or bother people with it, it won't take long for you to be banned a third time and pick a new poster name for the fourth time.

 

Ive asked you a simple question.To provide the sources for your assertions, such as "Johnson quit like a dog"
You haven't provided them and you won't!
Nobody, and I mean nobody ,does more research for his books than Pollack.
That is why he consistently get 5 stars and one hundred percent in reviews of his books!
Yes 'Ive read the book multiple times so, unlike you ,who has not,I am familiar with the content and therefore qualified to give an opinion on it!
You who have not read either volume are not!

Is that a reasonable stance to assume or not?
ps It was not very long ago you were criticizing Ward for being a "liberal with an agenda".
I ask you once again to provide the sources for the assertion that ."Johnson quit like a dog against Klondike"
Your words .
NOW BACK THEM UP WITH A PRIMARY SOURCE!

 

It appears that Ward used Jack Curley's recollection of the Klondike fight,probably from The Ring's serialization of Curley's "Memoirs of a Promoter" published 1930-32.

 

Hardly a primary source is it? An old mans recollection of a fight that had occured 33years earlier ? Pollack provides 4 contemporary newspaper accounts which I posted and they all concur, Johnson lost the fight because he ran out of gas due to lack of training and nutrition and resorted to excessive clinching . George Siler the referee who introduced Johnson to Johnny Connors also said in his autobiography Johnson was weak because he had ,"no more than a thimbleful of victuals inside him when he took the fight."

No discrepancy among them, they all said the same thing, despite the deliberate lie Mendoza stated.
Thanks very much for your input Matt.
A year after this fight a better trained Johnson went 20rounds with the more experienced Klondike, and then stopped him some months later,but you know that!
Roberts entertaining book on Johnson,Papa Jack plays rather fast and loose with dates.
For example he says " He ate poorly and slept irregularly ,"so far so good, but he is a day out on the first Klondike fight ,He says," Johnson ,who was underfed was described as nearly starved when he entered the ring , but for the first few rounds he outboxed Klondike.Then he started to weaken under Klondike's body attack.In the fifth round Johnson decided he had fought enough and abruptly quit."
The problem with this account is not one contemporary news account mentions either Johnson being knocked down .knocked out ,or quitting.
Roberts goes on to say that Johnson knocked Klondike out 3 years later,he didn't, he knocked him out the following year on 27th of December 1900 having gone 20rounds to a draw with him 6 months earlier, a fight Roberts does not mention.I'll stick with Pollack's verified primary sources.

 

I do know ,and, if you had read Unforgivable Blackness you would know too! I gave you the chapter and the page to look it up on did I not!

Johnson was not floored in any of his 3 fights with Klondike,read the fight reports! Ward and Roberts both state Johnson was underfed and undertrained for the fight.

 

Apart from those already mentioned, I enjoyed :
The Prize Fight of the Century (JJvJJJ) - Robt Greenwood, great photos, as #
Boxing Day (JJvTB) - Jeff Wells
America on the Ropes - Wayne Rozen, massive book on Johnson - Jeffries.(currently reading) #
Others I have; but ages since read : JJ Story - Bergh, JJ & his Times - Batchelor, Black Champion - Farr.
The Great White Hopes - G Kent covers McCarthy, Flynn
Still to read, The Big Black Fire - R deCoy.(1969)

 

The Kent book was entertaining imo.

 

Yes, very readable, liked the McLaglan chapter, extra material new to me. Also a good reference to get info' easily.

 

Loads of inaccuracies in Kent's book, very readable as it was. Very little original material.