Book thread...

I'd say Four Kings. Both books are great but I'd say Four Kings is an all-time great, unified, lineal, linear, multi-weight world champion of books.

 

The mob, the garden and the golden age of boxing by Kevin Mitchell is a good read. Jonny tapias book is a must read for boxing fans and fans of mental *******s

 

I'm not sure if any of you remember, but The Ring have had the knives out for Four Kings' author, George Kimball. I'd just finished reading it and loved it. His knowledge and familiarity with all four of its protagonists is clear on each page. Plus he's a great writer.

Month or so later, and not long after Ring TV started up, the editor Michael Rosenthal made a sarcastic comment along the lines of "I never thought anyone could make the quartet of Leonard, Duran, Hagler and Hearns boring, but George Kimball's Four Kings manages it." It was an astoundingly nasty thing to write, especially since the praise from both specialist and mainstream reviewers was so good.

Little while later, Michael Woods, editor of the Sweet Science, posts his response to Ring magazine editor Nigel Collins' attack on Kimball. Kimball had questioned the legitimacy of Collins et al after GBP's purchase of the magazine and Collins had taken offence publicly and in near slanderous fashion. Woods had complained to the press commission and The Ring had to apologise.

Totally at a tangent, I know, but wondered if anyone remembered it?

Also, Donald McRae's Dark Trade is excellent.

 

Hausers book on Ali is brilliant. It is just lots of contrasting views on ali placed together perfectly and sybtly thread along hauser's narrative.

a relativly new one is Adeyinka Mankinde's Jersey Boy: The life and mob-slaying of Frankie dePaula

Excellant book on a forgotten fighter, piecs together his career well and includes a great chapter on his fight with Dick Tiger. But away from the boxing it really has lots about the Mob and Jersey City in the 60s really fascinating stuff.

 

Given I was only nine years old when that great series of fights kicked off I was unable to be ringside as it was past my bedtime. So I'm probably not the best person to write a book on the subject.

I'm still learning Bunce and having interviewed the likes of Bruce Scott right through to Marvin Hagler so far, I'm getting there slowly. Without sounding like I've got my tongue up your arse I hope I can be as good as you one day.

And as it happens I am writing a book at the moment which I'm sure will outsell The Fixer ten to one and if another trio or quartet of UK fighters come along I'll be there ringside nudging you out the way.

Bunce, if you or someone can get a book done about Benn, Eubank and Watson I'm sure it'll fly off the shelves.


Sayonara

 

If Four Kings had never existed I have to say Dark Trade would be my favourite boxing book. And anyone who criticises Four Kings that way has the intellect of my dog.

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I still can't find my Hands of Stone book

 

This is an excellent read. The only book I've read more than twice in my lifetime.

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Buncey, Makinde was on another podcast recently and did a superb and very well articulated interview. How yo liking his two books?

 

my bet is the dog ate it

 

Dark trade is absorbing

 

McRae's almost as good as McIlvanney. McIlvanney on Boxing is one of my favourites, but it's his articles, so there's less of a overall arc. I have another few that are quite good. I'll look them out and share some names.