Boxing Books - What's the Best ?

The Night Train is excellent, the story of Sonny Liston

The 16th Round, Hurricane Carters autobiography, the original one not the Hollywood spin off is outstanding too.

Rocky Marciano's autobiography is well written and interesting.

Ditto Larry Holmes.

Out of all of them i would say NIght Train is the best.

 

no aussie boxing fan should be without HOME BEFORE DARK, the story of les darcy...http://www.librarything.com/work/5484528

its a book full of quotes and interviews by those that knew him. full of little known facts, like; fred fulton, recently voted in the top ten heavyweights never to get a title shot, at his peak, was ko'd in 2 in a spar with darcy......

les darcy, the greatest boxer weve ever produced.




.

 

4 Kings is absolutely brilliant! Just finished it myself.

Fighters By Trade, I must get hold of and have a read - sounds interesting.

.....and peaking of Aussie books, there's an excellent book called Fighter Lady by Beverley Will that covers mostly the 70's & 80's of Aussie boxing. Bought it through her website at www.bewtalks.com.au/fighterlady.html. You'll find the book available from other places pretty easily by searching the web.

Danny Green's book is a good read too.

 

If the bareknuckle days count The Black Ajax by George McDonald Fraser is a must have. It chronicles the original transatlantic showdown between British Tom Cribb and African American Tom Molyneux in the 1850's.

 

Jose Torres' book on Ali, Sting Like a Bee, is also a ripper! Torres sparred, travelled with, and got very close to Ali - hence the excellent 1st hand accounts.

 

There is a chapter about this fight in Budd Schulberg's Ringside.
Would love to read more about it, might have to see if I can find that book.

 

His book on Tyson, 'Fire & Fear' should be retitled 'All of Mikes success is because of me and his failures came after I was booted out of his camp'.

This is the one where all the quotes regarding Tysons best punch was against Robin Givens. Tyson "Man, I'll never forget that punch...she flew backward, hitting every ****ing wall in the apartment. That was the best punch I've ever thrown in my ****ing life."

Heres Jose modestly telling about his own input into Tysons unification bout with Tony Tucker. "Just before the bell for round three sounded, Tyson stood up in his corner and looked straight at me. I was standing throwing jabs over the heads of the people in front of me, and he acknowledged by nodding his head. When the bell rang, he came out, his hands protecting his face, his elbows protecting his torso, his jab resembling an electric hammer. Everyone in his corner seemed to be breathing easier; so was Mike himself."

Of course theres the 602 references to when Jose won the Light Heavyweight Title, just in case you'd forgotten since the last paragraph.

Avoid like the plague.

 

A pity that, because the Ali book is first rate reading, and Torres' selfindulgence is kept to a workable minimum.

Perhaps his approach to the Ali book was was more in reverance and respect. Whereas with Tyson.....

 

Yeah fire and fear was a little off track occasionally! The Black Lights is a fantastic look into the industry and from the other side as well Mickey Vann's Give Me a Ring - still a little bemused that a ref wrote an autobiography but it does make good reading

 

The Black Lights (by Thomas Hauser) certainly opened my eyes when I read it! Felt so sorry for Costello at times.

(borrowed it from the library - best charge for a good book is always free).

 

On Boxing - by Joyce Carol Oates: Facking brilliant

 

Just started reading this one and looks like I have a few more to read now.

 

Four Kings is sensational, as is Paul Briggs' auto.

 

Fighting was my buisness , Jimmy Wilde

 

'Kronky - My Part In His Downfall' by LeonMcS

Coming in 2009, sure to be an award winning classic.