Gareth Davies book (at least in part) - 'Call of the Warrior'

I don't really understand how this book is being published. Hate him or ridicule him the GAD is probably the boxing journalist in the UK with the most crossover appeal. Not the most respected but he always on Talksport etc and is probably the boxing writer with the greatest name recognition among the general public. The logical thing to do would stick it out with a major publisher, who will sell it relatively cheaply and give it a bit of a marketing push. Its normal to charge 70 pounds (or more) for academic/technical texts. The business model assumes that only 'organisations' (universities/firms not individuals) will actually buy the text but as long shift 500 or more the publisher will make a bit of cash because of the high price. The author makes very little but they often wrote it as part of their job. So I published a book on South Korean financial markets that did not actually fly of the selves but the book was basically my PhD thesis and involved little additional work. It unusual to charge £70 for a book aimed at individuals/mass market. Gareth book seems to getting no marketing from anyone other than the GAD himself. In fact, its not even available on Amazon. It's almost being hidden. I just see how it shifts a decent number of copies at that price without proper marketing. I take the point its a coffee table book with photos so you don't want to charge £10 but charge £25 for the hardback, £10 for a ebook version, give a bit of marketing and I am sure you sell a decent number of copies

 

don't like his haircut but other than that nothing against him.

£69 quid though for a book ? He's havin' a giraffe.

 

No I wouldn't buy it. But I did buy Steve Bunce's new book last week. It was about the many seperate trips he made to report on fights as a freelancer. So for the Norris-SRL fight he talks of sleeping on a friends sofa buying street food watching training camps and the event itself.
Bunce's best skill in my opinion has been he is a colourful boxing scribe. I liked less the tv characature he later became but I recognise him as the UK's boxing historian.
Davies I do not really respect as a pundit. His opinions can be motivated by self interest eg the Jake paul camp giving him access. Plus his delivery is excruciatingly boring and long winded to me and to be honest I doubt he knows 20% of what the more quality posters here do.
I realise the days of fight journalists like Gutteridge,Carpenter and Mullen are long gone but Davis is not someone I've ever heard offer an interesting opinion hence I have no interest in his book. These opinions may be harsh but their only mine I have no doubt he has many fans

 

Steve Bunce told me he can't stand Jeff Powell.

 

When he said the thing about Jeff Powell he was using it to insult me!

 

I actually did receive this book as a Christmas gift and I was very pleased when I unwrapped it

but my opinion about it is not good and I would look to sell it on for around £30

the essays are ok. Nothing special. But they are good.
For me tho. A coffee table book should have artwork in it that is very attractive and detailed and captures a moment in time or at least ATTEMPTS to captures the readers imagination

the artwork despite what GAD says, is very middle of the road. It is all black & white (which obviously just makes things CLASSY by default doesn’t it??? - no it doesn’t) and the they are not greatly interesting pictures nor are they impressively shot or detailed. Very underwhelming. They are just ..‍♂️ok

like, you would expect these standard of these pictures in a boxing MAGAZINE rather than a £70 hardback coffee table book. Very disappointing


And here is my other gripe. Which was the decider for me selling it on and also reminds me what I cannot STAND about GAD.

this book, The Call of the WARRIOR, contains essays about YOUTUBERS!!! ‍♂️

as soon as I saw their names in the contents my heart sank a little and I thought “the artwork better be spectacular in these pages or this book is GOING”

i’m sorry, I am not having a boxing book in my dinning room for all to see. Which contains these CLOWNS. Just aint happening

not in an era that is BURSTING with talent and great fighters up n down the divisions.

which leads me on to GAD.
You know I like him for his personality, and his vocabulary . He has been around and is very cultural which is great. I like that


But as a boxing journalist? I LOATHE the man.
He is just self serving and not a PATCH on some of the older journos.
I wish I could just yell a message at him, and the message would be

gareth, you are not a DIPLOMAT.
People dont wish to hear a journalist attempt to keep ALL factions of a discussion happy
We KNOW you benefit from pushing MIKE TYSON circuses. We KNOW you benefit from pushing YOUTUBERS. But don’t try and push them onto ME!!
And DONT shoot people down who watch Saudi shows on TV and criticize them for lacking atmosphere! Not until YOU have sat at home and watched it on PPV first!!
You are being wined and dined and glamoured into that evening of boxing. Come and sit at home before you shoot people’s opinions down.

so yes, £30 . Get this GARBAGE out of my dinning room please someone

 

This was a great review, thanks. Was in 2 minds about getting this book but think I will skip it for now .

 

Some similar gramatical mistakes in the last two posts. Alt muchly?