Boxing Book Reviews

First topic message reminder :

Mentioned this on a thread the other day that it would be nice if posters who enjoyed reading about the sport could post reviews of books they have read be they positive or negative and hopefully we will be able to build up a decent library of reviews we can use to inform future purchases. As someone who buys a lot of books I will offer a couple to get the ball rolling and hopefully a few others can follow suit, here’s hoping it catches on.

Sam Langford – Boxing’s greatest uncrowned champion – Clay Moyle

Before reading Moyle’s book I’ll be honest my knowledge of Langford was limited. Often saw his name and achievements spoken of with hushed reverence on various websites but probably always harboured the suspicion he was one of those names people throw out to look cool and knowledgeable, like Harry Greb who we now all know did not actually exist. However on the back of reading this outstanding book about Sam I am absolutely convinced he deserves every bit of the esteem he is often afforded. For those unfamiliar with Sam’s story although he stood little more than 5ft 7 he fought anyone and everyone between the lightweight and heavy and his record reads as a who’s who of the era containing as it does names like Gans, Walcott, Ketchel and Johnson as long as multiple battles at heavy with guys like Jeannette, Wills and McVea, despite the fact all of these last few guys held significant size and weight advantages over him.

Moyle has done a truly outstanding job in telling Sam’s story. In my experience of reading a lot about the old timers one of the common pitfalls authors fall into is, through the sheer volume of fights these guys had is writing books that read as little more than lists. The great strength of this book is Moyle avoids the text becoming too dry by offering a flavour of Sam’s personality outside the ring and serving up some genuinely amusing anecdotes which serve to portray Sam as a genuinely likeable guy, which only serves to make his failure to secure the title shots his talent surely deserved all the more heartbreaking.

Moyle covers all the major fights and rivalries in Sam’s life such as Gans, Walcott and Ketchel in admirable detail and provides valuable background to these fights which gives the fights a context otherwise lacking from the raw results. Moyle also gives detailed coverage and analysis of Sam’s long running but ultimately futile attempts to secure a title shot with heavyweight champion Jack Johnson which, for me certainly provided me with a fresh perspective on why this fight failed to come off.

I really cannot recommend Clay’s book highly enough; it is superbly written, well illustrated and exhaustively researched. For anyone with an interest in old time fighters or just wanting to know more about one of the most remarkable fighters to ever step through the ropes Moyle’s book is nigh on essential.

The Life and Crimes of Don King – Jack Newfield

As one of the most colourful and larger than life characters to ever (dis)grace the sport of boxing it is almost impossible to not have an opinion on Don King. He has led a life that truly deserves the tagline that you could not make it up. Don started out as a numbers czar in his native Cleveland before killing a man who owed him money, a crime he was jailed for. On his release Don, through his friendship with musician Lloyd Price, gained an introduction to Muhammad Ali and within a matter of years he had risen from freshly released convict to the premier boxing promoter in the world.

Whilst Don’s rise to prominence was truly remarkable, some of the measures he took to achieve this rise were equally as remarkable and in telling the story of that rise Newfield does not shy away from showing Don’s not inconsiderable dark side it all its questionable glory. It is all here, his ripping off of Holmes, his rigged ABC tournament, his under the table deals with Apartheid era South Africa, his exploitation of Mike Tyson and his part in putting together some of the biggest matches in boxing history.

Despite all the gory details of Don’s less than ethical business practices Newfield balances this with being willing to give credit where it is due. He acknowledges that few, if any can out negotiate or out work Don and when one considers Don listened to the first Ali Frazier fight in prison and co-promoted the third you cannot help but agree that whatever his myriad faults Don is obviously a truly remarkable promoter, and it would be naive and not more than a little inaccurate to suggest that prior to King’s emergence boxing was free from corruption as quite clearly it wasn’t.

Overall for anyone with a history in the heavyweight division of the last 40 years or who has asked themselves the question “why do so many great fighters end up skint?” Newfield’s book should serve to offer up some answers. Don, perhaps inevitably does not come out of it smelling of roses but is still a fascinating portrait of a fascinating character.

Funnily enough Windy got Basillo's biography for Christmas, have not got round to it yet, may have to make that next, but the Miske book arrived yesterday so everything else is on the back burner. am sure I have also seen quotes from Archie Moore saying he found Ray a little arrogant.

Not surprised you've put everything back for Miske, jeff. I certainly shall when I get it.

Enjoy.

Billy Miske - the St Paul Thunderbolt - Clay Moyle

One thing that annoys me with boxing writing perhaps more than anything else is how often certain subjects are regurgiated and how many writers are so unoriginal in who they choose to write about. A search of Amazon will yelid literally 100s of books on Ali, countless on Dempsey and a similarly large amount on the likes of Louis and Robinson. Obviously each and everyone of these are great fighters and deserving of biographies but seriously do we need quite so many, particularly when there is not one biography of either Ezzard Charles or Benny Leonard still in print.

With this in mind it is a genuine joy for a fan of boxing literature when an author chooses to take on the more obscure but just as deserving fighters that make up the history of the sport and given Clay Moyle's current work, which follows on the back of his outstanding Sam Langford biography is on Billy Miske it is safe to say he will never be accused of taking the easy subjects as an author.

As anyone who has read the Langford book or Clay's contributions to this forum will know he has a wealth of knowledge and research material to draw on that is second to none and again it shows in this book. Many will be familiar with Miske for his valiant but unsuccessful title attempt against Jack Dempsey and for his death at a young age through Brights disease but to only know him for this does a disservice to what a truly terrific fighter he was with his record reading like a who's who of the light heavyweight and heavyweight division of the late 1910's and early 20's containing as it does the likes of Tommy Gibbonns, Harry Greb, Battling Levinsky, Jack Dillon, Fred Fulton and Kid Norfolk amongst others.

Throughout the book Billy comes across as a truly terrific person both inside and outside the ring, despite being diagnosed with an illness that gave him very few years to live he seemed unwilling to accept charity or pity choosing to look to provide for his family in the only way he knew how, by fighting against anyone, and importantly for the time anyone for Billy meant just that, Miske refused to draw the colour line, something many of his contempories cannot claim.

For anyone who enjoyed Clay's book on Langford this should be pretty much required reading, it is a worthy successor, well written, faultlessly researched and about a fighter whose career and life more than warrant it.

Thanks for that, jeff.

When Clay first mentioned his intention to publish a Miske bio I was over the moon, Miske having been one of those fighters who has long held for me a special and deep fascination.

This one was already on my ' promise myself a present ' list, and your excellent review has only served to crank up the urgency.

I just finished a book titled Mountain Fighters. Lost Tales of Welsh Boxing by Lawrence Davies. It is a very well written and meticulously researched piece of work that will fill one in on the rich history of Welsh boxing and the men who really laid the groundwork for the better known greats that followed them such as Jim Driscoll, Freddie Welsh and Jimmy Wilde.

Davies book is comprised of 437 pages and provides story after story of the hard lives and fights of the men who fought bare-fisted in the mountains to avoid the law or in the fairground boxing booths. I found it particularly interesting to read about Driscoll's early education from the boxing booths, first as a witness of numerous fights and then later as a participant himself. I also learned an awful lot about some early great Welsh fighters that I had no previous knowledge of as a result of this book and highly recommend it.

Cheers for the recommendation Clay, have a biography of Freddie Welsh which touches on this subject, Driscoll is one of the fighters who there really should be a decent biography of, but in the absence of one, this may be worth getting hold of.

The Sundowners – The History of the Black Prizefighter Volume II Part 1 – 1870-1930 – Kevin R Smith

As anyone with an interest in the history of the sport will know one of the truly frustrating aspects of trying to research and learn about old timers is reading the records of fighters and having little to no idea as to how good the names on their ledger are or knowing which constitute decent wins. Whilst no book will ever solve this problem totally Kevin Smith’s excellent tome gets as close to resolving the problem as any you are ever likely to read.

As the none too brief title suggests the focus of the book is on black fighters in the late 19th century and early 20th century. However whilst there are some books available on the black champions of this era such as Johnson and Gans this volume of Smith’s book focuses on those who fell short of championship level through either a lack of opportunity or, in many cases, a lack of talent. It is the former category that the books strength really lies, Smith has undertaken what must have been an absolutely herculean job of researching the subject and has sourced photographs, biographies and records for guys who even the most obsessive of fans will almost certainly never have heard of or who previously were little more than names on the records of better known fighters such as Langford or Johnson, the amount of work which must have gone into putting this book together must have been truly frightening.

There is always a risk to those of us in thrall to the old timers to consider everyone who fought in black and white as brilliant but Smith never falls into this trap, if a guy was a journeyman or short of championship class he is rightfully described as such and the length of the biography devoted to him will reflect his lack of ability, however for those fighters of true talent such as Jack Blackburn or the previously unknown to me Ramon Castillo the biographies stretch across a number of pages giving excellent details on both their career and the often shameful levels white champions would go to avoid these fighters.

I will be honest I have not read all of this book yet, I am barely a third of the way through (it runs to nearly 650 pages) with another two volumes to follow and will say now this book will not be for everyone but for anyone with an interest in either the history of the sport or the colour line that blighted the sport in the early days the book is beyond recommended. I should forewarn people it is extremely expensive with the hardbook version I bought coming in at nearly £50, but it is the kind of book I can see myself returning to again and again as I read more about the early days of the sport and despite the hefty price tag I will be buying the next volume as soon as it arrives.

Did you buy it from Lulu Jeff?, didn't realise there was going to be more volumes.

Did get it from Lulu, very reliable mate arrived in about a week, would have to double check but think there are going to be at least another two volumes, as this one only covers names from A-G and no world champions, to be honest the cost aside I can't wait, if the other volumes are of similar size will end up with about 2000 pages worth of books, that is some serious learning.

Good news about Lulu mate. Sounds like a great set of books, might have to look at the paperbacks though as it's expensive for the hardback. Really want The Arc of Boxing also but it's too expensive at the moment.

Many years ago I had the opportunity to read a biography about “Young” Stribling written by an author named Jimmy Jones titled ‘King of the Canebrakes.’ All I can remember about that book now is that when I began reading it I thought that Stribling was a fascinating subject and the book was very good in the beginning. Unfortunately, the second half of the book lost some steam in my opinion and ended up being a bit of a letdown. But, I never forgot what I learned about Stribling so when I heard that there was a new biography out about him I was anxious to read it.

The title of the new book is ‘The Greatest Champion That Never Was: The Life of W.L. “Young” Stribling’ and Jaclyn White has done a wonderful job writing the story of the life and career of this fighter from Macon, Georgia. The book is published by Macon University Press and is a 262 hardcover with dust jacket and loads of great photographs. According to Jaclyn, the bulk of the research was done by a long-time employee of Mercer University in Macon, Georgia by the name of Dr. James Bryant. Bryant wrote several books for Mercer University Press in the mid-1990s. He became interested in Stribling’s story and spent the next ten years compiling information with the intention of writing a biography about him. But, before he could complete the task, Bryant passed away suddenly in 2008.

Not wanting to see her husband’s hard work go to waste, his widow, Marion, and the Stribling family asked the publisher to recommend a number of authors who might be willing to handle the job and they obviously chose the right person in Jaclyn. It’s not often that I come across a boxing book that I enjoy enough to knock off over the course of a couple days but I had a hard time putting this one down.

When William Lawrence Stribling was born on December 26, 1904 his father rushed out and had birth announcements printed that introduced the infant as the future heavyweight champion of the world. If the boy’s father didn’t possess the qualities needed to become a world champion himself he was bound and determined to see that his boy became one. He and his wife developed a vaudeville act that included acrobatics and comedy and over the course of the next few years added their two sons to the act. W.L.’s brother Herbert was just a little over a year younger than himself. By the time the boys were seven and five year olds they were sparring with one another as a part of the family act.

When W.L. reached the age of ten, the family was touring the United States and W.L.’s father was offering a $10 prize to any boy in his son’s weight class who could last three rounds of boxing with him. Not many could. Shortly after his 17th birthday, W.L. made his professional debut on January 17, 1921. Ultimately, he fought a total of 25 times during the year, losing only once. Over the course of the next 12 ½ years Stribling would go on to fight almost 300 professional fights under his fathers management. The appendix in the back of the book credits him with a total of 287 fights including 224 wins, 12 losses, 14 draws, 36 no-decisions and 2 no-contests.

When he was a couple of months shy of his 19th birthday and still in high school, Stribling fought for Mike McTigue’s light-heavyweight title before a largely partisan in Columbus, Georgia on October 4, 1923. Upon the fights conclusion, the referee initially ruled the bout a draw. But, when the threatening crowd voiced its displeasure, he consulted the newspapermen at ringside and awarded the contest to Stribling. Then, once he was back in the safety of his hotel, the referee reversed his decision again and declared the fight a draw, saying he had only declared Stribling the winner because he feared for his safety. So, McTigue retained the title. Regardless, it was an impressive performance by the youngster.

Alas, Stribling never did win the world title his father predicted for him. While he would go on to defeat McTigue in a newspaper decision in 1924 and future light-heavyweight champion Tommy Loughran on two separate occasions, he lost to Berlanbach in June of 1926 with the light heavyweight title at stake and also lost to Jack Sharkey in a heavyweight title elimination bout in 1929. He went on to fight his way into a match for the N.B.A. heavyweight title against Max Schmeling in July of 1931 but suffered a 15th round technical knockout in The Ring Magazine fight of the year. It turned out to be his last opportunity to fight for a world title.

But, Stribling was a very interesting character and was involved in many interesting pursuits outside of boxing. An all around athlete who excelled in basketball and acrobatics himself, he loved to golf, ride motorcycles and became an accomplished aviator who owned a number of his own planes and opened his own flight school. The story about him flying across the Pennsylvania border and performing a series of aerial acrobatics over Max Schmeling’s training camp and then hollering at him while making a low pass over the ring with the engine shut off a few short days before their fight is classic. Stribling loved playing practical jokes and going fast whether it was on a motorcycle, boat or plane and he was greatly admired by friends and foes alike for his good nature and love of life.

In fact, Stribling reminds me a lot of Billy Miske. Though neither man won a world championship, they were both game courageous fighters who defeated world champions during their careers. And, like Miske, Stribling died before his 30th birthday and left a wife and three young children. Stribling passed away in 1933 as a result of injuries he suffered from a tragic traffic accident while riding his motorcycle to the hospital to visit his wife and newborn son. Who knows, had he lived maybe he would have managed to capture that elusive world title. After all, he defeated the reigning world light-heavyweight champion, Maxie Rosenbloom, in a non-title fight slightly more than a week before his death.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can’t recommend it enough.

Brilliant Clay, thanks.

Cheers Clay am reading a biography of Primo Carnera at the minute which obviously features his bouts with Stribling, as I am sure you know there are a lot of rumours those fights were not on the level, the Primo book puts a pretty compelling argument forward why the fights were on the level, but does the Stribling book mention the rumours of a fix

Hi, no, interestingly there was no mention of the possibility of fixes in both of those fights that I recall.

Very possible they do not consider them worthy of mention, to be honest of all the rumours around Primo the Stribling ones seem the oddest, if you are going to fix fights would you really leave the two fights at one each both by disqualification, doesn't seem an outcome that does much to move Carnera's reputation forward, which would seem the obvious aim of a fix.

Making Haye – Elliot Worsell

This may come as a shock to some people on here but I am not a massive fan of David Haye. When I read he had a biography coming out it is fair to say I was not beating the door down of my local Waterstones to get hold of a copy, even more so when I read it was written by a friend of Haye’s who was a de facto part of the fighters entourage. However I am nothing if not a fair man and against my better judgement and in no way influenced by the fact I saw it on sale for a fiver I decided to take a punt on Making Haye.

Perhaps it is the variety provided by reading about someone who actually fought both in colour and when I was alive but I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by Making Haye. Whilst the authors obvious closeness and bond to the fighter made me initially fear this would be little more than a vanity piece for Haye it would only be fair to say this is not really the case. What Worsell’s links to the fighter has done is to strip away the bravado and swagger that is so much a part of Haye’s make up and allow us close enough to see him in his unguarded moments, the moments before he enters the ring, the days when training is not going right and when the doubts and fears that must be common to most boxers are allowed to creep in. For me this gives a far more compelling portrait of the man than the loud mouth buffoon I often feel Haye appears to be in his interviews.

For all that though it must be said whilst Haye does come across as a little more likeable and complex than his public persona allows us to see the book has not done enough to make me a convert to the Hayemaker just yet. Him and Booth both come across as annoyingly self satisfied with some of the Machiavellian stunts they pull, excessively convinced of their own cunning and too willing to believe themselves to be maverick geniuses tearing up the boxing rule book. Similarly Worsell sometimes does allow his love of the fighter to leap into the over the top, there are passages where some of his descriptions of Haye could, had you not seen him with your own eyes, have you believe he was a fighter with the defensive skills of Willie Pep who just happened to have the power of Earnie Shavers in each fist. However to balance this the author does on occasion criticise Haye and his treatment of the Harrison fight is admirable, he calls it what it was, a money making exercise for all involved.

Perhaps it is the complete lack of expectation on my part or the cheap price tag I picked it up for but given the book is about a fighter who has an ability to irritate me at the minute possibly more than any fighter on god’s green earth I enjoyed this book far more than I expected. I would certainly not pay full price for the book and it is disappointing that as the book was written post Wladimir the brawl in Munich and Haye’s increasingly active retirement are not covered but if the book can be picked up for a reasonable price it is worth a read.

"ATLAS From the streets to the ring:A son's struggle to become a man." by Teddy Atlas

Teddy Atlas is perhaps best known for his histrionics as he willed Michael Moorer to the heavyweight championship-he asked his fighter if he could take his place,as he was fighting with the usual Michael Moorer lack of heart.Some people thought Atlas was an attention seeker,a self-promoter, but that is to mistake the near psychopathic conviction of the man when he gets a bee in his bonnet about something.
Over 270 pages there are examples time and time again of Teddy Atlas choosing principled loyalty over making money,and the easy option.He purports to have been offered financial security more than once when large syndicates have offered him work only for him to turn them down as he was mentoring a fighter and could not abandon them.His tales of Moorer make no bones of the fact that the two of them found it hard to be in the same room much of the time,travelling seperately for fights towards the end.It comes as no surprise to the reader when Moorer changes trainer before his rematch with Holyfield. He had eeked out wins despite an inner voice almost demanding that he self-destruct.It is also touching that Moorer ended up regretting the break-up, calling Atlas when drunk and admitting to Atlas' wife that he cried for hours after reading a letter that Atlas had written him, pointing out how much they had done together and how much they had thrown away.
Atlas found it hard to be vulnerable, and only after working together for years could he admit to his face that he cared for him.Atlas is clear from the first page that he never escaped the shadow of his father, a nationally respected doctor who would go out of his way for everybody,showing great empathy, but unable to display it to his own family.It is this relationship that defines his whole life, as he freely admits in the title of the book.Ironically (but perhaps not so much of a surprise) Teddy came to mirror his father in many ways.His philanthropic good works with his foundation along with the obsessive loyalty is his father to tee-as is his emotional state of mind.
Gradually, Teddy Atlas matures from the in-and-out-of prison youth who disappoints his family to a still raw fighter who luckily meets Cus D'Amato. Cus was always canny to praise Teddy ,sometimes going way over the top; Teddy knew what he was doing-reassuring him that he had worth, and predictably Cus had an ulterior motive-priming Atlas to take over the mentoring of the a boy they had met as a twelve year old and strongly felt was destined to be the best heavyweight ever, Mike Tyson. When Atlas's own boxing career is brought to a premature halt due to injury,Cus seized on him with both hands, stating again and again that he had the gift of knowing what went on in a fighter's head, of strategy and tactics.

Atlas became disillusioned with Cus, believing him to a hypocrite, when he allegedly allowed Mike to get away with blue murder.Cus was desperate to see Mike stay out of prison and allegedly allowed bribes to cover up his growing misdemeanours.The final straw is when Atlas threatens Mike with a loaded gun.Mike's brovado was such that he refused to admit that he was frightened,and Atlas effectively broke their circle at that point.He does sound like a person who had too much faith in the morality of one individual and one wonders if he could ever have stuck with Cus for long.The way he describes it,he bought into the ethics that Cus lectured on,and couldn't quite forgive hos mentor for not living up to his own standards.A noble stand, but such a stance meant he turned down 5% of future earnings on Tyson on principle.
Throughout his life he never shirks from fisticuffs,be it with English bouncers when meeting Mickey Duff,pushing George Foreman(although this was bluff to try and distract how frightenend Moorer was of Big George at a conference)and memorably, being followed by camera on cable tv, being expected to join the commentary team, but actually finding him detouring so as to land a punch on the jaw of one of his many enemies who were not far from the ring.
Indeed,Atlas almost unbelieveably tells us of his desire to murder Donny Lalonde, another young boxer with confidence issues whom he nurtured like a father,only to be "betrayed" when Donny signed with someone else.He goes as far as getting a gun and staking out his apartment, only to be put off when LaLonde's girlfriend comes to the door and he is reminded of the way bereavement tears up families, as it had already done to his.(Teddy's own brother is in prison for life having shot their grandmother).It's a grudge Atlas is sure to take to the grave, even though he broke through his strict moral code to take pity on Moorer and allow him to see his family after years apart.
Scattered with enough wiseguys to populate a Scorsese script, Atlas to my mind is as genuine a noble savage as LaMotta-one possessed with a dangerous mentality who nevertheless learnt enough from the great Cus to be able to analyse his fears and his motivations, even though he is often at their beck and call.He does seem to find some peace when he is able to tell his father how much he means to him-as his father lies in a coma, unable to hear.Atlas never seems to regret losing out millions of pounds time and time again-it's the betrayal of human kindness that eats away at him;and he put his thoughts into action many times,for example running with fighters instead of spending time with his young children.It's at times like this I thought,"Give yourself a break, man."
But it'does now seem that via a long torturous journey that Teddy Atlas is able to at last come some way to contributing enough good to compare in any way with his father's doctor surgery. With his regular income as an ESPN analyst as well as the foundation that he set up (named after his father),which contributes millions to individuals in need, it does end happily;a minor miracle in itself.

Have read the Atlas book Andy, I enjoyed it way more than I expected. Still can't decide on reading it if Teddy is the most principled man in the world or the biggest tool in the world because he does seem willing to walk away from millions if someone falls even slightly short of the standards or conduct or morality Teddy sets for them. However have to say I finished the book thoroughly liking the bloke.

Yes, it is still quite refreshing to come across someone with such scruples. I did often wonder if he was laying it on a bit thick, which is why I can understand why he was called a bit of a narcissist.
Very revealing stuff on Gus Tomato, there was a debate on Gus last year and I can see that you sourced your insights from Atlas' account.
I am inclined to believe him but I do think he was a bit hard on the old man, who was only human after all ,and whatever Atlas said about him, Cus asn't in it for the money or personal glory, but for the "embiggenment"of others.This was a quality that Atlas may well have inherited from Gus and not just his father.There was one outright hint that he had succumbed to bent business on very slim evidence indeed, apparently his wife Camille opened Cus' bedroom and saw him with 10,000 dollars spread across the bed.From this Atlas deduced he was up to no good.That's the only occasion where I thought Teddy Atlas had let his bitterness get the better of him(I think we'd all have wanted to kill Donny LaLonde!)

Ray Arcel. A Boxing Biography by Donald Dewey
Whenever I read a boxing book and am asked whether it was a good book or not I normally judge it on the basis of two things; did I learn anything from it and did I enjoy reading it. And, by the latter I mean was it the kind of book that I had a hard time putting down and knocked off in two or three days or was it one of those that I felt like I needed to finish reading but it took me weeks to get through because I could barely stand to read more than a chapter at a time.

Well, I’m happy to say that Donald Dewey’s new book ‘Ray Arcel. A Boxing Biography’ is a darn good book. At 209 pages including the footnotes and index in the back it’s a relatively quick but entertaining and well-written informative read. If you’ve ever had any interest in learning more about one of boxing’s greatest trainers then I highly recommend this book to you. The author tells us how Arcel got his start in his chosen profession and how he came to learn his craft under the guidance of Frank “Doc” Bagley and Dai Dollings in the early 1900s. There are many great stories concerning the experience he gained as a result of working with those two and the
fighters they trained.

Of course, Arcel went on to work with many great fighters of his own and the insight into that work and the skills of men like Benny Valgar, Abe Goldstein, Charlie Phil Rosenberg, Benny Leonard, Tony Zale, Roberto Duran and many others he worked with as well as his views on scores of other great fighters that he had a chance to observe during his career make the book a very entertaining read.

The author also provides a lot of detail concerning the influence of the mob and the events thought to leading up to Arcel being whacked over the head with a lead pipe in 1953. Those interested in Roberto Duran will find a lot of information concerning his career and of course the famous ‘no mas’ incident in the second fight with Sugar Ray Leonard. And, there are some interesting insight’s on Arcel’s part concerning Larry Holmes and his fight with Gerry Cooney.

In summary, I thought the book was well researched and a very good read and I highly recommend it. It’s published by McFarland Publishing and is available via either their website www.mcfarlandpub.com or their order line 800-253-2187.

Cheers, Clay.

Howdy fellas, have just finished reading Mark Kram's 'Ghosts of Manila', a book focused on the blood feud which lasted until Joe Frazier's final days between himself and Muhammad Ali. To my surprise, there's no review on here so far for it, so I'll pop mine in below.

First off, I'd suggest that any of Ali's most dedicated and fanatical followers should approach this book with caution. The Independent on Sunday said that this book "Packs a polemic punch, suggesting that though Ali was indisputably a great sportsman, his latter-day beautification is a sham", and that's not far off the truth.

My initial reaction to the book as I got to grips with it wasn't all that great, I have to admit. Facing overwhelming public opinion which largely holds Ali up as a great man and a symbol of black pride and peace, I thought that maybe Kram was trying to be a little too clever and contrary for his own good - a bit like Azania, come to think of it (sorry, Az, I jest). It seemed as if Kram was looking a bit too keenly for shock value, as if presenting a wildy different picture of Ali to the one we're accustomed to seeing would give the impression that he was the only one who was really in the know.

So, not a great start.

However, the further I went, the more impressed I became. Even if you think that Kram's depictions of Ali are a little unfair, he does at least go in to great detail about how and why he's formed such opinions - after all, this is about as authentic as it gets, as Kram spent many hours, spread over several years, in the company of Ali and those around him, including his Nation of Islam backers who, upon reading this book, I think played a much more important role in Ali's refusal to serve in Vietnam than often thought.

Frazier, likewise, is examined in fine detail - where he came from, what his childhood was like, what made him tick. The book also does much to dispell Ali's claims that Frazier was a dumb, monosyllabic dullard, claims which always did Frazier less than justice, and helps to highlight how raw a deal Frazier received in the long run; Ali overshadowing Frazier's induction in to the Hall of Fame, and how the city of Philadelphia somehow chose to build a statue of the fictional Rocky Balboa as a "monument to a fighter to reflect the struggle of the common man" when, in fact, their own Frazier was the perfect example of that.

Kram eventually gets the balance right, after his initial 'Ali was the bad guy, Frazier the good guy' act early on. For all of Ali's shortcomings which are examined, warts 'n' all, such as infidelity, outrageously aggressive stances against race-mixing and his sometimes disrespectful attitude towards his own team (Angelo Dundee included) and fellow professionals, there is a mention of his mellowing over the years, of his playful nature, and of his phenomenal generosity with money to his legions of hangers-on.

Likewise, while Frazier's character generally comes across positively, Kram does expose an incredible stubbornness within the man, a bitterness which would have washed away much quicker in most people's cases. The disdain with which he held the likes of Eddie Futch, who did nothing but right by Frazier overall, is telling, too.

The book doesn't really spend a great deal of time describing the actual action of the 41 rounds they shared; of course, short reports of the fights are included, but the book is aimed more towards examining how a friendship which, if never close, was at least cordial to start with became such a long-running and hate-filled episode. At only 200 or so pages, it's a pretty easy book to digest, too.

Another very small gripe is that, while the book looks in great detail at the feud between the two during their careers, it's not really touched upon in the same kind of depth once each man had hung the gloves up; their post-boxing lives are explained and analysed, but never really in direct comparison to the other, even though the antipathy between the two never really ceased.

So, after an uncertain start, I did end up enjoying this book quite a lot, and would recommed it to others. Certainly, after reading this book it becomes hard to see Ali in quite the same light, and it's impossible to erase from the memory some of the more vulgar sides of the man which are regularly airbrushed out these days. But for anyone who considers either Ali or Frazier amongst their favourite fighters, or takes an interest in the long-running rivalries which breed life in to the sport every now and then, it's essential reading.

Cheers Chris, as you know I have read the book and I enjoyed it. There are so many books on Ali on the market and so many lean towards absolute deification of the man that even as a fan one finds yourself puking at some of the praise lavished on him. If for no other reason than he has the balls to go against the grain and present a different perspective of the man Kram IMO deserves huge praise and given most books on the man are almost completely without anything approaching criticism of the man Kram's book serves as an important counter balance.

If I was to recommend to someone only a few books on Ali from the 3 million that are on the market Ghosts of Manilla would certainly be one of them.

As an aside how annoying is it that there are genuinely over 100 books on Muhammad Ali on the market but not one that is readily available on either Benny Leonard or Ezzard Charles.

No worries, Rowley. Turns out you were right - it's a good read. As you allude to, refreshing to see a book which doesn't adhere to the Will Smith version from that pretty average film.

As for the lack of books on Charles and Benny Leonard, well it's frustrating. I guess that Charles, for very unfair reasons of course, was never really a major star in his own time, certainly not before he went up to Heavyweight in any case. His career was overshadowed by Louis, who in fairness is such a massively influential and important figure in the sport, to the extent that his star burned brightly enough to remove the likes of Charles to footnote status throughout the forties.

That said, Leonard was the biggest star and highest earner in boxing in the late teens and early twenties - outside of Dempsey, of course - and yet he's still hardly ever covered in great deal, which is pretty puzzling.

It is depressing though Chris, spoke to Clay Moyle on this subject and he said he had checked his personal collection of books and think he said he had well over 100 on Ali and he has not even made a conscious effort to collect books on the man. You do have to wonder with over 100 years of fighters to write about why some talented and knowledgeable guys waste their time writing about the same subject. Seriously what more or new can there be to be said about the man. I could reel of ten great fighters who do not have biographies out there which would fill genuine gaps in the markets.

Read Bob Mee’s Ali and Liston recently, as you know Mee is a serious historian and has a knowledge of the sport that few, if any of us will ever get close to matching and yet he uses that to write a virtual remake of David Remnick’s King of the World. Given that book is still readily available and is excellent I cannot for the life of me see why someone as gifted as Mee would waste his talents like this. If you’re reading this Bob write a book about Henry Armstrong, surely my eternal gratitude is worth more than mere sales figure.

To be honest Jeff, there's probably a few on here who could bang out a decent book on those names themselves. I'd love to cobble together something worthwhile on Leonard, Matthew Saad Muhammad or Emile Griffith myself (have done some ground work for a Griffith one, but it's still pretty much in its infancy, depressing really considering I tried to make a proper start on it eighteen months ago).

My cousin has managed to get published twice despite having no real literary background, having done all his own research and the like - he recently released a book about his life following Notts County (disgusting, I know) which shifted more copies than he'd expected. It acts as a glimmer of hope for me, I suppose!

Have you read Ron Ross' book on Griffith Chris? Was a little disappointed by it if I am being honest

Yeah, wouldn't call it anything better than serviceable, really. I borrowed a copy and it took me an age to get through it. Ross has done some good little odds and ends on Griffith, but the book was supposed to be a peak. Turns out it was't, in the end.

It's a shame, because Griffith's life story is a pretty remarkable one, and he was a deeply complex character, much like Floyd Patterson in some ways. Come to think of it, a good book on Patterson wouldn't go amiss - are there any good ones out there?

There are two, one by Allen Page and one which is due out soon, which I have heard mixed things about. Think I am going to get the Page one for Christmas, have not really seen much about it but it is published by Macfarland and every book I have ever read by them was excellent.

Ah, right. Thanks for the heads up. I'm pondering what route to go down with my next book; spent a few weeks on Mas Hastings' 'All Hell Let Loose', eased my way back in to boxing with 'Ghosts of Manilla', and am now wanting a hefty book on the art of pugilism to get back at the deep end.

My next one is Colleen Aycock’s on Joe Gans, have been meaning to buy it for an absolute age and have decided the time has come. If you want my advice you could do a lot worse than starting Adam Pollack’s series on the heavyweights, is up to Burns now so six to get through and I can assure you they will keep you going for months and are in depth enough to satisfy even the most geeky of boxing fans

Jersey Joe Walcott - James Curl

Has been a while since I had done any reviews but since the christmas period has bought a fairly healthy boost to the collection thought it was as good a time as anywhere to start.

Whenever I read a boxing book published by McFarland I am guaranteed a few things, the subject matter will be a towards the obscure or overlooked, the book will be pretty expensive but will be well enough written and researched to more than justify the expense and Curl's excellent book on Walcott does not buck this trend.

Walcott is a fighter who definitely warrants a biography. If one was to read his record online without doing the research one could be fooled into thinking he was a journeyman fighter who lucked his way into the title in a transitional period between Louis and Marciano. However this would do him scant justice whilst it is true to say his early career was patchy Walcott experienced a poverty few of us can even imagine nowadays and it would not be too much of a stretch to say his form was largely dictated in those early days by when he had last eaten.

So tough was Joe's early career he retired in the early 40's to attempt to find a more secure way to support his family. It was only through chance that he reentered the ring and began on the path that would lead to the heavyweight title. Whilst shopping one day Walcott was introduced to Felix Bocchicchio who was looking for a heavyweight to headline at his recently opened venue. To give you some idea how tough times had got for Joe at that period Felix secured Joe's services and loyalty by having a ton of coal delivered to his house to give his family a rare warm winter.

Curl has done an excellent job outlining the troubles Joe had in the early part of his career and his later phoenix like rise to the world heavyweight title is as similarly detailed and praiseworthy, his chapter on the classic first fight between Joe and Marciano is alomost as good as being there.

Joe's life is a truly remarkable one, at the time the oldest person to win a world heavyweight title, first fighter to challenge for a title five times and his life after boxing was no less remarkable being the first black man to be elected sheriff in the history of New Jersey. The term cinderella story is way too overused in boxing but in this instance is warranted. Walcott's is a truly remarkable story and hopefully this book will serve to ensure it is one that his heard and that a fine fighter and gentleman is not relegated to the status of footnote in heavyweight history as he deserves better. Highly recommended.

Cheers for that mate. Will try and pick that up. Also, I don't know if you follow the cricket any more but former england captain and commentator Tony Greig passed away yesterday.

Saw that Shah terrible shame, fine cricketer in his day and one ill considered grovel comment aside a decent enough bloke

Joe Gans - Colleen Aycock and Mark Scott

When you have been after a book for in excess of two years and you finally get your hands on it there is obviously a good chance of it being something of an anti climax. However in this case the book surprisingly not only measured up to my expectations but may have even managed to surpass them.

There are a number of ways one can approach a boxing book, you can try and focus predominantly on what a fighter did in the ring, you can try and give some details of both their ring exploits and private life or the third way which is perhaps the most ambitious is to try and place them in the context of their times and the society they lived through. Obviously the latter approach requires a significant figure in the sport, and having read this book I am convinced Gans is just such a figure.

Growing up in a turn of the century America divided on racial lines Gans was a fighter for who nothing came easy, but through a mix of talent, sportsmanship and no shortage of sheer bloody minded grit Gans reached the top of his sport. However like all fighters of his colour in such a time his path was far from easy and there were incidents of controversy along the way that are debated even now, such as his first loss to Frank Erne and his infamous loss to Terry Mcgovern. All of these incidents are covered in exhaustive detail and the authors make one hell of a job of making the case for Joe's defence which more recent tellings of the fights has sometimes failed to do.

The book makes some strong arguments along the way that Gans deserves to be considered the greatest fighter ever, whilst I am not sure I agree with those arguments I am certainly a damned sight more convinced of Gans' credentials than I was when I started the book. However what they do manage to convince me of is that Gans' signnificance in the history of both boxing and the civil rights movement has been cruelly and undeservedly overlooked. They state towards the end of the book they hope they have done their bit to resurrect the legacy of the great Joe Gans. I can assure them they have done for this reader.

I may be unconvinced by their claim that Joe is the greatest fighter ever, but he may just have one of the greatest boxing biographies ever to his name. I genuinely cannot recommend this book highly enough.

Cheers Rowley

Floyd Patterson A Boxer and a Gentleman - Alan H Levy

Whilst there have undoubtedly been better heavyweight champions than Floyd Patterson there are few that are more complicated or seemingly unsuited to the life of a fighter than Floyd.

Winston Churchill once said of Russia that it was a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma. This quote could just as readily have been made about Floyd Patterson. The man is a man of many contradictions, when many in the sport were only too keen to deny Sonny Liston a title shot because of his alleged mob connections Patterson insisted he be given his opportunity despite infamously taking a wig and disguise to escape the venue should he lose. Patterson is a guy who seemingly refused to fit into our narrow perceptions as to what a fighter should be. How many other heavyweights when asked about an emerging young fighter in the division would respond by saying "If there is someone out there who can beat me in a fair fight I'd rather him have the crown than me" as Floyd did when asked about Liston. It often appears rather than understand the man the default position of journalists was to mock him and disparage his abilities.

Operating in the late 50's and early 60's Floyd fought in an era of some excellent heavyweights such as the aforementioned Liston and of course Ali and also through some tumultuous times in America particularly in the area of cvil rights. In this area perhaps even more so than his abilities in the ring hisotry appears to have been most cruel to Floyd. It is often said Floyd as a bystander in the civil rights movement, Levy does an excellent job in exposing this as the nonsense it clearly is. Floyd frequently fought for civil rights and was extremely active in NAACP work. However as the 60's became more radical the integrationist message of non violence preached by the likes of Patterson and Jackie Robinson went out of fashion leading Floyd to be cruelly accused of being accused of not playing his part in the movement.

As a professor of history it is in examining and detailing this that the books strength really lies as Levy is able to argue his points with a great lucidity and intelligence. Unfortunately the same is not always true of the boxing sections where some of the fights are passed over in too much haste. Anyone whose taste lean towards detailed breakdowns of fights and in depth analysis of the ebb and flow of a fight should be forwarned this is perhaps not the book for them. Also the book also has an annoying habit of calling fighters called Ken Kenny, such as Ken Buchanan, which for reasons beyond my comprehension annoyed me far more than it should have.

However that said I enjoyed the book. Patterson is a fascinating fighter and man and I feel I have a better understanding of both him and the era on the back of reading this book. It is rare that a boxing book can engage the brain and make you think of issues beyond just the sport and Levy's book certainly does that, for that it should be applauded but with the reservations I mentioned earlier.

One final thing I should also mention is the book does not have a ring record for Patterson which is pretty unforgivable for any boxing book.

About time we got this section back up and running, lads!

Beyond Glory - Max Schmeling vs Joe Louis and a World on the Brink, by David Margolick

Finished reading this a few weeks back and felt as if I had to leave a review, because it was absolutely fantastic from cover to cover.

As anyone can probably tell, the book covers both the careers and also the personal lives of Schmeling and Louis, the different tensions and world-wide hysteria which surrounded their two fights, as well as delving in to the psyche of both men both at the time of the bouts, and also in the decades afterwards.

The depth that Margolick has researched the book in is brilliant, with a huge variety of sources called upon. Unlike some writers such as Geoffrey C Ward, who butchered 'Unforgiveable Blackness' with too many attempts at being a fancy dan and excruciating footnotes, Margolick's writing style is easy to get in to and fluid, even when going in to minute details.

Margolick also strikes a perfect balance between a running social commentary of the western world during this era and the reports of both men's fights leading up to or after their fights. Even a die-hard fan of either fighter will, I'm sure, learn something they never knew about the lives and careers of Max or Joe.

A pretty short review, but to be honest there's not much more I can say - it's just a brilliant book, and I might even go so far as to say it's THE single best book I've ever read related to boxing. Seriously, it's that good. Nary a bad word from me to be said about it; totally captivating throughout, an effortless read and completely fascinating from just about every angle.

10 out of 10, absolutely superb.

A welcome return for the section Chris, the Margolick book is in my local library so I will follow up on your recommendation. Have not read many boxing books of late but have a biography of Bert Gilroy I will get round to shortly.

Have to be honest Louis and particularly his fight with Schmeling was getting to be a bit of an Ali with me where I was getting annoyed that there were seemingly no shortage of authors willing to write about the subject but not one of them can be arsed to write a biography of Ezzard Charles. However that complaint aside with give Margolick's a go.

Short, but very worthwhile review, Chris. Cheers. The best book you have ever read on boxing? That is some accolade, pal.

One question though. Is there anything about Schmeling in Margolick's book that wasn't already covered by my Real Boxing Heroes thread on Max?

Mind the windows Tino. wrote:Short, but very worthwhile review, Chris.  Cheers.  The best book you have ever read on boxing?  That is some accolade, pal.

He has not read No Ordinary Joe

Rowley wrote:

Mind the windows Tino. wrote:Short, but very worthwhile review, Chris.  Cheers.  The best book you have ever read on boxing?  That is some accolade, pal.

He has not read No Ordinary Joe

I am still yet to read it myself. Surely it can't be any worse than Oscar De La Hoya's? That was beyond bad.

There is not a lot in it Tina. Don't expect anyone else will have read it but Billy Walker's is epically bad.

Not a big boxing book reader, but I'm a sucker for a bargain so spent £3 on Thomas Hauser's Muhammad Ali : His Life and Times. Perhaps it is the style in which it is written, a bit like one of those talking heads programmes on Channel 4, but I'm finding it quite hard going. I'm up to the Larry Holmes fight though so nearly done, I might try my hand at a proper review once I'm finished.

Rowley wrote:There is not a lot in it Tina. Don't expect anyone else will have read it but Billy Walker's is epically bad.

Nope, wasn't even aware Walker even had one.

I still think Dark Trade is a brilliant book. As is McIlvanney on Boxing which is just the most eminently readable collection of boxing stories you are likely to find. They are still the two boxing books I get down from the bookcase more than any other.

Have you read Errol Christies book? I got it for Christmas but to my shame I haven't picked it up yet.

I have read Christies Tina. Is a bit brief on the boxing side but a fascinating insight into growing up black in Britain in the seventies if you have an interest in that kind of thing.

Have read Hauser's Union. Suffers from the same thing as a lot of Ali books with how much he deifies the man. There should be a caveat with all Ali books that they should be read along slide Mark Kram's Ghosts of Manilla which is the only book on the man I have read that offers anything in the way of criticism.

Rowley wrote:I have read Christies Tina. Is a bit brief on the boxing side but a fascinating insight into growing up black in Britain in the seventies if you have an interest in that kind of thing.

Maybe I will give it a go soon then. That was the reason I asked for it as it seemed like an interesting subject matter away from the ring.

I got Christie's effort and a book on Stalin as recommended by Superfly but it is so heavy I can't even pick it up.

Rowley wrote:Have read Hauser's Union. Suffers from the same thing as a lot of Ali books with how much he deifies the man. There should be a caveat with all Ali books that they should be read along slide Mark Kram's Ghosts of Manilla which is the only book on the man I have read that offers anything in the way of criticism.

Added Ghosts of Manila to my Amazon wish list.

It will now sit there until I have a few shandies at the weekend, see it on the phone, and decide to order it. I've ended up with quite an impressive DVD collection that way.

Have you ever just searched for Ali on books on Amazon, is ridiculous how many books there are on the man. How anyone can feel they have anything new to add to the debate is beyond me.

Barry McGuigan Cyclone : My Story

McGuigan is so well known, after nearly thirty years of being a massive voice and figurehead in boxing, so much so that I had become rather immune to him.His mild-mannered and demure demeanour which he carried as a bocer, always thanking his manager "Mr. Eastwood", is pretty much how he still is,and it was nice for me to reacquaint myself with a true gent of the sport.
I am never particularly interested in the bits of biographies where they talk about their parents, or early childhood, but suffice to say his was an idyllic Irish family with hearts of gold. Naturally "The Troubles" of Northern Ireland run throughout the BM story, and this is dealt with perfectly here.Not dwelling on them, or churning out stories for the sake of making a point about how tough the 1970s were, but he does let us know that if you walked the wrong route somewhere for some reason, you were taking your life in your own hands.
It was his gift for appearing to rise above the Troubles ,or transcending it all, that comes over.
The nigh the beat the legendary Pedroza , in front of 27,000 of his own fans and with 20 million watching on British tv alone, he wore the dove of peace on his shorts, and Nelson Mandela followed both this fight and his career with great interest whilst he was incarcerated.It's hard to imagine now, the world has moved on but for a while he was indeed a figure that seemed to be up there with other peaceful icons of the twentieth century.
McGuigan is sadly not able to articulate how this made him feel, he trots out words like "unbelieveable" to describe how it felt to be a national hero who had street parades in his honour.It seems to me that he was always a somewhat baffled spectator of it all himself.You really want him to "tear into" his descriptions of winnign the title fight that night, hoewever he gives a perfunctory run-through of the rounds that is really no better in style that the much maligned Calzaghe tome, "No Ordinary Joe" (It is a contractual obligation to mention that in each book thread).His subsequent defences are described well enough but he focuses on making the weight more often than he describes the sensation of being in the ring.(He seems put out that he missed the days of protein shakes and would starve himself to reach nine stones).
His loss to Steve Cruz in the sweltering heat of the United States is described as a near-defeat, one he very nearly drew in fact.Yet he lost momentum, didn't box for a while,and in my opinion fell out of love wit the sport at that point.I was really hoping for a detailed account of this time, but each chapter is so briskly completed tat you never really feel like you are getting under his skin.
I have to admit that his account of the death of Young Ali, the boxer who lost his life to Barry , was movingly written, and I wonder if this shaped his life more than anything. I also already knew that he took the death of his father very badly, but was appalled to hear that his brother suicided in 1994.McGuigan's life has been shadowed with such bleakness, and yet he never has a bad word for anyone.I was looking forward to the account of the acrimonious split with Barney Eastwood, but he bluntly tells you that he won't talk about it, and suggests you search for the facts elsewhere.This was the only incident where I felt that his pleasantness was a tad unnecessary as he could have I'm sure put his story over without rancour or seming bitter. I remember when he lost in his comeback- a saddened looking Barry never quite looking confident enough in his own abilities throughout those three fights. Jim McDonnel and his trainer trash talked most appallingly,discrediting McGuigan's achievements and promising to do him over.I know that this hurt Barry a lot, but he doesn't mention this at all in the book, only saying how good a fighter McDonnel was.I was amazed by this.
Turns out there is no side to him-he really is an ever-so-humble guy ,who seemed to ride a crest and was maybe overwhelmed.It's my opinion that he wasn't quite an all time great as a boxer ,but he certainly is second to none as an ambassador for the sport.