Boxing Writer: A.J Liebling

[MightyWarrior]

Fantastic writer, one of the few genuinely funny boxing writers. Anyone else read him?

"The Sweet Science"

"Watching a fight on television has always seemed to me a poor substitute for being there. For one thing, you can't tell the fighters what to do. When I watch a fight, I like to study one boxer's problem, solve it, and communicate my solution vocally. On occasion my advice is disregarded, as when I tell a man to stay away from the other fellow's left and he doesn't, but in such cases I assume that he hasn't heard my councel, or that the other fellow has, and has acted on it. Some fighters hear better than others - for example Joe Louis. "Let him have it Joe!" I would yell whenever I saw him fight, and sooner of later he would let the other fellow have it."

[Jaclem]

a.j.liebling was a superb writer; a brilliant stylist who wrote some of the best sentences ever to see print. there is an article about him in the current (march29) new yorker magazine. i haven't had a chance to read it yet...just got it in the mail and remembered this thread. he wrote on many subjects..".liebling abroad" is about his expereiences covering world war II, "liebling at home" is about various subjects around the united states. chicago got its name "the second city" from the title liebling put on his writings about the city. his writings were originally printed in the magazine the new yorker and later published in book form. "the sweet science" is the first collection of his boxing pieces, the best and the best known. i don't recall the title of the second such collection and it's in another room as i write this and i don't feel like digging it out. it's not as good as "sweet science.

liebling knew his boxing and boxing history, but he had blind spots. he was the typical new yorker in that he was extremely provincial and saw few of the fighters that didn't appear in that city and knew little about them. he underrated, in fact almost dismissed, the greats harold johnson and ezzard charles, and was under the delusion that rocky marciano was a great fighter.

the writing itself is excellent though, and is now a good history reference about boxing as it was in the post wwII era in new york...about sugar ray robinson's bar and hero status in harlem...about club fights and when fighters with 15 fights seldom got main events let alone contender and even championship status.

"the sweet science" is revived and reprinted from time to time and shouldn't be to hard to find...in used book stores or ebay or amazon, etc.
it's one of my favorites, despite the faults i've related.....and a reminder, sad in a way, of when boxing was a major sport unlike the fringe one it has become.

[Eric the Viking]

liebling knew his boxing and boxing history, but he had blind spots. he was the typical new yorker in that he was extremely provincial and saw few of the fighters that didn't appear in that city and knew little about them. he underrated, in fact almost dismissed, the greats harold johnson and ezzard charles, and was under the delusion that rocky marciano was a great fighter.

Ach, mein Liebling! Looks like I'm in good company then. ;) Marciano: not-so-great boxer, superb fighter.

Thanks for the review, Jaclem.

[bennie]

Is it tough getting a copy of that book, MW?

[MightyWarrior]

Is it tough getting a copy of that book, MW?

Seems to be out of print in the UK at the moment bennie - could only see it at Amazon USA. You can borrow mine, PM me your address if you like.

His 2nd boxing book was "A Neutral Corner", but like Jaclem says, not nearly as good as the first.

[Collins2000]

I'd have to agree with the fellows who have read The Sweet Science - easily the best boxing book I have ever read. Pure brilliance.

Another book I enjoyed reading more than once was "In This Corner" by Peter Heller.

My favorite active boxing writer is, and has been for a long time, Graham Houston. His previewing of a fight is 2nd to none.