Boxing books??

[Deserter]

DeJesus & Benitez may take issue with that?

Fair call regarding Benetiz but I'd disagree with regards to DeJesus - beating a man is one thing, handing out a boxing lesson is something entirely different in my book as it implies a real schooling. Laing didn't 'school' Duran.

[-KOKid-]

Aye, I saw there were 2. Seems I picked the wrong one.

I got the Errol Christie one and Ron Lyle's ordered this week so should be reading them soon.

No-one read the recent Gans or Greb books? Surely someone has?

I read the Gans book some months ago.
Good read, but not great.

The authors did well in documenting that Gans actually never lost his lightweight title in the ring and that Jimmy Britt in fact never was a lightweight champion (he even said so himself).
The history books should be rewritten when it comes to that, but I don't suppose they will.

What did not sit as well with me was how they tried to claim that Gans was also a welterwight champion.
If he was, no one took that claim seriously.

I also did not like how they claimed that Joe Louis never fought any good fighters before he won the title.
In that case no heavyweight champion ever did - Louis went through 9 top 10 rated heavies before getting a titleshot.

But if you're interested in Joe Gans life and career you should enjoy it.
Like I said, it's a good read.

[TheCobra]

I thought the Johnny Owen book was a very good read, also enjoyed Dark Trade and Frank Maloney's biography.

[hitman_hatton1]

paddy and the prince.

[hitman_hatton1]

gotta buy herbie hide's book.

[orbtastic]

Aye, I saw there were 2. Seems I picked the wrong one.

I got the Errol Christie one and Ron Lyle's ordered this week so should be reading them soon.

No-one read the recent Gans or Greb books? Surely someone has?

I read the Gans book some months ago.
Good read, but not great.

The authors did well in documenting that Gans actually never lost his lightweight title in the ring and that Jimmy Britt in fact never was a lightweight champion (he even said so himself).
The history books should be rewritten when it comes to that, but I don't suppose they will.

What did not sit as well with me was how they tried to claim that Gans was also a welterwight champion.
If he was, no one took that claim seriously.

I also did not like how they claimed that Joe Louis never fought any good fighters before he won the title.
In that case no heavyweight champion ever did - Louis went through 9 top 10 rated heavies before getting a titleshot.

But if you're interested in Joe Gans life and career you should enjoy it.
Like I said, it's a good read.

Interesting, thanks. I was reading a bit about him yesterday, I may take the plunge along with the Greb book.

[Hagler2002]

'Facing Tyson' is quite enjoyable and a easy read, nothing to heavy.

I'm currently reading 'John Davison Little Man, Big Heart' I would recommend this highly, what a excellent read so far.

[Hagler2002]

Ive done all the main autobiography's, Benn, Eubank, Bruno etc but the one I mentioned before is by far the best, get yourself a read of it mate.

[orbtastic]

The Watson book is genuinely quite moving. The Hide & Nelson books are surprisingly interesting, the Magri one too.

The Christie book is ok but I left the book thinking that Christie is still magnificently bitter and doesn't seem to want to take ownership for any of his problems or "failures", it always seems to be someone else's fault. To me it ruins the book, but then it is his book.

If you can pick it up, the Arthur Mecante book is a good read. The Ron Lyle one's ok but not really grabbing me as much as say, the Shavers one.

[Buncey]

I never raved about Hauser's novel. It's a tiny, tidy and neat little read. I said it was a 'nice' read, a nice little book. It's a pitch for an inevitable movie. It was however pushed by the Sun's number one boxing writer and the number one boxing scribe at the Daily Mirror. Blame them and not me!

Adios.

[telboy66]

Just finished "fight the power" Colin McMillan's Autobiography it's an easy read of his career & fight against the system.

[jamesmcdonnell]

I've read a number of boxing books over the years and they tend to be a real mixed bag.

The best I've read recently is The Boxing Scene by Thomas Hauser, which comprises a collection of essays about the likes of Pavlik, Cotto, Hopkins...etc, as well as stories about Bob Arum and Don King and a great insight into the inner workings of HBO. Probably the best boxing book I've read since Dark Trade by Donald McCrae.

A Fighter's Heart by Sam Sheridan is an interesting book about what makes fighters tick and why fighting is so addictive, although it's not really exclusively about boxing. The author goes around the world learning different fighting styles including boxing, muay tai, brazilian ju jitsu...etc, and collecting stories along the way. On the boxing front he spends a lot of time with Andre Ward and his trainer Virgil Hunter, which makes for an interesting couple of paragraphs. His paragraph about dog and cock fighting is somewhat less interesting.

The worst book's are usually fighters biographies. They tend to be much like football biographies insofar as they are heavily scripted with nothing controversial, full of facts boxing fans already know, and short of genuine insight into the mind of the fighter. The Hatton and McCullough biographies were particularly dissapointing, given that they're both quite colourful characters outside the ring. I suspect the publishers made sure they were pitched at the lowest common denominator. At least the Chris Eubank biography was entertaining and brilliantly showed what an eccentric character he is. The story about his strawberry bonbons had me in stiches and his relationship with that homeless guy was nothing short of bizarre.

A fighters heart is nothing short of brilliant. It was this book that made me believe Andre Ward would win the super six, when you hear how the author talks about Ward, you KNOW he is something special.

[Andypittcov]

Save your money when it comes to boxing books and spend it on anything by geoff Thompson

[telboy66]

Save your money when it comes to boxing books and spend it on anything by geoff Thompson

If we all did that we would miss some really great work by some of the greatest writers on boxing that have lived. I'll start the list
Bud Schulberg
Norman Mailer
Thomas Hauser
Hugh Mcllvanney
Feel free to add your own favorites

[JamesH]

I never raved about Hauser's novel. It's a tiny, tidy and neat little read. I said it was a 'nice' read, a nice little book. It's a pitch for an inevitable movie. It was however pushed by the Sun's number one boxing writer and the number one boxing scribe at the Daily Mirror. Blame them and not me!

Adios.

Must have missed this post. Not having a pop, I love the radio show and I have messaged in quite a few times but...

Without being pedantic, when you had him on the show you said a little more than it's a 'nice read'. I don't read the Sun or the Mirror so it's not a case of me being confused here. I also distinctly remember you saying that you would really like to use one of his characters if you did a follow up to the fixer.

[Eraserhead]

What's the consensus on Budd's 'Ringside'? I love Schulberg's film work, and he was clearly a big fan, but I found that book extremely underwhelming. It just seemed like a collection of vanilla fight reports, with little or no insight. I wasn't sure what all the hype was about.

I read that immediately after 'Dark Trade', which was probably a bad idea, as McRae's book was insightful and interesting in all the ways 'Ringside' wasn't.

I also found 'Four King's by Kimble to be a little dull, if I'm honest. I expected more from it.

[Mimmy]

Ive not read through this thread but the books i have are.

punches, pints, politics, and pensioners - Peter Aldridge, good read.
Eubanks autobio - good read
Hands of Stone - christian guidice, good read
nigel benn the dark destroyer, good book that
mcguigan, by jim sheriden. thats a good read
Frank, frank bruno, nice book
The biggest fight, michael watson story, great book that one.
Twenty and out, mickey duff. nice book
becoming holyfield, not bad
hurricane, james kirsh

[King Tubby]

Has anyone read 'When Boxing was a Jewish Sport.'?

[-KOKid-]

Currently reading the Charlie Magri autobio, "Champagne Charlie".
Good stuff, and quite funny in parts.

See some Amazon sellers have it used but in good condition from only £0.01.
Now if that's not value for money, then what is?

[chinny]

Currently reading the Charlie Magri autobio, "Champagne Charlie".
Good stuff, and quite funny in parts.

See some Amazon sellers have it used but in good condition from only £0.01.
Now if that's not value for money, then what is?

Didn't boxrec poster James Mcdonnell ghost write/ 'edit' that?

[dazzer]

DE LA HOYA book now in poundland just letting you guys know

[maninthemiddle]

I'm a real bargain basement boxing book junkie.
Read De la Hoya in the Summer and just bought Johnny Nelson's and John Davidsons autobiographies for £3.99 each at TJ Hughes.
Read over 50 boxing autobiographies, the only one I struggled to enjoy was Michael Murray's, the Manchester Heavyweights. Found this really hard going.

[alexpaterson]

DE LA HOYA book now in poundland just letting you guys know

Haha the best line ever in an autobiography; Omigosh! Had me in stitches. Good read though

[dukeruffhands]

Whats up guys.

Can anyone plug some good books about boxing. Im jus reading Johnny Tapia's now and that is highly reccomended. Four Kings and Teddy Atlas's are also excellent. Eager to know some of your favourites.

try these mate

war baby the art of violence
dark trade
unforgivable blackness
in black and white
hands of stone
sorcery at caesars
boxing confidential
mcilvanney on boxing
the years of the locust
ghosts of manila
irsh thunder
my biggest fight
looking for a fight
an unforgiving sport
night train
smokin' joe

[dukeruffhands]

The Laing book is epic in scale. Excellent.
I've got Thomas Hauser on next week's BBC London 94.9 Boxing Hour (5th August) talking about his boxing novel. It's called Waiting for Carver Boyd. (Odd, you wait for about 60 years for a boxing writer to write a boxing novel and Hauser's book comes out three months after mine!)
On August 19th I will have Bob Mee on the BBC London 94.9 show to talk about his latest book. It's called Liston and Ali.
Both Hauser and Mee have added to the essential boxing reading list in my opinion.

Adios.

definitely recommend THE FIXER!!!!!!!

GREAT READ