Off Topic: Best boxing books

[dookus]

My vote has to be for A Flame of Pure Fire: Jack Dempsey and the Roaring Twenties by Roger Khan. It's just a superb take on the man himself and his place in the America (indeed, the world) of those times, the nature of the fight game a century ago, and this incredible cast of boxers, promoters, journalists, politicians, industrialists, gangsters, hustlers, actresses, lawyers and everyone else that managed to get woven into Dempsey's life. Beside the fact that I can't put the damn thing down (when I'm meant to be in hardcore revision for some extremely important exams), it does a great job of evoking a much more colourful age.

On a side note, where/how can I get Tony Booth's autobiography? I enjoyed the documentary on him a lot. Anyone read it? Any good?

[horndawg80]

Herbie Hide's auto-bio is funny!

[The Lone Wolf]

http://boxrec.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=97397&hilit

[Andypittcov]

Muhammad Ali 'the life and times' by Thomas hauser is exceptional.

[CB]

War, Baby and The 4 Kings were great reads.

Duran's book is also worth a mention.

[palooka]

Babyface In Hollywood (about Jimmy McClarnin) is great.

[Syntax Error]

Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise & Fall Of Jack Johnson is the best boxing book I've read.

Smokin' Joe - Joe Frazier's autobiography is also one of my favourite boxing reads too.

[palooka]

Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise & Fall Of Jackson is the best boxing book I've read.

Smokin' Joe - Joe Frazier's autobiography is also one of my favourite boxing reads too.

I read that in the nick 22 years ago

In This Corner is brilliant.

[Mensa07]

didn't like Duran's much.

Liebling's books are my personal fave.

[wrimc]

Budd Schulberg's Ringside a treasury of boxing reportage

Thomas Hauser Black lights inside the world of professional boxing

Mickey Duffs autobiography 20 and out.

Those are probably the best and most insightful books ive read.

[johnnykayo]

try "somebody up their likes me " by rocky graziano,a cracker ! also lamottas "raging bull" another good un !

[forcefraser]

The Fight by Norman Mailer is a great read. I also liked 4 Kings and Teddy Atlas`s book.

[palooka]

Budd Schulberg's Ringside a treasury of boxing reportage

Thomas Hauser Black lights inside the world of professional boxing

Mickey Duffs autobiography 20 and out.

Those are probably the best and most insightful books ive read.

I enjoyed that book; Billy Costello came across well.

[baulks]

"Nigel Benn" by Blake Publishing is a good read.

"Rocky Marciano" by Everett M Skehan is a excellent expose of "the rock"

"Celtic Warrior" by Steve Collins with Paul Howard as Steve's sense of humour comes through well.

One to avoid is Nick Tosches "Night Train" about Sonny Liston. It gives us little other than what we already know, Liston's life remains a mystery outside the ring.

[Tomasino]

I enjoyed "The Fearless Harry Greb". Very informative book about one of the greatest fighters ever.

[palooka]

I enjoyed "The Fearless Harry Greb". Very informative book about one of the greatest fighters ever.

I've been looking to buy that off Amazon for a while; it doesn't get any cheaper does it? :(

Is it worth the money? Would you read it again?

Cheers.

[curtis wood]

the big if is the story of jonny owen its the best book ive read by a long way great read and very sad story

[Emmseegee]

Ive got a decent collection of books, if anyone wants to swap books then PM me and we can exchange a short list of our most recomended and save ourselves £££s by not having to buy too many.

[johnnykayo]

carl froch book is in asda for £9 but dont bother you could read that in a cpl of hours !!!

[dexter]

Donald McRae's 'Dark Trade' is pretty good.

I've been trying to get hold of Aaron Pryor's book for years. Its about £70 on Amazon

[Tomasino]

I enjoyed "The Fearless Harry Greb". Very informative book about one of the greatest fighters ever.

I've been looking to buy that off Amazon for a while; it doesn't get any cheaper does it? :(

Is it worth the money? Would you read it again?

Cheers.

it was worth it Simon. There are lots of myths and legends about Greb and the book tries to explain and clarify them.

I could always send you it to read and you can send it back, everyone I wanted to read it has done so and Ive read it twice, so if you bump me it's no great loss

p.s the book left me with the impression Greb was one of the hardest fighters to have ever lived as well as being very intelligent inside and outside the ring.

[johnnykayo]

davy am i right in sayin "give him to the angels " is fetchin ridicoulous money now as you could pick that up for about a tenner a few years ago but its well expensive now,love to see some footage of greb though as he was awesome !

[palooka]

Hey Dave; check your PM; I wouldn't bump you. Got a few good books here that I'd send.

[johnnykayo]

does anyone know if a book has ever been wrote about former heavyweight turned actor victor mclaglen ? he fought jack johnson in a exhibition and was a good fighter apparently,another i would love to read about is jack palance as he was a former fighter too and fought joe baski,also vincent the chin gigante that would be a good read as he was a gang boss in new york but had over 50 pro fights,these people had combined careers and gigantes brother was a priest in new york,while his brother was supposedly killed over 30 men :(

[johnnykayo]

p.s. dave,simon would certainly not bump you at all as he is a gent and man of honor and his word as he done me a right favour and iam indebted to him for it,he got me a old boxing news for my pal with his grandad in and he had been after it for years and simon sorted him out with a copy,so the man is a diamond and certainly a man of honour,a gent.