New boxing books - anyone read/recommend these?

E · Post by E » 05 Jul 2005, 05:08

I want a good new boxing book - I was going through a sportsbook shop yesterday and saw these three titles.

THey looked really interesting - has anyone read them - are they worth buying?

Fighters: The Sad Lives and Deaths of Freddie Mills and Randolph Turpin
Our Price: £6.39
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASI ... dshop07-21

This one is written by james Morton a well know crime writer and explores their deaths and the rumour Freddie mills was a serial rapist / killer? (I didn't know about that)

Rocky Lives!: Heavyweight Boxing Upsets of the 1990s
Our Price: £12.56
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASI ... dshop07-21

This has some really interesting stories - loads of small time upsets (eg Alex GArcia - Mike Dixon and Jimmy Ellis Ko1 Tony Tubbs)as well as EG Tyson-Douglas

Chaos, Corruption, Courage and Glory: A Year in the Life of Boxing
£7.99
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASI ... dshop07-21

Hauser is a famous writer, and this looked like a well written insight.

Anyone have any feedback?

J · Post by J » 05 Jul 2005, 05:18

ve read one by hauser, (cant remember what it was called now as swapped it with Jimmy.) but i can recommend anyhting he has written, not only from the boxing perspective but also the business angle.

the insite he gave into Lennox V rahmann rematch negotiations was fascinating and gripping.

Cant imagine any book he has written being bad to be honest.

Slapsie Maxie · Post by **Slapsie Maxie** » 05 Jul 2005, 05:28

Bit of a rant here

Hauser's book is well written and worth a try. I have not looked at the others

In truth, I find that sports books in general and boxing books in particular are pretty shoddily written. Also, being a niche publishing venture ( Taschen's G.O.A.T and a few others as the exception ) they tend to be published by smaller houses and subject to a lot less rigorous editing and proofing. Oh, they also seem to have been printed using a John Bull printing kit and on bog roll

If I want to read about boxing, I tend to look backwards rather than at current publishing. Great writers who happen to turn their attention to boxing are always more satisfying than boxing writers.

So, pick up

Mailer's - The Fight
Joyce Carol Oates on Boxing
Plimpton - Shadowbox

I wonder if, as boxing has become more Marginalised, so has the writing about it?

rant over

Slapsie

E · Post by E » 05 Jul 2005, 05:41

Slapsie Maxie wrote:Bit of a rant here

Hauser's book is well written and worth a try. I have not looked at the others

In truth, I find that sports books in general and boxing books in particular are pretty shoddily written. Also, being a niche publishing venture ( Taschen's G.O.A.T and a few others as the exception ) they tend to be published by smaller houses and subject to a lot less rigorous editing and proofing. Oh, they also seem to have been printed using a John Bull printing kit and on bog roll

If I want to read about boxing, I tend to look backwards rather than at current publishing. Great writers who happen to turn their attention to boxing are always more satisfying than boxing writers.

So, pick up

Mailer's - The Fight
Joyce Carol Oates on Boxing
Plimpton - Shadowbox

I wonder if, as boxing has become more Marginalised, so has the writing about it?

rant over

Slapsie

I agree slapsie a lot of boxing writing is shoddy.

BUT Hauser is a decent Author and I though James Morton's book could be very interesting as he is a well known real life crime writer - he has done loads of Gangland books....

kevin · Post by **kevin** » 05 Jul 2005, 05:44

Reading Fighters at the mo, Very good

Loynesy · Post by **Loynesy** » 05 Jul 2005, 06:42

The Morton book is excellent - sad but compelling

stujones · Post by **stujones** » 05 Jul 2005, 07:58

I've been reading a book called "for whom the bell tolls" on the Mike Tyson rape trial, quite interesting.

KOJOE90 · Post by **KOJOE90** » 05 Jul 2005, 08:03

I am halfway through reading Punch Lines by Phil Berger.

Very interesting.

Bladder · Post by **Bladder** » 05 Jul 2005, 09:19

stujones wrote:I've been reading a book called "for whom the bell tolls" on the Mike Tyson rape trial, quite interesting.

My copy of "For whom the bell tolls" is some rapidly put together paperback by Reg Gutteridge which came out in the late 80's to cash in on the Tyson hysteria, long before his rape conviction.

KOJOE90 · Post by **KOJOE90** » 05 Jul 2005, 09:26

Bladder wrote:
stujones wrote:I've been reading a book called "for whom the bell tolls" on the Mike Tyson rape trial, quite interesting.
My copy of "For whom the bell tolls" is some rapidly put together paperback by Reg Gutteridge which came out in the late 80's to cash in on the Tyson hysteria, long before his rape conviction.

Me to.

KOJOE90 · Post by **KOJOE90** » 05 Jul 2005, 09:29

Jock McAvoy by Brian Hughes is a good read to.

silkov · Post by **silkov** » 05 Jul 2005, 10:36

KOJOE90 wrote:Jock McAvoy by Brian Hughes is a good read to.

recent boxing books that I have brought are....
Unforgivable Blackness... story of Jack Johnson
Charley Burley and black murderers row...
The pussy cat of prizefighting...
all great books imo... well researched and very readable.... I've been very impressed with the books coming out on boxing recently as it seems the writers are really looking into boxing past a lot and unearthing histories and stories that could be forgotten otherwise.

Slapsie Maxie · Post by **Slapsie Maxie** » 05 Jul 2005, 10:39

Also, Nick Tosches' book on Sonny Liston ( The Devil & Sonny Liston ) is very well worth reading

A great book that happens to be about boxing rather than a boxing book. If that makes sense

Slapsie

MightyWarrior · Post by **MightyWarrior** » 05 Jul 2005, 10:56

Slapsie Maxie wrote:Also, Nick Tosches' book on Sonny Liston ( The Devil & Sonny Liston ) is very well worth reading

A great book that happens to be about boxing rather than a boxing book. If that makes sense

Slapsie

I thought that was a load of pretentious crap by a Hemmingway wannabe to be honest. He seemed to be making up half the stuff in there...

The best boxing book ever written has just been reissued I noticed - A.J Liebling - The Sweet Science.

Manos de Oro · Post by **Manos de Oro** » 05 Jul 2005, 11:02

Invest in tapes rather than books, E. The boxing writing game is mostly filled up with saps and chancers.

Slapsie makes a good point, though from that list I'd ditch Mailer and Plimpton (ain't these the two shills who ruined that Ali doc?), and go for Oates' book, which I read large parts of in the school library many years ago. She makes many interesting observations, no less coming from a woman's perspective.

KOJOE90 · Post by **KOJOE90** » 05 Jul 2005, 11:07

For UK fight fans this is a great read.

Slapsie Maxie · Post by **Slapsie Maxie** » 05 Jul 2005, 11:36

MightyWarrior wrote:
Slapsie Maxie wrote:Also, Nick Tosches' book on Sonny Liston ( The Devil & Sonny Liston ) is very well worth reading

A great book that happens to be about boxing rather than a boxing book. If that makes sense

Slapsie
I thought that was a load of pretentious crap by a Hemmingway wannabe to be honest. He seemed to be making up half the stuff in there...

The best boxing book ever written has just been reissued I noticed - A.J Liebling - The Sweet Science.

Disagree on Tosches, but then I know him, so may be biased

Agree entirely on Leibling. Part of the excellent now defunct Sportspages range. Good to see it back

Slapsie

MightyWarrior · Post by **MightyWarrior** » 05 Jul 2005, 11:47

Slapsie Maxie wrote: Disagree on Tosches, but then I know him, so may be biased

Agree entirely on Leibling. Part of the excellent now defunct Sportspages range. Good to see it back

Slapsie

Hard to be critical if you know the guy, I understand.

Seem to recall you said you were something of a Bon Vivant - in which case Liebling is your man for that too

Slapsie Maxie · Post by **Slapsie Maxie** » 05 Jul 2005, 11:54

seriously, don't dismiss Plimpton

His participatory books are genius and, as the editor of the Paris review he writes ( wrote - RIP about 2 years ago) beautifully.

He wrote one novel " The Curious case of Sid Finch " about a guy raised by sherpas after a plane crash who becomes a baseball phenomenon which is very funny

and, the sports books are must haves

OUT OF THEIR LEAGUE - about spending time with the Brookly Dodgers
PAPER LION - about a pre-season with the Detroit Lions
SHADOWBOX - about training for an exhibition with Archie Moore

All doubly funny because he was a lanky educated entirely unsporty type. He could really capture the humanity of the people

As for being a Bon Vivant, I shall have you know there are days I even have to have Champagne from a lesser cave for breakfast

I'll get my coat

Slapsie

KO Artist · Post by **KO Artist** » 05 Jul 2005, 12:01

One of my favourites is Berger On Boxing, by the late Phil Berger.

Its a colection of press cuttings from the New York Daily News? from the late 70's to the early 90's.

An excellent read.

KOJOE90 · Post by **KOJOE90** » 05 Jul 2005, 12:03

KO Atrist wrote:One of my favourites is Berger On Boxing, by the late Phil Berger.

When did Phil Berger pass away?

I am reading his very interestin Punch Lines book at the moment.

KO Artist · Post by **KO Artist** » 05 Jul 2005, 12:05

KOJOE90 wrote:
KO Atrist wrote:One of my favourites is Berger On Boxing, by the late Phil Berger.
When did Phil Berger pass away?

I am reading his very interestin Punch Lines book at the moment.

Punch lines is the one I'm referring to.

Berger passed away in the late 2000/2001 ?

Manos de Oro · Post by **Manos de Oro** » 05 Jul 2005, 12:14

Point taken with Plimpton, Slapsie. I'm sure he had a good career.

But the likes of Mailer and Plimpton lecturing me about boxing, is like Geldoff and Bono lecturing me about the troubles of Africa.

Typical glory hunters.

Though, maybe Mailer will release a book soon about some of the bantamweight small hall shows he used to attend, when not getting entertained by Ali at press conferences?

Oates is interesting because she's a woman.

Owain · Post by **Owain** » 05 Jul 2005, 20:12

There's a book about Freddie Welsh due out in October. It's will be published by Seren Books - a small Welsh publishing house. I've been promised a copy for review before it's release so will let you know how good (or bad) it is when/if I receive it.

Seren's summary of the book is:

Occupation: Prizefighter – Andrew Gallimore

Born Frederick Davies, in Pontypridd, he left his comfortable family life for the great outdoors of Canada to help improve his health. Then he became a boxer, changing his name to Welsh as both a signifier of his nationality and to avoid bringing shame on his family. Welsh became World Champion a fortnight before the outbreak of the Great War. The sport’s rules about title defence (and fee earning) meant that he sometimes fought once a week as all-comers tried to wrest the title from him. His was an outstanding record and, with his sharp business sense and regular earning, Welsh was one of the first boxers to turn drama in the ring into cash outside it. He made his home in New York where he became a celebrity mixing with actors, playwrights and gangsters. The paradoxes in his life were enormous: he appears in the Great Gatsby and in the writing of Ring Lardner; he took on the aristocrat-led boxing establishment in Britain; at the same time he endured and succeeded in the brutal world that was boxing at that time. It was a way of life that was difficult even for wealthy men to sustain, and as Freddie’s ring career faded away, so did his money through bad investments and bad company. Tough fists, big money, seedy associates: Welsh’s story is the prototype of twentieth century boxing, and its cost in human terms.

lamphey · Post by **lamphey** » 06 Jul 2005, 07:49

Owain wrote:There's a book about Freddie Welsh due out in October. It's will be published by Seren Books - a small Welsh publishing house. I've been promised a copy for review before it's release so will let you know how good (or bad) it is when/if I receive it.

Seren's summary of the book is:

Occupation: Prizefighter – Andrew Gallimore

Born Frederick Davies, in Pontypridd,

Thanks for the heads up on that.

I've learned something already - I've always thought Freddie's birth surname was Thomas.