Boxing books??

[keithmoonhangover]

I must have read close to 100 boxing books over the years and there are a lot of great ones, but the best I've read, without question, is I ONLY TALK WINNING by ANGELO DUNDEE.

Sadly, the worst I've read was a book about my favorite fighter, Stanley Ketchel.

[maninthemiddle]

Read Carl Froch's last week, "The Cobra" another one to add to your lists, goes right up to and inc Abraham fight.

[steve689]

I heard this one was quite good:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Irish-Boxing-Re ... 786&sr=8-1

[StevenB]

Night Train, a bio of Sonny Liston is the best boxing book I've ever read. Four Kings is great, as is The Fight for different reasons

Anyone who reads a book by Hugh MacIllvany deserves a knighthood. Why use one word when you can use twenty.

[-KOKid-]

Finally done reading "Battling Siki - A Tale of Ring Fixes, Race and Murder in The 1920s", by Peter Benson (2006).

The positive:
Altough I knew a lot of the stories surrounding Siki were myths and half-truths, I was surprised that it applied to about 90% of everything I have ever read about him.
Though no angel, the real Siki was a rather different individual than the one that exists in boxing lore, no thanks to lazy/un-informed boxing writers looking for a "good copy" - the highly respected Nat Fleischer included.
Good job by Benson for bringing the truth rather than the stories to light.

The negative:
I would have liked to have learned more about was how it went with Siki's wives and children after he died.
What became of his son?
Does Siki still have any living decendants?

I did not particularly care for the back-and-forth jumps in time throughout the book.
That is a matter of taste though, so no points lost.

My only real knock on the actual story Benson tells is that he has a few more general historical errors along the way, the worst being that Jack Dempsey beat Jess Willard for the title in 1918 rather than 1919 (pugilistic blasphemy!).

But overall, I think the book was pretty good and gave me a lot of new info about a fighter I thought I knew a bit about.

Thumbs up

[johnnykayo]

anybody gotta copy of brian hughes book "jackie brown" to sell me ? also anyone know if their is a book about the former heavyweight turned actor victor mclaglen ? he fought jack johnson in a exhibition. thanx guys

[Old bones Ian]

How about fiction books about boxing, one of the best is The Professional by WC Heinz, its about a boxer called Eddie Brown and his build up to challange for the Middleweight title, it builds a great atmosphere.

"The only good novel about a fighter I've ever read." -Ernest Hemingway

[MightyWarrior]

Night Train, a bio of Sonny Liston is the best boxing book I've ever read. Four Kings is great, as is The Fight for different reasons

Anyone who reads a book by Hugh MacIllvany deserves a knighthood. Why use one word when you can use twenty.

I thought night train was unreadable to be honest - Tosches has this cod tough-guy-wannabe-Hemmingway style that doesn't ring true, and he clearly knows nothing about Sonny other than what he's picked up from 3rd hand rumours. Pretty bizzaro stuff.
There hasn't been a decent book written on Liston, closest being Dave Remmick's excellent Kings of the world, which is about Ali/Patterson/Liston.

And while he might be a bit verbose, Hugh MacIllvany is one of the greats.

[MightyWarrior]

What's the new David Haye book like ? I don't hold out much hope, as it's written by his number # 1 fan ( no, that's not Haye himself, close though )

[-KOKid-]

Night Train, a bio of Sonny Liston is the best boxing book I've ever read.

I thought night train was unreadable to be honest - Tosches has this cod tough-guy-wannabe-Hemmingway style that doesn't ring true, and he clearly knows nothing about Sonny other than what he's picked up from 3rd hand rumours. Pretty bizzaro stuff.

I'll second this.
It's been at least ten years since I read "Night Train" and I have forgotten most of my issues with it, but I do remember being soundly disapointed.
The memory that sticks out is that I was left with the impression that Toches wrote it like he wished it was rather than how it actually was.
It's all a matter of taste, I suppose.

[-KOKid-]

Finally got around to reading "Nipper - The Amazing Story of Boxing's Wonderboy", by Alex Daley.
I had heard great stuff about this one, so my expectations were very high - and I happy to tell they were met.

Being Nipper's grandson, Alex Daley obviously had access to quite exclusive material and sources regarding Pat Daly.
Thus, the research and documentation of his life and career is probably as good as it could be.

The story is also well written, making it an easy and enjoyable read.
I especially appreciated the way Daley managed to balance biased and neutral sources when telling the reader who Nipper Pat Daly was.
Almost, if not, all descriptions and praises of Daly the boxer are from newspaper articles, not the people close to him.
For a reader not familiar with Nipper Pat Daly, that balance is significant to the credibility of his accomplishments.

If I had to knock anything about the book, it would be that the author at times tends to repeat the same formula when taking the reader through Daly's career.
But it's all easily overlooked in favor of the actual story being told, because the story of Nipper Pat Daly is quite unlike any other in boxing.
Several times throughout the book I found myself shaking my head in amazement/disbelief at what Daly did and/or was made to do.
A highly recommended read.

[steve689]

Slightly OT, but my book, Bloody Revolution: A Journey into UK MMA is out now.

There's a short extract available to read on Sabotage Times

http://www.sabotagetimes.com/football-s ... ented-mma/

Or if you can't wait, you can go straight to Amazon and buy it (paperback or kindle)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bloody-Revoluti ... 513&sr=8-1

I'm not an MMA fan but may just give this a go.

[gasman]

My Dundee book (My View from the Corner) is signed, bought it second hand, doesn't look like a print?

Anyone know if it usually has that?

I bought my second hand copy a couple of months ago and it came signed by Dundee and Bert Sugar - it is a sticker that was signed and then inserted inside the book

[Emmseegee]

If anyone fancys any trades I've got a good few in my posession that may be worth a swap.
More than happy to swap back if u wanna keep ure books.
pm me and I will send a list of what I've got.

[loaded_gloves]

Best I have ever read, strongly recommended these-

Larry Holmes 'against the odds'
Joe Frazier 'Smokin'
Hauser 'Ali'
Renwick 'King of the World' (also like others have said, Facing Ali)
Sugar Ray Robinson 'Sugar Ray'
Jake LaMotta 'Raging Bull'
Newfield 'Life & Crimes of Don King'
George Foreman 'By George'
Guidan 'Roberto Duran - Hands of Stone' (AMAZING)
Tyson books - 'Blood Season' by Berger and 'Bad Intentions' by Heller
Jack Johnson - 'Unforgiveable Blackness' and 'Papa Jack'
Heller 'In This Corner: 42 world champions tell their story'
Joe Louis 'My Life'

I would personally avoid all the quick, low grade cash in rubbish you would find in a WH Smith - i.e. Hatton, Khan, Calzaghe et al. Pulp nonsense.

[nh1]

What's the new David Haye book like ? I don't hold out much hope, as it's written by his number # 1 fan ( no, that's not Haye himself, close though )

There's a broadly favourable review in the current edition of Boxing Monthly (or Boxing News: forget which).

[gasman]

What's the new David Haye book like ? I don't hold out much hope, as it's written by his number # 1 fan ( no, that's not Haye himself, close though )

There's a broadly favourable review in the current edition of Boxing Monthly (or Boxing News: forget which).

Boxing Monthly review was quite positive, plus I have heard from a couple of others that it is a good read. Might check it out when I get a chance.

[johnnykayo]

anybody read "the ghosts of manila" ? seen it in the market for £3 and was gonna get it but would rather ask for a review off you guys as bought too many "duff" books over the years,especially on ali etc. thanx

[Dirk Kelly]

Some books I've read this summer:



"The Years of The Locust", by Jon Hotten.
Interesting story about the murder of promotor Rick Parker by Tim "Doc" Anderson.
I remember reading about this when it happened in 1995, but have not thought about it since.
If this account of the boxing world at lower level is even close to the truth, it is downright creepy.
Easy and good read.

Read them all and the above is by far THE best boxing book I have ever read.

It sums up the sport and those involed at it's very worst.

If you like boxing books then you MUST read "The Years of The Locust", by Jon Hotten, it should be made into a movie I think.

Just finished "The Years of The Locust", by Jon Hotten. Had it a couple of years but put off reading it for some reason. Quite an eye opener this. If you didn't know it was non-ficition you could easily mistake this for fiction. It really does make you wonder about boxing and how easy it is to fix fights and pad peoples records.


Recommend.

[Dirk Kelly]

anybody read "the ghosts of manila" ? seen it in the market for £3 and was gonna get it but would rather ask for a review off you guys as bought too many "duff" books over the years,especially on ali etc. thanx

Did you see this in The Works? I've just bought it, thought it was worth a punt. Hauser has it on his best boxing books, said if you get past the author bigging up Frazier and demonising Ali its a good account of their fights and rivallary.

[johnnykayo]

yea ive just bought it and gonna read it over chrimbo,lookin forward to reading it

[gasman]

anybody read "the ghosts of manila" ? seen it in the market for £3 and was gonna get it but would rather ask for a review off you guys as bought too many "duff" books over the years,especially on ali etc. thanx

Did you see this in The Works? I've just bought it, thought it was worth a punt. Hauser has it on his best boxing books, said if you get past the author bigging up Frazier and demonising Ali its a good account of their fights and rivallary.

I saw this book yesterday in Banana Books for £3. I had flick through it and noticed that in the preface the author complains about all these 'market-driven books', then I double take the cover of the book as I notice it labelled as the definitive book on Ali. I put it back on the shelf, but I did pick up (in the same store) a three DVD boxset on Ali for a fiver (ITV Sport interviews, and second fight with Cooper).

[Mensa07]

I think I've already replied in this thread ages ago but just wanted to say again that if you haven't read Liebling's Sweet Science then I can't recommend it enough.

Hopefully one day there'll be a bio of Bernard Hopkins, with his back story and his personality it couldn't fail to be entertaining!

[jamesmcdonnell]

Best I have ever read, strongly recommended these-

Larry Holmes 'against the odds'
Joe Frazier 'Smokin'
Hauser 'Ali'
Renwick 'King of the World' (also like others have said, Facing Ali)
Sugar Ray Robinson 'Sugar Ray'
Jake LaMotta 'Raging Bull'
Newfield 'Life & Crimes of Don King'
George Foreman 'By George'
Guidan 'Roberto Duran - Hands of Stone' (AMAZING)
Tyson books - 'Blood Season' by Berger and 'Bad Intentions' by Heller
Jack Johnson - 'Unforgiveable Blackness' and 'Papa Jack'
Heller 'In This Corner: 42 world champions tell their story'
Joe Louis 'My Life'

I would personally avoid all the quick, low grade cash in rubbish you would find in a WH Smith - i.e. Hatton, Khan, Calzaghe et al. Pulp nonsense.

All good calls, would add to that, Mike Tyson, Money, Myth and Betrayal, an absolutely fabulous and unsung piece of writing, incredibly detailed analysis of Mike's life up to the rape case. Very eye opening on the motives of the men behind his career - Cus D'amato does not come out of it like the angel he is often portrayed as.

[matko]

I know jamie moore is writing a book dont know when released thou but should be a great read