Boxing books??

[dondada]

Haven't been following this thread so apologies if this has already been mentioned but I've just done a little review of a nice book.

Not loads of text but some cracking pictures:

http://news.boxrec.com/news/2011/book-r ... was-boxing

[Alex]

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.

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it.

If anyone else would like a copy, the book's just sold out on Amazon but can still be bought here:

http://www.nipperpatdaly.co.uk/nipperboxingbook.html

[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.

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).

I was gutted when I saw it in The Works / Banana Books for £3 because I'd paid full price for it a week before in Waterstones as a Christmas gift for a mate. Anyhow bought it for myself and looking forward to reading over the Crimbo holidays.

[Dirk Kelly]

Thomas Hauser's list of best boxing books:

http://thesweetscience.com/news/article ... 2011hauser

[gasman]

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).

I was gutted when I saw it in The Works / Banana Books for £3 because I'd paid full price for it a week before in Waterstones as a Christmas gift for a mate. Anyhow bought it for myself and looking forward to reading over the Crimbo holidays.

I just read through the thread there and quite a few people have recommended Ghosts of Manilla so I might go back and pick it up. Jimmy McLarnin's book is also in Banana Books for £3.

Has anyone read A Cultural History of Boxing - I have it, just need to psyche myself up to read it as it will be a heavy read.

[martinmrts]

"The Last Great Fight" by Joe Layden is a great, well-written book on Tyson vs Douglas, and available cheap from remainder shops

[fatcity69]

Wheres this banana books????.... some one plez tell me!???

[Dirk Kelly]

Wheres this banana books????.... some one plez tell me!???

Banana Books / The Works are a chain for discount books and craft shops up and down the country, usually found in shopping centres and outlet villages.

[gasman]

Books that I have read recently:

View from the Corner: Angelo Dundee
Teddy Atlas
Barry McGuigan - Clones Cyclone
Barney Eastwood - Hooked on the jab
Wayne McCullough
Chris Eubank
Bernard Dunne
Reg Gutteridge

Atlas and Dundee's books were the stand outs, really interesting reads. I was disappointed with Eastwood's book, mainly down to the bad structure, back and forth nature of the book, it was a frustrating read. And really the coverage of Eastwood's other fighters was not particularly in depth.

Eubank and Dunne's books were on a par for entertainment value, and Dunne's struggles with his manager and promoter was quite surprising.

[gasman]

Just picked up 'Ghosts from Manilla' today for £3 in Bargain Books.

[steve689]

thinking of having a stab at the cultural history of boxing myself and Bernard Dunne's book

[binipop]

It's been a couple of years since i've read it but Kasia Boddy's 'Cultural History Of Boxing' is a beautifully written book although a little dry and academic at times and depending on your interests outside of boxing some chapters will be of more interest to you than others. The photos and artwork contained inside however are absolutely stunning and if you're interested in the history of boxing ( and we're talking THE WHOLE history, going back into the bronze age...16-1200 BC!!) and how it influenced art, cinema, literature, philosophy, poetry, rock and roll etc.... it's a must. In fact i'm going to dig it out again.....

I've received 'McIlvanney On Boxing' as a xmas gift and have just read the introduction. Even after 3 pages i can't wait to get properly into it :)

[-KOKid-]

Jimmy McLarnin's book is also in Banana Books for £3.

Go get it!
70 pages into the McLarnin book now and finding to be pretty good.

[johnnykayo]

christ jimmy mclarnins book,il go and get that !!!! thanx mate

[Mimmy]

You can find Sweet Agony - Paul Sykes on Ebay for £25 if you havent read it. This is a good bargain and possible in time will be worth around £70. I bought a few copies when the prices were good at 30 quid and sold them both for around 70.

[tonyevs]

Try these sites for good book prices.

Abebooks.co.uk
Bookdepository.co.uk
Betterworldbooks.co.uk

Just got 1st edition Occupation, Prizefighter: The Freddie Welsh Story for £10.83
And a 1st edition Babyface Goes to Hollywood: Fighters, Mobsters & Film Stars. the Jimmy McLarnin Story for £5

Pretty happy with that

Heres a good bargain for anybody looking. Also a pretty good read too.
http://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/BookD ... %26sts%3Dt

[tonyevs]

You can find Sweet Agony - Paul Sykes on Ebay for £25 if you havent read it. This is a good bargain and possible in time will be worth around £70. I bought a few copies when the prices were good at 30 quid and sold them both for around 70.

Unless you talking a hardback 1st edition? .. plenty about in paperback.
http://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/Searc ... &x=91&y=17

I will add. A paperback at £25 seems top money for such a book as this to be honest .. last printed 1991 .. you may have a long wait to get it to £70 again .. they could reprint and it would drop to 70p :(

[Mimmy]

You can find Sweet Agony - Paul Sykes on Ebay for £25 if you havent read it. This is a good bargain and possible in time will be worth around £70. I bought a few copies when the prices were good at 30 quid and sold them both for around 70.

Unless you talking a hardback 1st edition? .. plenty about in paperback.
http://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/Searc ... &x=91&y=17

I will add. A paperback at £25 seems top money for such a book as this to be honest .. last printed 1991 .. you may have a long wait to get it to £70 again .. they could reprint and it would drop to 70p :(

I never knew there was a 1st edition hardback, never seen one at all. I bought my ist edition for around £3 when it first came out. Since then ive bought 3 or 4 copies of first edition and resold at 100% profit.

[gasman]

thinking of having a stab at the cultural history of boxing myself and Bernard Dunne's book

I got Dunne's book from my local library, you will fly through it. Great read.
Cultural History of boxing is next on my read list

[gasman]

Jimmy McLarnin's book is also in Banana Books for £3.

Go get it!
70 pages into the McLarnin book now and finding to be pretty good.

I got it, it was a no-brainer, really intrigued to read this and for £3 - bargain. Glad to hear you are enjoying it

[tonyevs]

You can find Sweet Agony - Paul Sykes on Ebay for £25 if you havent read it. This is a good bargain and possible in time will be worth around £70. I bought a few copies when the prices were good at 30 quid and sold them both for around 70.

Unless you talking a hardback 1st edition? .. plenty about in paperback.
http://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/Searc ... &x=91&y=17

I will add. A paperback at £25 seems top money for such a book as this to be honest .. last printed 1991 .. you may have a long wait to get it to £70 again .. they could reprint and it would drop to 70p :(

I never knew there was a 1st edition hardback, never seen one at all. I bought my ist edition for around £3 when it first came out. Since then ive bought 3 or 4 copies of first edition and resold at 100% profit.

I would guess that the 1st editions were the hardbacks .. all paperbacks will be 2nd 3rd etc

[Mimmy]

Unless you talking a hardback 1st edition? .. plenty about in paperback.
http://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/Searc ... &x=91&y=17

I will add. A paperback at £25 seems top money for such a book as this to be honest .. last printed 1991 .. you may have a long wait to get it to £70 again .. they could reprint and it would drop to 70p :(

I never knew there was a 1st edition hardback, never seen one at all. I bought my ist edition for around £3 when it first came out. Since then ive bought 3 or 4 copies of first edition and resold at 100% profit.

I would guess that the 1st editions were the hardbacks .. all paperbacks will be 2nd 3rd etc

There are no hardbacks.

[tonyevs]

I never knew there was a 1st edition hardback, never seen one at all. I bought my ist edition for around £3 when it first came out. Since then ive bought 3 or 4 copies of first edition and resold at 100% profit.

I would guess that the 1st editions were the hardbacks .. all paperbacks will be 2nd 3rd etc

There are no hardbacks.

Yes. My mistake. I read dustjacket on the 1st editions details .. and assumed they had one (which would have indicated a hardback) ...without reading the following description of `none issued`

Its not a book I have. Or to be honest, one that would appeal .. Kinda fit more into the Roy Shaw, Lenny McClean, Charles Bronson genre .. whilst amusing reads .. not exactly worthy of bookcase space ..

[Mimmy]

Its not a bad read, to be honest I think it would make a good movie, like the Tom Hardy- Bronson movie. Im suprised actually no one has made a movie of Paul Sykes life.

[chinny]

This thread has made me desperate for the Larry Homles bio but it can't be had for less than £70 and there is no kindle edition

I read only in America the don king story recently and it was as good as I hoped.

Currently 1/3 into day of the locust and it's gripping stuff, thanks for recommending chaps