3 new boxing books anyone read them? I Need a Christmas read

[reggaereggae]

3 new boxing books anyone read them? Need a Christmas read!

Yes sorry, I know there are numerous boxing books threads, but I noticed three new titles that I had t seen before... (Apologies if i missed them mentioned.)

Has anyone read them? They all seem to have potential:

1. Journeymen - sounds fascinating and covers a niche topic within boxing. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Journeymen-Othe ... tedshop-21

2. By Tris Dixon - not sure if a rehash of his travels across USA in BN (before he was editor) but I like the angle. http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Road-Nowher ... tedshop-21

3. This was reviewed unexpectedly in Boxing Monthly's current issue. It's a posthumous read, but sounds controversial.. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Scream-Tyson-Ta ... tedshop-21

Are they well written, and worthwhile?

[ROCAFELLA]

I've read Journeyman and Road to Nowhere. If you had to buy one then pick the latter, which I feel is the better of the two. Some great stories from Tris with the boxers. Springs Toledo's 'Gods of War' is another one worth checking out this year. They're the best two that i've read this year by a distance.

[Gnome]

3 new boxing books anyone read them? Need a Christmas read!

Yes sorry, I know there are numerous boxing books threads, but I noticed three new titles that I had t seen before... (Apologies if i missed them mentioned.)

Has anyone read them? They all seem to have potential:

1. Journeymen - sounds fascinating and covers a niche topic within boxing. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Journeymen-Othe ... tedshop-21

2. By Tris Dixon - not sure if a rehash of his travels across USA in BN (before he was editor) but I like the angle. http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Road-Nowher ... tedshop-21

3. This was reviewed unexpectedly in Boxing Monthly's current issue. It's a posthumous read, but sounds controversial.. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Scream-Tyson-Ta ... tedshop-21

Are they well written, and worthwhile?

I will buy the first and second books, they look great! Thanks for opening up the thread -I wouldn't have found out about them otherwise. No amazon for me though, will order them through my local independent store.

[reggaereggae]

3 new boxing books anyone read them? Need a Christmas read!

Yes sorry, I know there are numerous boxing books threads, but I noticed three new titles that I had t seen before... (Apologies if i missed them mentioned.)

Has anyone read them? They all seem to have potential:

1. Journeymen - sounds fascinating and covers a niche topic within boxing. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Journeymen-Othe ... tedshop-21

2. By Tris Dixon - not sure if a rehash of his travels across USA in BN (before he was editor) but I like the angle. http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Road-Nowher ... tedshop-21

3. This was reviewed unexpectedly in Boxing Monthly's current issue. It's a posthumous read, but sounds controversial.. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Scream-Tyson-Ta ... tedshop-21

Are they well written, and worthwhile?

I will buy the first and second books, they look great! Thanks for opening up the thread -I wouldn't have found out about them otherwise. No amazon for me though, will order them through my local independent store.

Thanks - and I would much rather support a small independent store. I think I will look into that. I'm trying to move away from Filling the pockets of giant monopolies...

I'm thinking of getting all three, though I'm still reading Donald McRae's Dark Trade, which was recommended here.... It's a good read, but not the type of read I finish quickly. It's quite dark, and cynical as the title suggests.

[Bodyshot3]

I am thinking about getting the third book because Jonathan Rendall was an extremely gifted writer with a talent for hunting down unusual fighters and situations and dramatically bringing them to life.

His stuff, especially for British newspapers like the Guardian and Independent were almost unique because he took risks with what he discussed and could be very critical and funny. He could turn a hum-drum big fight preview or profile of a fighter into something more complex, tragic or entertaining.......he undoubtedly stood out from the crowd.

I said thinking about it because Jonathan is dead and had not finished the project.....and I think this book is a well-intentioned attempt to bring all the material he'd gathered on Tyson together into something useable/readable. So it will need some good editing and will probably read like a collection of essays....some more finished/structured than others. I kind of also feel that I've read enough about Tyson as well.

But having written this and always loving Rendall's writing....I've talked myself into buying it!!

[Darcy Delaney]

You want to try the Ruben Groenewald book it's called broken dreams the untold truth it's a great read

[Boxerbeetle]

I got given Scream - The Tyson Tapes as a Xmas present; only read the first 15 or so pages, but gripping stuff so far.

[handsofstone]

I got given Scream - The Tyson Tapes as a Xmas present; only read the first 15 or so pages, but gripping stuff so far.

That got a good write up in BM if i remember,i bought I Am Ali on DVD today,looking forward to watching,also bought a Tyson DVD but i think its one ive aready got in a different case

[Boxerbeetle]

I got given Scream - The Tyson Tapes as a Xmas present; only read the first 15 or so pages, but gripping stuff so far.

That got a good write up in BM if i remember,i bought I Am Ali on DVD today,looking forward to watching,also bought a Tyson DVD but i think its one ive aready got in a different case

Yeah it did get a good review in BM - funnily enough my dad asked if I'd want it as a gift on the same day as I'd read the review earlier that morning. I'll post my own review on here when I'm done reading it

I'm usually wary about receiving boxing gifts at Xmas - my dad always puts a lot of effort & research into them, but I must have been given about 10 Rumble in the Jungle DVDs over the last 15 years by other family members :(

[handsofstone]

Im the same Beetle,nobody buys me boxing DVD's anymore,they know ive got a few so they dont risk getting them now

I wanted to get Pacquiao's new dvd "Manny" today but despite the system in HMV saying they had 2 copies left they couldnt find them,i seen it there last week too i should have got it then,

[palooka]

I'm reading 'The Professor' on kindle; the biography of Azumah Nelson - it's a good read and Nelson comes across as a really decent man.

[reggaereggae]

I've got 'journeyman' - will review when I've finished.... But so far is one of the best boxing books I have ever read. Far more interesting and insightful than books on big name fighters.

I've also bought the Tris Dixon book and I will prob buy the Rendall/Tyson book too.

[Boxerbeetle]

I've got 'journeyman' - will review when I've finished.... But so far is one of the best boxing books I have ever read. Far more interesting and insightful than books on big name fighters.

I've also bought the Tris Dixon book and I will prob buy the Rendall/Tyson book too.

Please wait until I've posted my review before buying.

Only joking obviously I'm about halfway through it already & definitely recommend picking it up, really enjoying it so far. Well-written & very easy to read, I'm enjoying it a lot more than I enjoyed Tyson's actual autobiography which was overlong & repetitive imo.

[taffytoon]

Journey man is not a bad read; I am the Referee was a real good read as well.

[reggaereggae]

I've got 'journeyman' - will review when I've finished.... But so far is one of the best boxing books I have ever read. Far more interesting and insightful than books on big name fighters.

I've also bought the Tris Dixon book and I will prob buy the Rendall/Tyson book too.

Please wait until I've posted my review before buying.

Only joking obviously I'm about halfway through it already & definitely recommend picking it up, really enjoying it so far. Well-written & very easy to read, I'm enjoying it a lot more than I enjoyed Tyson's actual autobiography which was overlong & repetitive imo.

Thanks! :-) and I agree about the Tyson biog. it was repetitive, somewhat depressing and I thought very thin when it came to boxing. There wasn't much thought in it; rather a long list of events suggesting what a degenerate coke head bully Tyson was.

[Boxerbeetle]

I finished Scream: The Tyson Tapes last night. Only took about 5 hours total reading over a few days to finish so obviously it's very short, but I really enjoyed it. Nothing particularly new, but interesting to hear some of the different perspectives from the Cus D'Amato camp. Teddy Atlas comes across as an inconsistent, untrustworthy headcase & bit of a pudendum tbh, but Kevin Rooney & Nadia Hujtyn come across quite well. Rendall really gets into the head of Tyson during the prose sections which are interspersed with the interviews.

I give it approximately 8.527 out of 10

[reggaereggae]

I finished Scream: The Tyson Tapes last night. Only took about 5 hours total reading over a few days to finish so obviously it's very short, but I really enjoyed it. Nothing particularly new, but interesting to hear some of the different perspectives from the Cus D'Amato camp. Teddy Atlas comes across as an inconsistent, untrustworthy headcase & bit of a pudendum tbh, but Kevin Rooney & Nadia Hujtyn come across quite well. Rendall really gets into the head of Tyson during the prose sections which are interspersed with the interviews.

I give it approximately 8.527 out of 10

Right... Sold then. I never liked Atlas. He always seemed shifty and spiteful / grudge bearing. All that stuff about taking a gun to LaLonde's house is not cool.

And his 'hard man' image - whenever he does his 'what xxxxx boxer need to do to win' his boxing looks awful. I wouldn't be surprised if he slashed his own face to look harder too - there's something too straight and too long about that wound to makes me suspicious....

[palooka]

A really good read is 'Babyface Goes To Hollywood' - a biography of Jimmy McClarnin. You can get it on Amazon for 1pence + postage; I urge anyone with an interest to buy it and read it :)

[deliverance]

Really enjoyed the journeymen so far and it's a great read having seen some of these boxers up close and personal it actually does them justice. Highly recommended!!

[DaveyH]

I got Journeymen for Christmas, enjoying it so far. Thanks to the OP for starting this thread otherwise I wouldn't have known about it to put it on my pressie list

[magwitch]

I am thinking about getting the third book because Jonathan Rendall was an extremely gifted writer with a talent for hunting down unusual fighters and situations and dramatically bringing them to life.

His stuff, especially for British newspapers like the Guardian and Independent were almost unique because he took risks with what he discussed and could be very critical and funny. He could turn a hum-drum big fight preview or profile of a fighter into something more complex, tragic or entertaining.......he undoubtedly stood out from the crowd.

I said thinking about it because Jonathan is dead and had not finished the project.....and I think this book is a well-intentioned attempt to bring all the material he'd gathered on Tyson together into something useable/readable. So it will need some good editing and will probably read like a collection of essays....some more finished/structured than others. I kind of also feel that I've read enough about Tyson as well.

But having written this and always loving Rendall's writing....I've talked myself into buying it!!

I'm also a fan of the late Jonathan Rendall. Twelve Grand and This Bloody Mary Is The Last Thing I Own are great reads.

[blanca]

Got the ruben groenewald book by download..only ten pages in,and the scene is still being set,quite a few grammatical errors tho! Also got the herol graham book by download,not read it yet but my missus has and she says it is a good read

[magwitch]

I've had Johnny Nelson in an envelope on my shelf for 8 weeks. Searched high and low for that and couldn't find it anywhere. It was even doing the rounds (no pun intended) in Poundland and I couldn't find it in any of those - so that's my excuse for using online shopping and killing the high street :( Haven't needed to open it yet as I know what it is and there's a considerable back-log right now.

[magwitch]

I like Carl Froch's book. Comes across an arrogant/ egotistical sort reading the inside cover - would actually have put me off buying it if it wasn't a charity shop bargain. The content inside is the opposite tho, it's great stuff.

[blanca]

Finished the groenewald book, some massive accusations against, the maloney bros, the bbofc and others..if they are true then it just shows the whole boxing scene as a disgrace, lacking any form of morality,with the boxers the ones paying the price