Recommend a boxing autobiography

[Controversial]

So I have finished Tyson's book and looking for others to read, any recommendations?

[klompton]

Victory Over Myself by Floyd Patterson
Gloves Glory and God Henry Armstrong
Schmeling Max Schmeling (this one is fascinating. Schmeling was a heck of an interesting guy)
Ray Robinson Ray Robinson
Raging Bull Jake LaMotta
Somebody Up There Likes Me Rocky Graziano

[Bodyshot3]

I am halfway through Barry McGuigan's book 'Cyclone, My Story' and it is extremely well-written and seriously fascinating in parts; crucially it sounds like McGuigan talking and writing right from the heart rather than a a sports journo 'ghost' doing it for him and the book is all the better for it. Barry has a good sense of humour as well.

Just in the build-up to the Pedroza fight right now and it is good, seriously insightful stuff.

McGuigan and Eastwood (a formidable team at the time) went to incredible lengths to win that fight and you realise just how absolutely meticulous/fanatical their preparations were.

They hired two top-flight Panamian fighters, clones of Pedroza, for some bruising sparring sessions and McGuigan admits that some of these sessions had him bloody worried and did not go at all well. And to get back to understanding what it felt like to fight outside they trained in a ring in Eastwood's back garden! Teddy Atlas was also flown over to construct a gameplan to beat Pedroza.

A good book and nice to hear McGuigan taling about his life.

[Tuan_Jim]

Some of the best that I have read:

By George - George Foreman
Against The Odds - Larry Holmes
Smokin' - Joe Frazier
Sugar Ray - Sugar Ray Robinson
Raging Bull - Jake LaMotta
Victory Over Myself - Floyd Patterson
Muhammad Ali - Hauser/Ali & co

[polecateddy]

The Hate Game - Eubank/Benn and everyone around them.

[Roco]

Reg Gutteridge - King of commentary

Currently reading Adam Smith's autobiography and it's got some good bits in, but I've read better.

[doug.ie]

joe louis - my life

its an amazingly good read on many levels

[IRLangmaid25]

Sparring Life Jimmy Tibbs

[palooka]

'Becoming Taz' by Jeff Bumphus is excellent, it's honest and funny and Bumphus is a likeable man. The book is on kindle and costs less than 3 quid - if you give it a go you'll enjoy it

[doug.ie]

Sparring Life Jimmy Tibbs

i bet thats good....going by this..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B31KdJrHv3U

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cN5ioNBepGA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKDgkV1jkx8

[Caractacus]

IN THE RING AND OUT(1927)
by Jack Johnson.
Man,that was a really good read.
I first read it when it was re-printed back in 1977.
Sure it has some inaccuracies as far as dates
and that jive turkey Ken Burns
ridiculed it in his commie documentery.
No doubt because Johnson would be today considered a "Male Chavunist Pig".
But its a really good book.

[Caractacus]

Hey.

I just purchased a used hardcover edition of
VICTORY OVER MYSELF by Floyd Patteron.
Been meaning to read it,but im sort of a procrastinator.
Its only been available since 1962.
I review it here next month for you all.

[Rexob]

20 and out Mickey Duff

[Caractacus]

Hey.

I just purchased a used hardcover edition of
VICTORY OVER MYSELF by Floyd Patterson.
Been meaning to read it,but im sort of a procrastinator.
Its only been available since 1962.
I review it here next month for you all.

VICTORY OVER MYSELF was first published in May 1962(hardbound)
when Patterson was still Heavyweight Champion.
The paperback edition came out in June 1963
when he was then a former Heavyweight Champion again.

Anyway there are some copies still available on amazon.com.
Beginning at about 26 dollers each.( a couple of ex-library books)

[palooka]

I've read Victory Over Myself and can recommend it, Floyd is a very thoughtful and interesting man and he had it hard growing up, he puts his feelings across so well and is so honest.

I've just seen a Tony Zale biography; can anyone vouch for it please?

[Ade L]

Mi Vida Loca: The Crazy and Unbelievable Life of Johnny Tapia

RIP Johnny

[Caractacus]

I can definatley recommend


MY LIFE AND BATTLES
by Jim J. Jeffries.
It was originally a serial newspaper series of articles
then published into book form with photographs a couple of months
before Jeffries fought Jack Johnson in July 1910.

Original copies can cost several hundred dollers
but perhaps you can get a photo-copy
from the inter-library loan department at your local library like I did.
( 64 pages long,but 8X 10")
The size was maybe the reason that it was not re-printed by Proteus books
back when they planned to back in 1981).(Proteus books had re-printed Jack Johnson's and John L. Sullivan's autobiographies a few years earlier)
Its too bad,I sure would have really enjoyed it back then in 1981 instead of just getting around to reading it last Summer).

[Caractacus]

I can definatley recommend


MY LIFE AND BATTLES
by Jim J. Jeffries.
It was originally a serial newspaper series of articles
then published into book form with photographs a couple of months
before Jeffries fought Jack Johnson in July 1910.

Original copies can cost several hundred dollers
but perhaps you can get a photo-copy
from the inter-library loan department at your local library like I did.
( 64 pages long,but 8X 10")
The size was maybe the reason that it was not re-printed by Proteus books
back when they planned to back in 1981).(Proteus books had re-printed Jack Johnson's and John L. Sullivan's autobiographies a few years earlier)
Its too bad,I sure would have really enjoyed it back then in 1981 instead of just getting around to reading it last Summer).

Or if you have 75 dollars to spare you can purchase a photo-copy of this rare book with an accubind fabric cover
at this web site

http://www.prizefightingbooks.com/softcover.html

[Caractacus]

I can definatley recommend


MY LIFE AND BATTLES
by Jim J. Jeffries.
It was originally a serial newspaper series of articles
then published into book form with photographs a couple of months
before Jeffries fought Jack Johnson in July 1910.

Original copies can cost several hundred dollers
but perhaps you can get a photo-copy
from the inter-library loan department at your local library like I did.
( 64 pages long,but 8X 10")
The size was maybe the reason that it was not re-printed by Proteus books
back when they planned to back in 1981).(Proteus books had re-printed Jack Johnson's and John L. Sullivan's autobiographies a few years earlier)
Its too bad,I sure would have really enjoyed it back then in 1981 instead of just getting around to reading it last Summer).

just thought I would post this again.

[franciscojavier]

Oscar De La Hoya’s and Joe Calzaghe’s were both good reads but a bit dated because they came out a few years before they finished their careers. I enjoyed reading Dundee’s and Leonard’s autobiographies very much, and Teddy Atlas’ was pretty interesting as well.

[Caractacus]

yeah,, same thing with Floyd Patterson's autobiography.
It was published before he fought Sonny Liston
but his boxing career continued for another ten years.

[Caractacus]

just the other week I got around to reading Lou Duva's autobiography.
A FIGHTING LIFE
(published in 2016)
It was pretty good and sort of a breezy read.
he had worked with Rocky Marciano and Joey Giardello in his earlier days.
However Lou Duva was 94 years old in 2016, (and passed away in 2017)
and one wonders how good his memory was at that stage.
I sort of got the impression while reading it that some of his family members may have helped him to jog his memory
while the book was being written.
BTW I purchased a copy for only 8.95 on Ebay (plus 4.95 shipping and handling)
Have you seen how much they want for (un-signed) copies of his book on Amazon and Ebay ?

[writehooks]

Chuvalo: A Fighter's Life, by George Chuvalo (with Murray Greig). Released in 2014 by Harper-Collins Canada.

[Caractacus]

NO MAN STANDS ALONE by Barney Ross (published 1956)
has always been regarded as a classic.
I don't think that it has ever been re-printed since.
I got a pretty good copy for only 20 dollars a few years ago.
It still had it's original dust-jacket, but there was some kind of stain
within the front cover (looked a bit like some mould to)
but see how much the least inexpensive a copy you can get nowadays.