Nat Fleischer's bio of Stanley Ketchel

[goose 5]

Anybody here read it ? Is it worth purchasing ?

[Caractacus]

I once thought about getting a copy
since I couldn't get one thru inter-library loan.
( the most inexpensive I could find for sale on-line was for 50 dollars)
but I don't have that kind of money for recreational reading.
it is now public domain, I would imagine.
if so, I wonder if any one will re-print it ?
BTW did Nat Fleischer ever meet Stanley Ketchel ?

[scartissue]

BTW did Nat Fleischer ever meet Stanley Ketchel ?

It is entirely possible. Travel to sate our love of sport, not to mention our idols, wasn't exactly easy back in those days. However, Ketchel's last two fights were in NY, which would have placed Nat somewhere around 22 years old at the time. So, depending on when he picked up the boxing bug, I suppose he could have.

[Caractacus]

Ray Arcel saw Jack Dempsey fight, when Dempsey came to NYC in 1916
at the Harlem Sporting Club on 135th street.
Dempsey fought John Lester Johnson, who cracked 2 of Dempsey's ribs in round 2.
Dempsey said the next 8 rounds were like breathing 'liquid fire"
( admission 25 cents)

[Caractacus]

Nat Fleischer is 'still counting !".

[Caractacus]

Dont know if he was ever formally intoduced to Stanley Ketchel, but he he did see Ketchel fight in person.
Nat Fleischer once said, that Stanley Ketchel was the most exciting fighter that he had ever seen.
He saw at least one of his fight in March 1909.
Philadelphia Jack O'Brien vrs Stanley Ketchel near Lennox Avenue in NYC
( article in upper right of newspaper page)

https://books.google.com/books?id=1W0rA ... &pg=PA6&dq

[Bladder]

BTW did Nat Fleischer ever meet Stanley Ketchel ?

It is entirely possible. Travel to sate our love of sport, not to mention our idols, wasn't exactly easy back in those days. However, Ketchel's last two fights were in NY, which would have placed Nat somewhere around 22 years old at the time. So, depending on when he picked up the boxing bug, I suppose he could have.

Fleischer recounts a meeting with Ketchel in the bio, it was in NY just before the O'Brien fight.

**edit - messed up the format of the reply

[Benny The Kid]

Stanley Ketchel: A Life Of Triumph And Prophecy Paperback – November 5, 2010
by Manuel A Mora (Author)

Was one of the best boxing books I ever read. I think it translate good for people not interested in boxing the storytelling is such a high level.

[klompton]

Stanley Ketchel: A Life Of Triumph And Prophecy Paperback – November 5, 2010
by Manuel A Mora (Author)

Was one of the best boxing books I ever read. I think it translate good for people not interested in boxing the storytelling is such a high level.

That book was terrible. At one point the author says that Ketchel was going to defend his MW title against Sam McVea before he died…

[Caractacus]

hey Goose 5,

Have you read the book,

A MAN MUST FIGHT
by Gene Tunney
(published in 1932)

That is the book that I would try to get a copy of ,if I were you.
I thought for years that I would never get a copy, because they were so expensive
( the book has never been re-printed)
However about 5 years ago, I found a copy on-line for only 30 dollars
( it was in good shape ,some writing inside the front cover, but with-out a dust-jacket, the only thing missing from it
that I could tell, was a single page photograph of Gene Tunney with his good buddy ,George Bernard Shaw)

[mooman]

I quite like Nat Fleischer's style of writing, however he was prone to putting in a lot of his imagination into his titles.

An enjoyable read on Ketchel, with a bit more blatant imagination in how how the story is told is The Killing of Stanley Ketchel by James Carlos Blake.

[damage]

I quite like Nat Fleischer's style of writing, however he was prone to putting in a lot of his imagination into his titles.

An enjoyable read on Ketchel, with a bit more blatant imagination in how how the story is told is The Killing of Stanley Ketchel by James Carlos Blake.

I bought this book but was gutted when I found out alot of it was made up.

[Caractacus]

BTW
A MAN MUST FIGHT by Gene Tunney was re-printed in 1944, IN softcover for the Armed Services.
but I believe it is an abridged edition of the 1932 book
because a photo of a copy on E-Bay, looks to be only a third thick as the original.

[goose 5]

I have not read Tunney's book but I purchased Fleischer's bio of Ketchel-I hope its worth the money and time to read it. I also bought the bio of Joe Choynski.

[Caractacus]

you can get a copy of A MAN MUST FIGHT by Gene Tunney 254 pages (1933 second edition)
in Good condition for just 50 dollars
over at Clay Moyle's boxing books.

https://prizefightingbooks.com
Goose 5, you should probably get that one too.

[Bladder]

I have not read Tunney's book but I purchased Fleischer's bio of Ketchel-I hope its worth the money and time to read it. I also bought the bio of Joe Choynski.

Fleischer's bio of Ketchel is barely 70 pages of text. The Choynski bio has more than ten times the page count and is one of the best boxing biographies out there.

[Caractacus]

I was interested in purchasing a copy of THE CHOYNSKI CHRONICLES (2013)
but have you noticed you cant buy a copy under 48 dollars,
which is what it cost in 2013.
What's with these sellers asking 100 to 200 dollars or more for a copy ?

[goose 5]

I started reading the Ketchel bio by Fleischer- they knew each other.

[tonyevs]

you can get a copy of A MAN MUST FIGHT by Gene Tunney 254 pages (1933 second edition)
in Good condition for just 50 dollars
over at Clay Moyle's boxing books.

https://prizefightingbooks.com
Goose 5, you should probably get that one too.

Most of my books have come via Clay Moyle. Not sure how things work out now with shipping from US to UK .. but I notice prices have depreciated for some of the titles I have

Clay has written some fantastic books himself too.

On topic of good reads. An absolute must is:
THE SUNDOWNERS
The History of the Black Prizefighter 1870-1930
Volume II Part One
By Kevin R. Smith

Quite difficult to get a copy nowadays but in my opinion one of the best reads I've got.
Pretty sure the author planned a 3rd in the series .. but didn't get around to finishing it.

[Benny The Kid]

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/92335304


Bill Lang's thoughts on Ketchel

[Caractacus]

anyone read the book LANKY BOB
the life, times and contempories of Robert Ftzsimmons by R.K Robinson
(published 2008)
It's almost 500 pages long.
softcover. It looks to have been a labour of love book too..

[goose 5]

That's on my list-after I finish the Choynski book and Volume 1 of Pollack's Dempey bio.

[Caractacus]

Yeah, the Bob Fitzsimmons book is great (other then a lack of photos of him)
One of the main sources in it was a series of articles that Bob Fitzsimmons did for the London Weekly News.
"My 369 fights"
published in weekly installments from January to May 1909.
(IMOP)Fitzsimmons sounded more literate then Gene Tunney and Archie Moore combined !

[Caractacus]

anyone here read Welterweight and Middleweight Champion of the 1920's,
Mickey Walker's autobiography Toy Bulldog, ?
( published in 1961)
What is it like ?