BoxRec

KOJOE90 wrote:

neil r wrote:but if your looking for the best ever book on boxing then beg, borrow or steal a copy of hugh mcilvanneys 'mcilvanney on boxing'. simply put its how sports journalism should be written. an absolute classic.

Been meaning to get that book for years, so with you reminding me about it I purchased it from Waterstones during my lunch break on Friday.

very wise move. no other boxing book you ever read again will ever come close

KOJOE90 wrote:

silkov wrote: Flight of the Hawk... Aron Pryorr

Yes that is a good read.

I know these are not autobiographies but has anyone read these books?

The Long Round: The Triumphs and Tragedies of the Men Who Fought Mike Tyson by Dominic Calder-Smith

Benny: The Life and Times of a Fighting Legend - John Burrowes

I've read "The Long Round: The Triumphs and Tragedies of the Men Who Fought Mike Tyson", and enjoyed it. There's some sad stories and some uplifting ones. The Mitch Green chapter is very funny, I have an inkling he's not all there ;)

My T Sharp wrote:Agree with everyone who said Raging Bull (Jake La Motta)...a lot more honest and interesting than the film 8) .

I've heard this mentioned a few times but not having read the book can someone enlighten me as to how the film is inaccurate? I'd be fascinated to know...

Deserter wrote:

My T Sharp wrote:Agree with everyone who said Raging Bull (Jake La Motta)...a lot more honest and interesting than the film 8) .

I've heard this mentioned a few times but not having read the book can someone enlighten me as to how the film is inaccurate? I'd be fascinated to know...

The film isn't very inaccurate...it just can't cover all of his life story. 'Cause of this I reckon the film shows Jake in a better light than the book.

There is a sypnosis and a couple of reviews on the Amazon site:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASI ... 66-2416666

Thanks.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/de ... s&n=507846

Come out Writing: An Anthology of Boxing

Features Hugh McI, Jose Torres, Bert Sugar...etc...

Brilliant, brilliant book.

I found George Foreman's autobiography a good read, and Archie Moore's 1964 autobiography is absolutely fantastic. Only a short book but you really get the mark of the man, out of print now though.

Not quite boxing related, but Mr T's autobiography is absolutely fantastic, what a hard nut that guy is.

Enjoyed Nigel Benn's biography.

Like the funny stories from parties he went to in it.

neil r wrote:

KOJOE90 wrote:

neil r wrote:but if your looking for the best ever book on boxing then beg, borrow or steal a copy of hugh mcilvanneys 'mcilvanney on boxing'. simply put its how sports journalism should be written. an absolute classic.

Been meaning to get that book for years, so with you reminding me about it I purchased it from Waterstones during my lunch break on Friday.

very wise move. no other boxing book you ever read again will ever come close

What surprises me about this is how accurate he is in many of his predictions.

Great writer, really readable prose.


'Benny' was slightly hamstrung by the short career and limited themes in Lynch's life, but I enjoyed it as a historical context type book.

'Black Ajax' by George McDonald Fraser is well worth a squint for fans of the olde worlde types.

I enjoyed the book on Benny.

Another is the story of "Skeets" Gallacher, World Amateur Flyweight Champion at the same time Jackie Paterson held the Pro title of same weight.

Can't remember the books I've read, there is so many.

Hauser's on Ali is brilliant though.

I read a bio on Alan Minter which was good, one on Bruno, Henry Cooper,

Haven't read Kenny Buchanans but I have read Watt's My Name from Jim Watt.

Not an autobiography but The long round is a great read.

Eubank's book is great, I never knew he'd led such an interesting/eventful life, Benn's is good too and it really highlights the difference in their characters, Eubank having pondered and knowing exactly what he thinks about just about everything, while Benn is clearly more of an "are you looking at my fornicating pint?" kind of a guy.

Get Raging Bull if you haven't read it already, it's superb, very candid.

I have recently read and enjoyed 'They could have been contenders' by Jim McNeill and 'War baby' by Kevin Mitchell which is essential reading if you are a Benn fan :)

Anyone know if there are any books or decent articles on Tippy Larkin or Charlie Fusari, 2 w/weights that fought during the Louis era 8)

silkov - "what's your overall view of Bruce Woodcock?

My heart breaks for the man, I believe National pride and England's "desperation" for "the Top prize in Sport" (the HW Championship of the World) is what truely wasted Woodcock.

Had they brought him along 'even' another year and 3-4 more fights before facing the American's, Woodcock would have had his title show down with Joe Louis, after all he made it to No.3 world Heavyweight contender! (Louis would have capitalized on that exposed chin though, but... he would have gotten his shot!).

Up untill his defeats the Yanks loved him and Nat Fleischer "praised" him greatly... should have been Britain's greatest HW, hit like a freight train!

Yes, he was definately rushed along too quickly and was thrown in with some of the top fighters far too early. Seemed to be unlucky too with the injuries he suffered... that cut eye against Savold was an absolute shocker!. Freddie Mills suffered simular treatment... though he was well experienced he really had no buissness mixing it with Heavyweights like he did.... he was really quite small even for a light-heavyweight.
One of the things that came through Woodcocks biography is that he didn't seem bitter about his shortened career but I wonder if he felt the same way after a few years when things had sunk in?......