List your best boxing books.

[tiredoldngrey]

My list: "Charley Burley; The Life and Hard Times of an Uncrowned Champion" by Allen S Rosenfeld. "The Professional" by W.C. Heinz; "Boxing" by Edwin L Haislet ; also, I recently read a collection of Budd Schulberg's work that was terrific but I can't recall the title. As soon as I finished it my friend picked it up and I suspect I'll have to return his Charley Burley book if I want mine back.

[KOJOE90]

Jock McAvoy 'Portrait Of A Fighting Legend' by Brian Hughes is a very good read.

[ChrisColumbus]

This is one Great List. I am keeping this and passing it out for Fathers Day, Birthday, Christmas and any other time I do a good deed!

I just bought "12 GREAT ROUNDS OF BOXING" by Dr. Ferdie Pechecko.

It talks about famous rounds in 12 famous fights. It tells the story behind the story and gives a great insight into boxing history.
I am only a four chapters into the book but I recommend those four so far.

[lamphey]

Just finished the best book I've read in a long while. "A bagful of monkeys" by former Merthyr pro George Evans. As well as his own career as a boxer and trainer spent around the likes of Eddie Thomas and Howard Winstone, you also get a feel of life in 50's/60's industrial South Wales.
Maybe the Welsh angle interested me more than it would most, but I couldn't put the book down.

[barry]

I just finished "Boxing Day" about the Burns-Johnson bout and leading up to it with a good section on Bill Squires. It's a really good read. I've just started on John L. Sullivan and his America.

[Alex]

I just ordered 'Byker to Broadway' and 'Johnny, the happy warrior' on Amazon! 8) ...some outfit was selling a copy of 'Byker to Broadway' for £37!.... .... but I got one off Amazon themselves for £9.95!....... 8) .......nice! 8)

Seaman Tommy Watson... one of our greatest ever featherweights! What did you think of it Silkov? I found it interesting in terms of the info contained within it and it was great to find a book about one of my grandfather's opponents with a couple of pages about their fight - albeit with some inaccuracies: the fight was stopped mid-round after he had been knocked down and got up several times, not as described in the book.

I didn't find it particularly well written though. The author's writing style I thought was very bland and because of this I couldn't see the book appealing to anyone other than a real fan of the era.

By the way check your PM's i've got some of those fight reports you were after.

[Alex]

Jock McAvoy 'Portrait Of A Fighting Legend' by Brian Hughes is a very good read.

I'll second that. Just had the first of his trilogy, on Jackie Brown arrive in the mail today. Can't wait to start it.

Has anybody read 'The Rochdale Thunderbolt' by Jack Doughty, and is it worth getting if you've already read 'Portrait Of A Fighting Legend'?

[jimglen]

Hi Alex,
"the Rochdale Thunderbolt!" is THEE only book to get on McAvoy, a far better read, more intellectually written, informative and PRO McAvoy without being biased, a well researched and more accurate objective account of the man regarded to be Britain's greatest middleweight..!

As a researcher myself, who had to make that "standard" my 'mandate', I can only applaud a far better written book... "there really is No comparison between the two!"

Yours Jim.

[barry]

I'd really like to read the McAvoy books as he is one my all-time favorite British fighters. One hell of a mean guy in the ring!

[Alex]

Hi Alex,
"the Rochdale Thunderbolt!" is THEE only book to get on McAvoy, a far better read, more intellectually written, informative and PRO McAvoy without being biased, a well researched and more accurate objective account of the man regarded to be Britain's greatest middleweight..!

As a researcher myself, who had to make that "standard" my 'mandate', I can only applaud a far better written book... "there really is No comparison between the two!"

Yours Jim.

Thanks Jim, sounds like one-hell-of-a good book! It's pretty hard to get hold of in decent condition at a reasonable price. A couple of ABE booksellers wants £30 for it!