BoxRec

I am looking to read a book on Jack Dempsey, but I want something gritty and true to life, dealing with his early life as a hobo, not just some glossy biography.

I've looked on Amazon.coo.uk, but which one of these are the best? Has anyone read any?

A Flame of Pure Fire: Jack Dempsey and the Roaring '20s

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASI ... /ref=nosim

Jack Dempsey

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASI ... /ref=nosim

I also spotted this:

How to Fight Tough

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASI ... /ref=nosim

This one looks weird, it is a guide to fighting by Jack Dempsey!

No doubts. A Falme of Pure Fire. covers his early family life, his early fighting days as Kid Blackie living as a bum and a possible pimp to his alleged prostitute wife, the gambling and the cons around the gold rush of colorado. covers the life and times of the 20s in particular. Estelle Morris, Fatty Arbuckle etc etc, wee spot of politics, prohibition and gangsters, sibling suicide and baseball fixes.

Covers Dempseys early managerial problems, his meating with Kearns, his first time in New York trying to get fights right through to his 'draft dodging, the long count, the loaded gloves and gene tunney. Talks about his film and television career, his restaurant, his retirement and his impact on american life and psyche.

Probably the second best boxing book I own. Certainly by far the best biography/autobiography Ive read.

A good one I`ve got is one written by Jack Dempsey and his step daughter.

Dempsey by Jack Dempsey with Barbara Piattelle Dempsey. 320pages

Very good read and once again covers his early years upto 1977when it was written.

I chose it because its his version of events, there are many versions written by other people.