Jack Johnson : My Life & Battles

[Hawkins]

There is a new Jack Johnson book out, compiled from interviews w/French sports journalists...

SOUTH HADLEY, Mass. - Jack Johnson, addicted to attention and craving a colorful legacy, loved to chronicle his rise from a restless Texas teen to the world's first black heavyweight boxing champion. Now, nearly a century after his most famous bout — the 1910 defeat of "Great White Hope" Jim Jeffries — and decades after his death, Johnson has more tales to tell.


His largely unknown 1911 musings to a French sports magazine, including candid observations on racism likely never intended for American readers, have been translated to English in their entirety for the first time. The result, "My Life & Battles," is 127-page book by and about the man considered by many to be one of history's most important athletes.

"To get new material and new stories from Jack Johnson is significant not just in sports, but sociologically as a look into that whole era," said Bert Sugar, a boxing historian and author of dozens of books on the sport.

Yahoo link

[ROSS CALIFORNIA]

I'd love to get my hands on that one.

[Hawkins]

I'd love to get my hands on that one.

So have I. If it's readily available, and I have yet to check, I'm going to order and stock it for the store.

[LondonRingRules]

There is a new Jack Johnson book out, compiled from interviews w/French sports journalists...
"To get new material and new stories from Jack Johnson is significant not just in sports, but sociologically as a look into that whole era," said Bert Sugar, a boxing historian and author of dozens of books on the sport.

** Well, Sugar tends to overstate the obvious. Johnson himself was a poor source of information but typically a great quote for sales.

The interviews from 1911 France by French journalists are as important as the subject himself because it gives an outside perspective from American media. Johnson was fresh from his flight from America and in a unique frame of mind on the front porch at the dawn of WW1.

Hopefully French historians will take the trouble to locate interviews and fight captions on Jeannette and Langford who also appear in France periodically to pursue Johnson and fight in local matches. That would be considerably more informative as historical triangulation.

Any incremental find of anything is nice though, so thanks.

[DELETED ACCOUNT 06]

i think i saw it in a book shop on Sunday.

Picked it up, but never really looked that interesting when i opened it up.

[Underboss]

gotta love jack johnson

[-CANE-]

If you get it in Hawk let me know what you think and if it's worth a read.

[Hawkins]

** Well, Sugar tends to overstate the obvious. Johnson himself was a poor source of information but typically a great quote for sales.

The interviews from 1911 France by French journalists are as important as the subject himself because it gives an outside perspective from American media. Johnson was fresh from his flight from America and in a unique frame of mind on the front porch at the dawn of WW1.

Hopefully French historians will take the trouble to locate interviews and fight captions on Jeannette and Langford who also appear in France periodically to pursue Johnson and fight in local matches. That would be considerably more informative as historical triangulation.

Any incremental find of anything is nice though, so thanks.

I know what you mean, and with Jack's tendency to self promote and exaggerate it should be taken with a grain of salt. Still, it will be interesting to his own words not so much for historical significance but to see exactly what he himself says in regards to varying subjects.

If you get it in Hawk let me know what you think and if it's worth a read.

I'm going to check today and if it's available I'll get it and I will most definetly let you know bro.

[Brunswick Assassin]

Jack Johnson had more 'Natural' ability than any other pre-World War II Heavyweight. He could pick in-coming flack mid-air while placing his own blows at the same time and crippling power. He didn't have the hardest chin and back in Jack's time there was a lot of clinching.

[Mike Tyson77]

Jack Johnson KO1 Life



Jack is the man!