The Boxing bookshelf

[chrisJS]

I’m always looking for new recommendations as I’m sure many of you are too. What are some of the best books you would recommend? Here’s kind of a mixed list of recommended reading. Some biographies, some autobiographies, some essay collections, some stories around a fight or era etc;

The Sweet Science by AJ Liebling - collection of Liebling work from his work for the New Yorker in the 40s and 50s covering Louis, Marciano, Moore etc;. Liebling remains the best writer to ever cover the sport

The neutral corner by AJ Liebling - Similar to the Sweet Science these are world from the 50s to the 60s covering the likes of Liston, Patterson and Clay.

In the corner by Dave Anderson - Great stories and insight from some of history’s greatest trainers and boxing minds such as Ray Arcel, Eddie Futch, George Benton, Lou Duva, Angelo Dundee etc etc

In this corner by Peter Heller - 42 Champions from Mickey Walker to Billy Conn to Alexis Arguello and Roberto Duran. Great champions interviewed and brilliant insight.

Gods of War by Springs Toledo - a recent book by probably the finest writer today. A collection of essays from Arguello to Liston whilst counting down his 10 “gods of war”

In the Cheap seats by Springs Toledo - a collection of essays again by Toledo covering fights he’s attended in recent times. Excellent work again.

McIllvaney on Boxing by Hugh McIllvaney - Britain’s answer to Liebling, McIllvaney covered tons of fights and here’s some of his finest works

The Hardest game by Hugh McIllvaney - see the above description.

Dark Trade by Donald McRae - a fine collection of work which goes into great details and depths from a guy that travelled the world covering the sport

Corner Men by Robert Fried - Another great book with great insight into the minds of some of the most historical trainers.

Friday’s heroes by Willie Pep

Ghosts of Manila by Mark Kram - Great book covering Ali and Frazier

The fight of the century by Norman Mailer - Ali-Frazier I

Fight of the century: Louis vs. Schmeling by Patrick Myler

The longest fight: In the ring with Joe Gans by William Gildea - it’s not just about Gans-Nelson it’s alsk a biography of Gans.

The Four Kings by George Kimball - Leonard, Hagler, Hearns, Duran

Harry Greb: Live fast, die young by Stephen Compton

The Fearless Harry Greb by Bill Paxton

Sam Langford: Boxings uncrowned champion by Clay Moyle

Barney Ross: Life of a ***ish Fighter by Douglas Century

Sugar Ray Robinson with Dave Anderson

Charley Burley: The life and times of an uncrowned champion by Allen Rosenfeld

Roberto Duran: Hands of Stone by Christian Giudice

**** Tiger: The life and times of a Boxing immortal by Adeyinka Makinde

Sweet William: The life of Billy Conn by Andrew O’Toole

Bad Intentions: The Mike Tyson story by Peter Heller

Blood Season: Mike Tyson and the world of boxing by Phil Berger

Then the best/my favorite autobiography’s I read

Larry Holmes
Joe Frazier
Ken Norton
Floyd Patterson
George Foreman
Aaron Pryor
Rocky Graziano
Jake LaMotta
Ken Buchanan

I’m probably forgetting a lot. Please recommend books you’ve found to be great and worth the read. I’m sure it will be appreciated by many.

[QueensburyRules]

--- The French stripped JJOHNSON after his Battling Johnson disaster to have Langford and Jeannette fight for the title. Sam won in a classic walkover.

Also never heard of a bout longer than the Corbett/Peter Jackson draw lasting some 62 rds.

Just sayin in reference to a couple of titles.

[chrisJS]

--- The French stripped JJOHNSON after his Battling Johnson disaster to have Langford and Jeannette fight for the title. Sam won in a classic walkover.

Also never heard of a bout longer than the Corbett/Peter Jackson draw lasting some 62 rds.

Just sayin in reference to a couple of titles.

The Gans-Nelson was a title fight. It's meant as the longest title fight. Langford didn't get universal recognition though. They do point to that in the book when people told him "you're champ", but he himself didn't acknowledge it. I personally think there's a good case a lot of the "black championships" should really count as titles.

[QueensburyRules]

I personally think there's a good case a lot of the "black championships" should really count as titles.

--- Yeah, Langford fought ferociously for the French title, yet never defended in spite of making good money esp in France.

Something happened, so maybe explained in Moyles book.

And yeah, always maintained the black and white titles wer the subsets to the recognized Main Title, the earliest ABCs based on race instead of the alphabet. Let's keep pumping that plot line and may it becomes more widely accepted.

[QueensburyRules]

--- Btw, while JJOHNSON held the title, 21 yr old Luck McCartey held the white title and aleady beaten many of JJ title contenders more comprehensively. They had just agreed to fight when Luck died tragically.

We know JJ wouldn't be in the same county with Sam!

[Rockin']

The best book that I ever read about boxing was called Beyond the Ring. It puts everything in to perspective about the sport...…….Rockin'

[Zaroku]

I’m reading my grand fathers diary of his struggles with weight, racism, boxing and getting old. My g pa was an unknown fighter from Monterey, Nuevo León Mexico. He left me his hat, his gloves, and a profound knowledge of life.

Boxing is in my blood. Unfortunately.

[billeau2]

I’m always looking for new recommendations as I’m sure many of you are too. What are some of the best books you would recommend? Here’s kind of a mixed list of recommended reading. Some biographies, some autobiographies, some essay collections, some stories around a fight or era etc;

The Sweet Science by AJ Liebling - collection of Liebling work from his work for the New Yorker in the 40s and 50s covering Louis, Marciano, Moore etc;. Liebling remains the best writer to ever cover the sport

The neutral corner by AJ Liebling - Similar to the Sweet Science these are world from the 50s to the 60s covering the likes of Liston, Patterson and Clay.

In the corner by Dave Anderson - Great stories and insight from some of history’s greatest trainers and boxing minds such as Ray Arcel, Eddie Futch, George Benton, Lou Duva, Angelo Dundee etc etc

In this corner by Peter Heller - 42 Champions from Mickey Walker to Billy Conn to Alexis Arguello and Roberto Duran. Great champions interviewed and brilliant insight.

Gods of War by Springs Toledo - a recent book by probably the finest writer today. A collection of essays from Arguello to Liston whilst counting down his 10 “gods of war”

In the Cheap seats by Springs Toledo - a collection of essays again by Toledo covering fights he’s attended in recent times. Excellent work again.

McIllvaney on Boxing by Hugh McIllvaney - Britain’s answer to Liebling, McIllvaney covered tons of fights and here’s some of his finest works

The Hardest game by Hugh McIllvaney - see the above description.

Dark Trade by Donald McRae - a fine collection of work which goes into great details and depths from a guy that travelled the world covering the sport

Corner Men by Robert Fried - Another great book with great insight into the minds of some of the most historical trainers.

Friday’s heroes by Willie Pep

Ghosts of Manila by Mark Kram - Great book covering Ali and Frazier

The fight of the century by Norman Mailer - Ali-Frazier I

Fight of the century: Louis vs. Schmeling by Patrick Myler

The longest fight: In the ring with Joe Gans by William Gildea - it’s not just about Gans-Nelson it’s alsk a biography of Gans.

The Four Kings by George Kimball - Leonard, Hagler, Hearns, Duran

Harry Greb: Live fast, die young by Stephen Compton

The Fearless Harry Greb by Bill Paxton

Sam Langford: Boxings uncrowned champion by Clay Moyle

Barney Ross: Life of a ***ish Fighter by Douglas Century

Sugar Ray Robinson with Dave Anderson

Charley Burley: The life and times of an uncrowned champion by Allen Rosenfeld

Roberto Duran: Hands of Stone by Christian Giudice

**** Tiger: The life and times of a Boxing immortal by Adeyinka Makinde

Sweet William: The life of Billy Conn by Andrew O’Toole

Bad Intentions: The Mike Tyson story by Peter Heller

Blood Season: Mike Tyson and the world of boxing by Phil Berger

Then the best/my favorite autobiography’s I read

Larry Holmes
Joe Frazier
Ken Norton
Floyd Patterson
George Foreman
Aaron Pryor
Rocky Graziano
Jake LaMotta
Ken Buchanan

I’m probably forgetting a lot. Please recommend books you’ve found to be great and worth the read. I’m sure it will be appreciated by many.

Dempsey's Tome on punching, here it is in PDF Format:

https://www.e-reading.club/bookreade...ya_oborona.pdf

[Clegg]

I enjoyed The Last Great Fight by Joe Layden on Douglas-Tyson.

[OctoberRed]

I enjoyed The Last Great Fight by Joe Layden on Douglas-Tyson.

That is a pretty good read.