Boxing Literature

What are your favourite boxing related books and why?


Personally, I've only read 'The Sweet Science' and 'A Neutral Corner' by A. J. Liebling, both of which are excellent collections of articles. As most reviews of these books state, Liebling's great characterisation of fighters and entertaining descriptions of the fight build-up really make his work a great read. I would highly recommend these to anyone with even a marginal interest in the sport.

Bert Randolph Sugars 100 greatest fighters is a good read a long one though.

If there's a more irritating person in this world than Sugar, I'm yet to hear about them. He also needs a lighter.

I like him the guy knows his stuff. Do wish he would smoke the cigar or put it away.

Oh he does know his stuff alright. I just find him an annoying tick.

I'm not even sure if he actually smokes, i would love to see someone flick a lighter or match out in front of him while he was mid sentence.

I not long ago finished reading the Jimmy McLarnin biography 'Babyface goes to Hollywood' by Andrew Gallimore, and I thought it was superb personally.

If it's not a fully-fledged biography you're after, then there are some good books around which are a bit more light-hearted and easy to digest. I read one late last year called 'Rocky Lives!' (can't remember the author's name right now, sorry) which chronicles the great Heavyweight upsets of recent times in good detail, and for a low-budget, entirely independent release, Oliver Jarrett's biography on Kirkland Laing, 'The Gifted One', is an interesting read, too.

The Galveston Giant wrote:I'm not even sure if he actually smokes, i would love to see someone flick a lighter or match out in front of him while he was mid sentence.

Someone should give him the type of cigar the CIA tried to give Castro.

azania wrote:

The Galveston Giant wrote:I'm not even sure if he actually smokes, i would love to see someone flick a lighter or match out in front of him while he was mid sentence.

Someone should give him the type of cigar the CIA tried to give Castro.

I do find him a little bit annoying myself, read Sam Langfords book by Clay Moyle recently and it was really good, got 'Charley Burley and the Black Murderers' Row' by Harry Otty and 'In the Ring with James J. Jeffries' by Adam Pollock on the way, sure both will be great.

In no particular order these are some books and authors I've enjoyed

Anything by Andrew Gallimore
Anything by Adam Pollack
Charely Burley and the Black Murderers Row - Harry Otty
Sam Langford - Clay Moyle
Mike Silver - The Arc of Boxing
Don King - Jack Newfield
King of the World - David Remnick
The Fearless Harry Greb - Bill Paxton
Tunney - Jack Cavanaugh
Sweet William - Andrew O'Toole
The Last Great Fight - Joe Laydon

Has Hearns written an autobiography? I wonder what his views on SRL not giving him a re-match are.

Anything by Hugh Mcillvannay..bit more general sports but excellent boxing knowledge
Donald McRea..as the last
Clay Moyle is a good historian
Guy who writes as Springs Toledo on Eastside..different approach and some nice incisive stuff

skidd1 wrote:Guy who writes as Springs Toledo on Eastside..different approach and some nice incisive stuff

http://www.thesweetscience.com/columnists/springs-toledo

Scottrf wrote:

skidd1 wrote:Guy who writes as Springs Toledo on Eastside..different approach and some nice incisive stuff

http://www.thesweetscience.com/columnists/springs-toledo

Thats the guy.His article on Ezzard Charles is the best and most moving tribute i have read

azania wrote:Has Hearns written an autobiography? I wonder what his views on SRL not giving him a re-match are.

There is a book Azania, it's called "Hit Man – The Thomas Hearns Story", i noticed Sugar Ray's is coming out very soon too. Not read Hitman yet though.

Lee Rhodes huge 700 epic - Tales from the Vaults, is a must read and covers just about everything.

Heavyweights by Bob Mee is a very good read and gives some great information on every fighter to have fought for the Heavyweight titles.