Official Boxing Book Review Thread

[5acrossYOeye]

Atlas From the Streets to the Ring: A Son's Struggle to Become a Man.

I would post a pic but I don't know how to.

This book blew me away. Its one of the best book I've ever read.

He talks about growing up. His father. Going to jail. How he got that scar on his face. Why he never turned pro.
How Cus changes his life and why he grew to love Cus but also how things ended with Cus.
And yes...he talks Tyson. His description of Tyson allows you to understand Tyson's reasons for being who he is.

Then...he gets into Donny Lalonde, Chris Hart, which is one of the gut wrenching chapters.
Shannon Briggs section in there. Very Funny. My respect for Shannon is through the roof. He's a stand up guy.

But my favorite part of the book was his dealings with Michael Moorer. We all have a little Michael Moorer in us and when you read the book you'll see what I mean.

The book is based on the premise of being honest with yourself and understanding the why your decisions effect the outcome of everything in life. This isn't just about the ring.

The book has helped me understand Teddy, trainers, boxing, and believe it or not...myself.

READ THIS BOOK AND THANK ME LATER.

[mschatz]

Ive read the Teddy Atlas book, and its a great one. Thats actually the next book I was going to do a review for.

[Dwerda4]

Originally Posted by 5acrossYOeye

Atlas From the Streets to the Ring: A Son's Struggle to Become a Man.

I would post a pic but I don't know how to.

This book blew me away. Its one of the best book I've ever read.

He talks about growing up. His father. Going to jail. How he got that scar on his face. Why he never turned pro.
How Cus changes his life and why he grew to love Cus but also how things ended with Cus.
And yes...he talks Tyson. His description of Tyson allows you to understand Tyson's reasons for being who he is.

Then...he gets into Donny Lalonde, Chris Hart, which is one of the gut wrenching chapters.
Shannon Briggs section in there. Very Funny. My respect for Shannon is through the roof. He's a stand up guy.

But my favorite part of the book was his dealings with Michael Moorer. We all have a little Michael Moorer in us and when you read the book you'll see what I mean.

The book is based on the premise of being honest with yourself and understanding the why your decisions effect the outcome of everything in life. This isn't just about the ring.

The book has helped me understand Teddy, trainers, boxing, and believe it or not...myself.

READ THIS BOOK AND THANK ME LATER.

I just bought this on ebay 6 dollars i am going to enjoy. I also bought today the angelo dundee book.

[5acrossYOeye]

hear the dundee book is good as well


Authored by Bert Sugar?

[Redd Loc]

Ghosts of Manila and and Muhammad Ali - His Life and Times are two great books.

[mschatz]

"The Gloves," by Robert Anasi

Anasi has had a fascination with boxing for most of his life, and even trained intermittently through his 20's. Almost on a whim, he decides to compete in New York's Golden Gloves. The book's a chronicle of his 2 years in training along with some top amateurs and pro's from the city. Gritty and very well-written, captures the "feel" of a boxing gym and the monotony and discipline that goes along with it. Some great characters in the book, especially his trainer. Great book. One of my favorites.

From Publishers Weekly
A world away from the pay-per-view bonanzas where hype and egos reign are the musky neighborhood gyms and foulmouthed trainers who nurtured those big-time boxers. In this lyrical look at the world of amateur boxing, freelance writer Anasi chronicles how jabbing and jump-roping at a grubby gym in San Francisco's Tenderloin district developed into a life-altering quest to compete, in his early 30s, in New York's storied amateur boxing tournament, the Golden Gloves. It's not an easy journey: his trainer, for example, a blunt, boisterous Puerto Rican named Milton, throws him into sparring sessions he's bound to lose while peppering him with insults from ringside. Of course, Anasi notes, that's not how trainers see it. "Instead they mention `good rounds,' `going easy,' `working with someone,' " he writes. "As in the romance around sex, the stereotyped, delicate language serves to cloak a more brutal reality." Anasi cloaks nothing, and his forthright style serves to highlight not only boxing's brutal reality, but also its beauty and allure. He tells fascinating stories of the other characters he meets and illustrates their lives in and out of the ring. This attention extends to the irrepressible Milton, whose unorthodox style Anasi comes to respect, even as he recognizes his trainer's faults and limitations. Absorbing and honest, with prose an effortless mix of facts, poetic descriptions and personal vignettes, this book will appeal even to those with no prior knowledge of the ring. What John Feinstein has done for higher-profile sports, Anasi has done for amateur boxing.

[mschatz]

"Jack Dempsey and the Roaring '20's"

Biography of Jack Dempsey and his impact or significance during America's boom period. Author makes the point that Dempsey washe ultimate symbol of the times. Excellent read, very informative, and reads like a novel. In depth coverage of his fights with Willard, Carpentier, and Gene Tunney, as well as his various marriages and legal problems with his hustler/manager's, Kearns and Rickard.

[Spoonking]

Just read On Boxing by Joyce Carol Oates, by far the best boxing book i have read so far. Anyone else read it?, Phil Berger's Punch Lines is also fantastic and contains articles on lesser known champions and contenders.

[Sharkey]

I read Oates' original 'On Boxing' some years back, and to be kind, I can't say that I enjoyed it much.

[Spoonking]

Why was that?