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Best Boxing Books You've Read

I enjoy reading old instructional books written by early era fighters. Jack Dempsey, Bob Fitzsimmons, Benny Leonard, Fritzie Zivic all have books that are easy to find with a few google searches, just to name a few. That's just scratching the surface.

There's a book that is referred to in the "Charley Burley - Analyzing Genius" video called "The Complete Boxer" by JG Bohun Lynch. I found it to be a really fascinating read. Here it is:

http://www.ebooksread.com/authors-e...lete-boxer-hci/1-the-complete-boxer-hci.shtml

Not the prettiest page, but it's free!
 
Anything by A.J. Liebling.

- The Sweet Science
- A Neutral Corner
- Just Enough Liebling (but that has articles on other stuff too...)
 
Jim Reaper said:
I enjoy reading old instructional books written by early era fighters. Jack Dempsey, Bob Fitzsimmons, Benny Leonard, Fritzie Zivic all have books that are easy to find with a few google searches, just to name a few. That's just scratching the surface.

There's a book that is referred to in the "Charley Burley - Analyzing Genius" video called "The Complete Boxer" by JG Bohun Lynch. I found it to be a really fascinating read. Here it is:

http://www.ebooksread.com/authors-e...lete-boxer-hci/1-the-complete-boxer-hci.shtml

Not the prettiest page, but it's free!
Click to expand...
Thx!!
 
wilddeuces said:
Anything by A.J. Liebling.

- The Sweet Science
- A Neutral Corner
- Just Enough Liebling (but that has articles on other stuff too...)
Click to expand...

I love liebling. He fleshes out characters and brings them to life
 
Championship Streetfighting by Ned Beaumont is an interesting study of techniques used in the sport going back to its origins.
 
To reiterate, Four Kings is an amazing book. To the people that have read Hands of Stone or the Ray Leonard autobiography, is it worth getting the books when you've read Four Kings?

I will be looking to get Dark Trade after the recommendations in this thread. Thanks for all the suggestions.
 
dbsh209 said:
To reiterate, Four Kings is an amazing book. To the people that have read Hands of Stone or the Ray Leonard autobiography, is it worth getting the books when you've read Four Kings?

I will be looking to get Dark Trade after the recommendations in this thread. Thanks for all the suggestions.
Click to expand...

Haven't read Four Kings but just finished Hands of Stone and SRL book and both are great if quite different. Hands of Stone being a biography is different obviously but a great read, didn't know heaps about Duran before it but was a great read, genuine fighter.

The SRL is very honest and focused a lot on stuff outside the ring. He seems quite happy to acknowledge the ego he had and obviously his shortcomings but well worth it as well. Was in a 5 buck bargain bin over here believe it or not.

And yeah will have to get the Dark Trade now fo sho.
 
I thoroughly enjoyed Mike Tyson's and Kostya Tszyu's autobiographies.
 
Jim Reaper said:
I enjoy reading old instructional books written by early era fighters. Jack Dempsey, Bob Fitzsimmons, Benny Leonard, Fritzie Zivic all have books that are easy to find with a few google searches, just to name a few. That's just scratching the surface.

There's a book that is referred to in the "Charley Burley - Analyzing Genius" video called "The Complete Boxer" by JG Bohun Lynch. I found it to be a really fascinating read. Here it is:

http://www.ebooksread.com/authors-e...lete-boxer-hci/1-the-complete-boxer-hci.shtml

Not the prettiest page, but it's free!
Click to expand...
That Burley video is awesome.
 
king-world.jpeg


"King of the World" by David Remnick. Great book on the early career of Muhammad Ali which takes place mostly between the two Liston fights, and the book also covers a fair bit about Listons and Pattersons reigns as HW champs before him. Really humanizes Liston and Patterson and Liston especially comes across as a tragic figure. Also covers Ali's relationship with Malcolm X and the black muslims which also is very interesting. All around great book.
 
I'd prefer a book at has a more realistic, prosaic and critical look at Ali.
The title "King of the World" already hints at an embellishing and romantic retrospective view.
 
Last edited:
clashnat said:
I'd prefer a book at has a more realistic, prosaic and critical look at Ali.
The title "King of the World" already hints at an embellishing and romantic retrospective view.
Click to expand...

It isn't overly glowing from what I remember, especially as it describes how he kicked Malcolm X to the curb after he broke his ties with Elijah Muhammed. It doesn't go into anything really after the Liston 2 fight so it doesn't talk about how he treated Frazier or anything like that.

There is also a lot more about Patterson and Liston than the title would suggest. I would say about half Liston/Patterson half Ali. The portrait Remnick paints of Patterson is also kind of sad. He was so scared of losing that he had disguises in his locker room so that if he lost he would be able to escape without anyone noticing him and seems to have some huge self hatred issues. Liston also comes across as a tragic figure that was controlled by the mafia and never really wanted the scary badass image but was forced into it.
 
swole420 said:
It isn't overly glowing from what I remember, especially as it describes how he kicked Malcolm X to the curb after he broke his ties with Elijah Muhammed. It doesn't go into anything really after the Liston 2 fight so it doesn't talk about how he treated Frazier or anything like that.

There is also a lot more about Patterson and Liston than the title would suggest. I would say about half Liston/Patterson half Ali. The portrait Remnick paints of Patterson is also kind of sad. He was so scared of losing that he had disguises in his locker room so that if he lost he would be able to escape without anyone noticing him and seems to have some huge self hatred issues. Liston also comes across as a tragic figure that was controlled by the mafia and never really wanted the scary badass image but was forced into it.
Click to expand...

I think I read that one, I read so many Ali books I can't remember all of them. Anyway, I do remember the slant of the book which was fresh in a way. The book astutely and correctly points out the 3 heavyweights and how they fit into the cultural landscape. Patterson was the "good negro", the guy who tried to assimilate and please white America, Liston was the "bad negro" who white america feared and Ali was a new kind of black man altogether. I don't think much had been written on that before. Interestingly, Ali was quoted as having real and deep remorse over letting his friend the great Malcolm X go. I remember in the Wilfred Sheed Ali book, from the 70's, when ali was in his popular if not physical prime, Sheed seemed to think that Ali never even acknowledged Malcolm or even thought about him anymore. The damned muslims were rotten, like Malcolm X said, every man should be allowed to make a fool of himself once.
 
i really enjoyed "In the red corner"

book about a guy who travelled to Cuba to try and help make a fight between Tyson and Savon. Doesnt really touch on that much but does explore cuban boxing and the way the boxers lead there lies once the fighting ends
 
treelo said:
i really enjoyed "In the red corner"

book about a guy who travelled to Cuba to try and help make a fight between Tyson and Savon. Doesnt really touch on that much but does explore cuban boxing and the way the boxers lead there lies once the fighting ends
Click to expand...

how did they live after boxing? good/ bad? I'd assume, like fighters anywhere it would be the latter.
 
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