Title/Author:
“Counterpunch:
Ali, Tyson, the Brown Bomber and Other Stories of the Boxing Ring” by Ira
Berkow
Tags:
Boxing, history,
columns, collection
Published:
May 1,
2014
Length:
304 pages
Rating:
5 of 5
stars (outstanding)
Review:
Covering
more than seven decades, this collection of columns from the New York Times by
Ira Berkow tells readers about many of the greatest fighters in the history of
boxing. Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson, Joe
Louis, Joe Frazier and Evander Holyfield are just a few of the many boxers who
were the subject of this prize-winning author’s stories.
A nice
touch to this book is that Berkow not only writes about the champions, but also
some other boxers whose names will not be familiar to the casual fan, such as
Charlie Nash and Marcel Cerdan. No
matter whom the boxer is, each column is written in a manner that when the
reader finishes it, he or she will stop and pause to think about that boxer. Whether
the story was about a particular fight, the journey of how he reached where he
did in the sport, or a reflection on the life of a recently deceased fighter,
Berkow’s writing does justice to each man he portrays.
While
reading each column, I was impressed with the knowledge that Berkow had not only
for the fighters but how he was able to capture the emotion of the fighter featured. One very poignant column was about Du Koo
Kim, the fighter who died from injuries suffered in a fight with Ray Mancini in
1982. That was during the time many
boxing matches were still featured on over-the-air television networks and was
considered a fight that was too brutal to be shown on TV. It was a controversial fight, but this story
ignored that aspect and focused on the type of man Kim was and how he lived his
life. Stories like Kim’s made this book
a fascinating and enjoyable read for me.
If there is anything that can be considered a negative, it would be that a reader may want to learn more about the fighters. It has to be remembered that most of these columns were written during the heyday of newspapers and this medium was the way to learn this information. Space was at a premium and Berkow used every word to paint a wonderful picture of the fight or the people participating.
This book should be read by any boxing fan from any era. A great collection of anecdotes about the sport of boxing, Ira Berkow shows why he was a Pulitzer Prize winner.
Did I skim?
No.
Pace of the book:
It reads
quickly as each story is no longer than two to three pages. Remembering that this is a collection of
newspaper columns, each chapter should take no longer than a few minutes to
read.
Do I recommend?
Boxing
fans and those who like to read about boxing history will enjoy this book. The
variety of stories, fighters and eras that are mentioned in this book will
ensure that there is something for everyone.
Book Format Read:
E-book (Kindle)
Buying Links:
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