Title/Author:
“Death
in the Ring” by George Thomas Clark
Tags:
Boxing,
history, short stories
Published:
May
6, 2014
Length:
193
pages
Stars:
5
of 5 stars (outstanding)
Review:
This
book can be considered a book on the history of boxing as there are stories
about many great fighters covering all eras of the sport, from John L. Sullivan
to Oscar de la Hoya. However, to call
this is a history book does it a great injustice because the writing style is
very unique.
Author George Thomas Clark takes the fighters he writes about and tells stories from their point of view. It may be about some of their fights, it may be about their families or it may be about life after the ring. The title may be a bit misleading, as the stories are not necessarily about “death.” The fighters don’t die in the ring but do have some reflections on their lives and it may be from the grave. For example, one story is titled “Jerry Quarry from Boxers’ Heaven” (this was my personal favorite in the book) and tells about both Jerry and Mike Quarry and their struggles in and out of the ring.
Author George Thomas Clark takes the fighters he writes about and tells stories from their point of view. It may be about some of their fights, it may be about their families or it may be about life after the ring. The title may be a bit misleading, as the stories are not necessarily about “death.” The fighters don’t die in the ring but do have some reflections on their lives and it may be from the grave. For example, one story is titled “Jerry Quarry from Boxers’ Heaven” (this was my personal favorite in the book) and tells about both Jerry and Mike Quarry and their struggles in and out of the ring.
Another aspect of the book I liked is that the stories were not all boxing legends easily recognizable by all fans. Stories about Tiger Flowers, Harry Greb and Oscar Bonavena are told as well as some about Jack Johnson, Jack Dempsey and Muhammad Ali. One very humorous fictional bout pits Nelson Mandela against Barack Obama that had me in stitches even at Thomas tried to put them in a serious fight.
Most fans love to compare fighters of different eras and wonder what would have happened if they could fight. Would Joe Louis vs. Joe Frazier be a good fight? Could Jack Dempsey have defeated Muhammad Ali? There are plenty of scenarios like these that play out in the fighter’s mind. Of course, whoever is telling the story will win that fight.
This was a terrific read that I enjoyed from first page to last. A very unique spin on the history of the sweet science, it is a book that I believe anyone who enjoys reading boxing books will want to add to their library.
I
wish to thank Mr. Clark for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an
honest review.
Pace of the book:
I
always believe that collections of stories or anthologies are quick reads as
the reader can choose to read as many as he or she likes in one sitting and
then can quickly pick it back up without losing anything in a story.
Do I recommend?
Yes
– all boxing fans should enjoy this entertaining collection of stories. This is
especially true for those who wonder who would win matches between great
fighters in different eras.
E-book
(Kindle)
Buying Links:
Death in the Ring is great book of boxing fight.this is book is for boxing and ring life.in this book you read history of boxing.
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