#24: ‘The Whitechapel Whirlwind’ by John Harding

‘The Whitechapel Whirlwind’ by John Harding is the story of British-Jewish boxer Jack ‘Kid’ Berg.

As with my previous post about Teddy Baldock, this book is a fantastic account of British boxing at a time where boxing gyms were found in numbers throughout the working-class areas of London, and other British cities, and boxing cards in London and New York were dominated by Jewish boxers.

Jack ‘Kid’ Berg was a phenom in London before moving to America and gaining his reputation for non-stop action against the likes of Tony Canzoneri and Kid Chocolate, cementing his nickname, ‘The Whitechapel Whirlwind’.

There is a great quote on the back cover of the book, from one of Berg’s contemporaries, which sums up his style pretty well: When you think Berg is going to slow down, he goes faster. He punched so fast he demoralised opponents rather than demolished them. No boxer was bolder and gamer.

Fortunately for this book, Berg was still alive for the author to interview, adding his own take on his life, career and retirement, something all too often missing from books about boxers of this period.