#87: ‘The Saga of Sock’ by John V. Grombach

‘The Saga of Sock’ by John V. Grombach, published in 1949, was a contemporary attempt to trace the history of boxing from its inception (as stated in this book) in Ancient Greece, through the place it held in the Roman Empire, to its reemergence in Georgian Britain, with the ultimate intention of showing the influence of that history on the, then, modern American boxing scene.

It’s taken me a while to work my way through this book as it hasn’t been a particularly enjoyable read, and I’ve struggled with the main aim of this blog which is to try and focus only on the positive aspects of whatever I’ve been reading. This book has probably proved the biggest test of that aim.

The main reason, I think, is that I simply really dislike the author, based on his condescending writing style and the dryness of the text. The second reason is that the way in which the author writes about Black fighters is very difficult to look at from a modern perspective. I’ve written about this problematic language as, unfortunately, reading a lot of old books will involve constantly having to consider outdated views.

What is different about this book is that it isn’t just a collection of interviews with random old-timey fighters, whose problematic views can be dismissed as the misguided opinions of an individual. Instead it is a person in a position of authority, at times making such ridiculous claims as suggesting ‘Black fighters have a weakness to body shots,’ as if they are based in scientific fact.

There are some good chapters in the book, particularly those that describe and chart the growth and development of collegiate and amateur boxing in the US.

While this is still a book of historic importance regarding the history boxing, and those of you with an interest will find it quoted in many contemporary books, I would suggest that ‘Boxing – A Cultural History’ by Kasia Boddy is a much better book to spend your money on.