Writers on Boxing

Reading List

  • #11: ‘The Boxer’ by Reinhard Kleist

    #11: ‘The Boxer’ by Reinhard Kleist

    ‘The Boxer’ by Reinhard Kleist is a non-fiction graphic novel, telling the story of Holocaust survivor Hertzko ‘Harry’ Haft. I haven’t read many graphic novels before as I find the mixture of text and detailed images a little overwhelming – as embarrassing as this is to admit, with children regularly coping with far more complicated… Read more

  • #10: ‘A Man’s World’ by Donald McRae

    #10: ‘A Man’s World’ by Donald McRae

    I LOVE THIS BOOK!! ‘A Man’s World (The Double Life of Emile Griffith)’ by Donald McRae is an utterly absorbing and, at times, distressing account of the life and boxing career of Emile Griffith. The book follows Griffith’s arrival in New York from the Virgin Islands, his beginnings as a boxer, the sad death of… Read more

  • #9: ‘On Boxing’ by Joyce Carol Oates

    #9: ‘On Boxing’ by Joyce Carol Oates

    ‘On Boxing’ is a collection of essays written by Joyce Carol Oates, which has proved pretty influential over how other writers approach boxing as a subject. It’s also the main influence for the choice of name for this blog. This book holds a rare place in the canon due to it being written by a… Read more

  • #8: ‘Boxiana’ by Pierce Egan

    #8: ‘Boxiana’ by Pierce Egan

    Now, I need to say upfront that I haven’t yet finished this book, but I wanted to include it now as I have no idea when I will get around to finishing it. ‘Boxiana, volume 1’ is a collection of journalistic articles written in the early 1800s by Pierce Egan. This book is probably the… Read more

  • #7: ‘In the Corner’ by Dave Anderson

    #7: ‘In the Corner’ by Dave Anderson

    ‘In the Corner’ is a collection of interviews recorded and presented by noted sports journalist Dave Anderson. Some of the greatest American trainers from the early to mid 20th Century feature, including Angelo Dundee, Ray Arcel, Emanuel Steward and Eddie Futch. I particularly enjoyed the chapter with Goody Petronelli describing how he and his brother… Read more

  • #6: ‘Dark Trade’ by Donald McRae

    #6: ‘Dark Trade’ by Donald McRae

    This is the first of what will be several posts about books by Donald McRae. ‘Dark Trade’ is McRae’s exploration of the, often murky, business of boxing and what attracts the fighters who entertain fans of the sport. Some of the sport’s biggest names of the 90s appear throughout, though there is a particular focus… Read more