Writers on Boxing

Reading List

  • #79: ‘Somebody Ring the Bell!’ by Willie Toweel and Peter McInnes

    #79: ‘Somebody Ring the Bell!’ by Willie Toweel and Peter McInnes

    ‘Somebody Ring the Bell!’ is the autobiography of South African professional boxer Willie Toweel, co-authored by Peter McInnes. Willie Toweel, who boxed between 1953 and 1960, is a member (product?) of one of the 20th Century’s most famous boxing families. Willie and several of his brothers were born in South Africa to Lebanese parents, and Read more

  • #78: ‘Brutal Artistry’ by Thomas Hauser

    #78: ‘Brutal Artistry’ by Thomas Hauser

    ‘Brutal Artistry – Great Fighters and Great Fights’ is a collection of articles written by boxing-writing stalwart, Thomas Hauser. The book is set out in the following four sections: For those who are familiar with this blog, you may have noticed a lack of books specifically written about Muhammad Ali; of course, the many anthologies Read more

  • #77: ‘Sweet Fighting Man – Volume 2’ by Melanie Lloyd

    #77: ‘Sweet Fighting Man – Volume 2’ by Melanie Lloyd

    ‘Sweet Fighting Man – Volume 2’ is the second instalment of Melanie Lloyd’s ‘Sweet Fighting Man’ series of interview-format books, in which she assembles self-recorded conversations with a selection of British professional boxers. Volume 2 features the following boxers: Read more

  • #76: ‘This Bloody Mary is the Last Thing I Own’ by Jonathan Rendall

    #76: ‘This Bloody Mary is the Last Thing I Own’ by Jonathan Rendall

    ‘This Bloody Mary is the Last Thing I Own – A Journey to the End of Boxing’ is Jonathan Rendall’s retelling of his own, slightly odd, fortuitous and short-lived, ramble through boxing. Books and stories like this are always going to appeal to me as I recognise myself in any author that has no ‘real’ Read more

  • #75: ‘Henry Armstrong – Boxing’s Super Champ’ by John Jarrett

    #75: ‘Henry Armstrong – Boxing’s Super Champ’ by John Jarrett

    ‘Henry Armstrong – Boxing’s Super Champ’ is John Jarrett’s retelling of the career of genuine boxing legend Henry Armstrong, the only boxer to ever simultaneously hold world titles at three different weights. The book is published by Pitch Publishing. Along with Barbara Buttrick, Benny Leonard and Kid Chocolate, Henry Armstrong is one of the names Read more

  • #74: ‘On The Ropes’ by Vernon Vanriel and Dougie Blaxland

    #74: ‘On The Ropes’ by Vernon Vanriel and Dougie Blaxland

    ‘On The Ropes’ is the story of former British professional boxer Vernon ‘The Entertainer’ Vanriel, co-written by Dougie Blaxland and directed by Anastasia Osei-Kuffour for its debut at the Park Theatre in Finsbury Park, north London. I haven’t posted for a while as I’ve been busy with work, and I’ve got a writing project of Read more