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John L. Sullivan: The Career of the First Gloved Heavyweight Champion
Essentially the last of the bare-knuckle heavyweight champions, John L. Sullivan was instrumental in the acceptance of gloved fighting. His charisma and popular appeal during this transitional period contributed greatly to making boxing a nationally popular, "legitimate" sport. Sullivan became boxing's first superstar and arguably the first of any sport.
From his first match in the late 1870s through his final championship fight in 1892, this biography contains a thoroughly researched, detailed accounting of John L. Sullivan's boxing career. With special attention to the 1880s, the decade during which Sullivan came to prominence, it follows Sullivan's skill development and discusses his opponents and fights in detail, providing various viewpoints of a single event. Beginning with a discussion of early boxing practices, the sport itself is placed within sociological, legal and historical contexts including anti-prize fighting laws and the so-called "color line." A complete record of Sullivan's career is also included.
From his first match in the late 1870s through his final championship fight in 1892, this biography contains a thoroughly researched, detailed accounting of John L. Sullivan's boxing career. With special attention to the 1880s, the decade during which Sullivan came to prominence, it follows Sullivan's skill development and discusses his opponents and fights in detail, providing various viewpoints of a single event. Beginning with a discussion of early boxing practices, the sport itself is placed within sociological, legal and historical contexts including anti-prize fighting laws and the so-called "color line." A complete record of Sullivan's career is also included.
254 pages, Paperback
First published September 15, 2006
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
July 22, 2019
Boxing historian Pollack's book on Sullivan should be the definitive piece on Sullivan's career.
March 29, 2013
This was one of the best boxing books that I have ever read! Sullivan has always been an interesting charcter from a historical point of view, and very difficult to rate, understand and compare in a historical perspective as his the epitome of the crossover boxers bridging the bare knuckle and gloved eras.
The thing(s) I really enjoyed about Pollack's account is the way he challanges myths and/or preconcieved ideas of historical heresay. He is very detailed in presenting predominantly firsthand sources and also uses and challanges commonly accepted second hand sources in helping to identify what is true and what is not and/or what is a feasible reality from a historical perspective. I love that he deals largely with the in ring and behind the scenes exploits of the man Sullivan, and does not spend as much time as others do in the outside of the ring life....I came here to read about boxing!
On the flip side, Pollack's scholarly mode of presentation and attention to detail in the way he depicts and/or debunks commonly percieved notions lends itself to a very good informative book, without necesarily being a great read. I would not excpect many outside of boxing nuts (Check out eastside boxings classic forumn to engage in those who devote countless hours of our lives to studying this great sport!), to find this a great read...the writing is not really free flowing or engaging from a lay back and devour a book point of view...but if you want to get a feel for the workings inside and out of the rinf during Sullivan's era, this is easily the premiere book for that!
The thing(s) I really enjoyed about Pollack's account is the way he challanges myths and/or preconcieved ideas of historical heresay. He is very detailed in presenting predominantly firsthand sources and also uses and challanges commonly accepted second hand sources in helping to identify what is true and what is not and/or what is a feasible reality from a historical perspective. I love that he deals largely with the in ring and behind the scenes exploits of the man Sullivan, and does not spend as much time as others do in the outside of the ring life....I came here to read about boxing!
On the flip side, Pollack's scholarly mode of presentation and attention to detail in the way he depicts and/or debunks commonly percieved notions lends itself to a very good informative book, without necesarily being a great read. I would not excpect many outside of boxing nuts (Check out eastside boxings classic forumn to engage in those who devote countless hours of our lives to studying this great sport!), to find this a great read...the writing is not really free flowing or engaging from a lay back and devour a book point of view...but if you want to get a feel for the workings inside and out of the rinf during Sullivan's era, this is easily the premiere book for that!
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews