McIlvanney On Boxing

by Hugh McIlvanney

Hugh McIlvanney is a sports journalist, and a regular winner of the fiercely contested UK Sports Writer of the Year award, he also has the distinction of being the only sports writer to have been voted Journalist of the Year. This collection contains the best of his writing on his first great passion, boxing. The book features in-depth analysis of the build-up, climax and aftermath of over 25 showdowns Muhammad Ali versus Henry Cooper (1966); Joe Frazier versus Muhammad Ali (1971); George Foreman versus Ken Norton (1974); Eusebio Pedvora versus Barry McGuigan (1985); Lloyd Honeyghan versus Marlon Starling (1989); and Mike Tyson versus Frank Bruno (1989).

Genres: Nonfiction, Sports

336 pages, Paperback

First published August 30, 1994

About the author

Hugh McIlvanney was a Scottish sports journalist.

Reviews

[Leonardo Donofrio · Rating 5 out of 5]

A legend of British journalism and a master craftsman, this is a sublime collection of articles that covers boxing through the golden age of Ali and Frazer and into the modern age of Mike Tyson and Holyfield, as well as riveting profiles of lesser known British fighters.
Recalled with wry humour and a mesmerising command of the language, Mcllvanney can say more in one perfectly phrased and constructed sentence than most writers can manage in a paragraph. His essay on tragic Welshman Johnny Owen is simply essential reading, and remains the most moving and eloquent piece of sports journalism ever written.
Writing is like boxing – it’s all about levels. In this collection Hugh Mcllvanney proves he is a Champion in a class all of his own.

[Dennis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Apart from being something akin to a history book that takes the reader right through the golden era of boxing, McIlvanneys style of writing is something else, really. It's simply hillarious to read! It's just...I wish this book was more of a...well...a book, rather than a collection of newspaper articles.

[Darragh Kelly]

Got his anthologies on football and horse racing. Another icon who left us earlier this year. A great writer...