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Floyd Patterson: The Fighting Life of Boxing's Invisible Champion
"A well-researched and overdue tribute. Like one of Patterson's reliable left hooks, Stratton sharply recounts the life of an important, but often forgotten, two-time world heavyweight champion." -- Gary Andrew Poole, author of "PacMan: Behind the Scenes with Manny Pacquiao"
In 1956, Floyd Patterson became, at age twenty-one, the youngest boxer to claim the title of world heavyweight champion. Later, he was the first ever to lose and regain that honor.
Here, the acclaimed author W. K. Stratton chronicles the life of "the Gentle Gladiator" -- an athlete overshadowed by Ali's theatrics and Liston's fearsome reputation, and a civil rights activist overlooked in the Who's Who of race politics. From the Gramercy Gym and wildcard manager Cus D'Amato to the final rematch against Ali in 1972, Patterson's career spanned boxing's golden age. He won an Olympic gold medal, had bouts with Moore and Johansson, and was interviewed by James Baldwin, Gay Talese, and Budd Schulberg. A complex, misunderstood figure -- he once kissed an opponent at the end of a match -- he was known for his peekaboo stance and soft-spoken nature.
Floyd Patterson was boxing's invisible champion, but in this deeply researched and beautifully written biography he comes vividly to life and is finally given his due -- as one of the most artful boxers of his time and as one of our great sportsmen, a man who shaped the world in and out of the ring.
In 1956, Floyd Patterson became, at age twenty-one, the youngest boxer to claim the title of world heavyweight champion. Later, he was the first ever to lose and regain that honor.
Here, the acclaimed author W. K. Stratton chronicles the life of "the Gentle Gladiator" -- an athlete overshadowed by Ali's theatrics and Liston's fearsome reputation, and a civil rights activist overlooked in the Who's Who of race politics. From the Gramercy Gym and wildcard manager Cus D'Amato to the final rematch against Ali in 1972, Patterson's career spanned boxing's golden age. He won an Olympic gold medal, had bouts with Moore and Johansson, and was interviewed by James Baldwin, Gay Talese, and Budd Schulberg. A complex, misunderstood figure -- he once kissed an opponent at the end of a match -- he was known for his peekaboo stance and soft-spoken nature.
Floyd Patterson was boxing's invisible champion, but in this deeply researched and beautifully written biography he comes vividly to life and is finally given his due -- as one of the most artful boxers of his time and as one of our great sportsmen, a man who shaped the world in and out of the ring.
288 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 10, 2012
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February 13, 2022
One Hell Of A Left Hook
Floyd Patterson (1935 -2006) was the youngest fighter to win the heavyweight championship and the first to regain the title after it had been lost. He has been overshadowed in public memory by Muhammad Ali, who beat him twice. Sonny Liston also KO'd Patterson in two fights, each time in the first round. Patterson remains an underrated fighter and a complex, introspective and decent individual whose life and career has attracted a good deal of literary attention. Sportswriter W.K. Stratton offers a rounded, thoughtful portrayal of the man and the boxer in this new biography, "Floyd Patterson: The Fighting Life of Boxing's Invisible Champion."
Born in Waco, North Carolina, Patterson grew up in the tough Bedford-Stuyvesant area of Brooklyn. An awkward lonely child, Patterson soon found himself in legal trouble and was sent to a home for delinquent boys early in adolescence. At this home, Patterson discovered boxing. He took to the sport, trained diligently, and eventually won an Olympic Gold Metal in 1952. In 1956, Patterson won the Heavyweight title by defeating Archie Moore. He defended his title in a series of fights against nondescript opponents before meeting the Swedish fighter Ingemar Johansson in a trilogy of fights that would define his career. Patterson took a beating from Johansson in the first fight, held in Yankee Stadium in 1959. At the Polo Grounds in 1960, Patterson won the title from Johansson on the strength of an extraordinary left hook in the fifth round. In the rubber match held in Miami in 1961, both fighters went down, with Patterson retaining his title with a sixth round KO.
The remarkable aspect of Patterson's career after the two humiliating losses to Sonny Liston in 1962 and 1963 is that he came back. In 1965, he won a hard fought bout against George Chuvalo which Ring Magazine named Fight of the Year. Patterson was not yet finished following the first loss to Ali. He fought well against Jerry Quarry and Jimmy Ellis in bouts which many observers believe he won. Late in his career, Patterson defeated a very tough Oscar Bonavena.
Patterson was often knocked down but almost as often got up. Contrary to the perception of some, he fought quality opponents which included Eddie Machen, Hurricane Jackson. Terry Daniels, Henry Cooper, Joey Maxim, and Yvonne Durelle in addition to his championship opposition.
Stratton offers good, brisk descriptions of Patterson's major fights and of his style in the ring. The book is even more interesting in Stratton's portrayal of how Patterson carried himself. When Patterson won the Heavyweight Title, he became a quiet if resolute champion of civil rights. Perhaps the defining moment of Patterson's life came in 1961 before the third Johansson match. With the fight scheduled in Miami, Patterson made clear that he would not participate unless seating at the Convention Center was completely desegregated. The promoters of the fight agreed. This was a courageous, pathbreaking act on Patterson's part, at least as significant as anything he did in the ring. For all the quirks of his personality, Patterson behaved gallantly and honestly as a fighter and a person in a sport which is markedly cruel and corrupt.
Stratton emphasizes Patterson's commitment to the cause of civil rights and praises as well the moderate political stance he took later in life in contrast, for example, to the separatism of Ali and to those who protested against Vietnam. Patterson proudly loved the United States. Stratton also gives attention to Patterson's 1962 autobiography, "Victory over Myself" written with Milton Gross, and to the writings of Gay Talese, James Baldwin, and Norman Mailer, among many others, who wrote well and perceptively about Patterson.
Late in the book, besides pointing out that Patterson threw "one hell of a left hook", Stratton offers the following summary of his life:
"His eyes looked into the eyes of presidents, a pope, and a Nobel laureate. He viewed foreign capitals and the Great Sphinx in the Egyptian desert. He saw himself basking in victory. He saw himself hiding in shame. He was a truant, a thief, a reformed juvenile delinquent, a great athlete, a record setter, a national hero, a role model, a fallen knight, a scorned has-been, and a respected gentleman. He was also a family man, a churchman, a social reformer, and a public servant. And he was an important boxer whose story demands telling."
The book concludes with a useful and detailed chronological summary of each of Patterson's professional bouts which led to his final records of 55 wins, 40 by knockout, 8 losses, and 1 draw. Stratton's book offers an absorbing and inspiring account of a person who deserves to be remembered: boxing's "invisible champion", Floyd Patterson.
Robin Friedman
Floyd Patterson (1935 -2006) was the youngest fighter to win the heavyweight championship and the first to regain the title after it had been lost. He has been overshadowed in public memory by Muhammad Ali, who beat him twice. Sonny Liston also KO'd Patterson in two fights, each time in the first round. Patterson remains an underrated fighter and a complex, introspective and decent individual whose life and career has attracted a good deal of literary attention. Sportswriter W.K. Stratton offers a rounded, thoughtful portrayal of the man and the boxer in this new biography, "Floyd Patterson: The Fighting Life of Boxing's Invisible Champion."
Born in Waco, North Carolina, Patterson grew up in the tough Bedford-Stuyvesant area of Brooklyn. An awkward lonely child, Patterson soon found himself in legal trouble and was sent to a home for delinquent boys early in adolescence. At this home, Patterson discovered boxing. He took to the sport, trained diligently, and eventually won an Olympic Gold Metal in 1952. In 1956, Patterson won the Heavyweight title by defeating Archie Moore. He defended his title in a series of fights against nondescript opponents before meeting the Swedish fighter Ingemar Johansson in a trilogy of fights that would define his career. Patterson took a beating from Johansson in the first fight, held in Yankee Stadium in 1959. At the Polo Grounds in 1960, Patterson won the title from Johansson on the strength of an extraordinary left hook in the fifth round. In the rubber match held in Miami in 1961, both fighters went down, with Patterson retaining his title with a sixth round KO.
The remarkable aspect of Patterson's career after the two humiliating losses to Sonny Liston in 1962 and 1963 is that he came back. In 1965, he won a hard fought bout against George Chuvalo which Ring Magazine named Fight of the Year. Patterson was not yet finished following the first loss to Ali. He fought well against Jerry Quarry and Jimmy Ellis in bouts which many observers believe he won. Late in his career, Patterson defeated a very tough Oscar Bonavena.
Patterson was often knocked down but almost as often got up. Contrary to the perception of some, he fought quality opponents which included Eddie Machen, Hurricane Jackson. Terry Daniels, Henry Cooper, Joey Maxim, and Yvonne Durelle in addition to his championship opposition.
Stratton offers good, brisk descriptions of Patterson's major fights and of his style in the ring. The book is even more interesting in Stratton's portrayal of how Patterson carried himself. When Patterson won the Heavyweight Title, he became a quiet if resolute champion of civil rights. Perhaps the defining moment of Patterson's life came in 1961 before the third Johansson match. With the fight scheduled in Miami, Patterson made clear that he would not participate unless seating at the Convention Center was completely desegregated. The promoters of the fight agreed. This was a courageous, pathbreaking act on Patterson's part, at least as significant as anything he did in the ring. For all the quirks of his personality, Patterson behaved gallantly and honestly as a fighter and a person in a sport which is markedly cruel and corrupt.
Stratton emphasizes Patterson's commitment to the cause of civil rights and praises as well the moderate political stance he took later in life in contrast, for example, to the separatism of Ali and to those who protested against Vietnam. Patterson proudly loved the United States. Stratton also gives attention to Patterson's 1962 autobiography, "Victory over Myself" written with Milton Gross, and to the writings of Gay Talese, James Baldwin, and Norman Mailer, among many others, who wrote well and perceptively about Patterson.
Late in the book, besides pointing out that Patterson threw "one hell of a left hook", Stratton offers the following summary of his life:
"His eyes looked into the eyes of presidents, a pope, and a Nobel laureate. He viewed foreign capitals and the Great Sphinx in the Egyptian desert. He saw himself basking in victory. He saw himself hiding in shame. He was a truant, a thief, a reformed juvenile delinquent, a great athlete, a record setter, a national hero, a role model, a fallen knight, a scorned has-been, and a respected gentleman. He was also a family man, a churchman, a social reformer, and a public servant. And he was an important boxer whose story demands telling."
The book concludes with a useful and detailed chronological summary of each of Patterson's professional bouts which led to his final records of 55 wins, 40 by knockout, 8 losses, and 1 draw. Stratton's book offers an absorbing and inspiring account of a person who deserves to be remembered: boxing's "invisible champion", Floyd Patterson.
Robin Friedman
November 29, 2012
Fifty years have passed since Sonny Liston scored the second of his two first round knockout wins over Floyd Patterson, effectively ending the top-level career of one of the most paradoxical and misunderstood heavyweight champions of modern times.
Shoe-horned between the legendary eras of the ever-popular Rocky Marciano and a brash young upstart then still known as Cassius Clay, little credence is given to Patterson when it comes to the age-old task of ranking the heavyweight all-time greats.
Patterson's confusing contradictions were there for all to see: he possessed one of the most malevolent left hooks in history, but appeared almost disinclined to use it, preferring to help an opponent scrabble to retrieve his gumshield, or hug him in apology after beating him.
Shy of the media, he was nevertheless an articulate and politicised man, championing the cause of black people in their rise against racial segregation and developing friendships with stars from president John F Kennedy to Frank Sinatra.
And yet, for all the fact that he made history as the then youngest heavyweight champion in history and the first man to reclaim the crown, he is destined to be best remembered as a fighter who fled his losses in disguise, too embarrassed to be seen in public.
WK Stratton's new biography of Patterson - subtitled The Fighting Life Of Boxing's Invisible Champion - fills a void on the boxing shelf and serves to remind us just how much Patterson's reign has been glossed over and largely forgotten over the past half century.
In it, Stratton charts the rise of Patterson from a dirt-poor urban upbringing in Brooklyn and Bedford-Stuyvesant, through reform school where he started boxing, to contender status in a sport still crying out for a worthy successor to the recently retired Rocky Marciano.
For a fighting man who would go on to conquer the world at a time when so-called the richest prize in sport really was still worthy of its name, Patterson's self-doubt and all-round inclination towards pacifism was really quite extraordinary.
Hard-bit Writers weaned on Marciano's brutal simplicity did not quite know what to make of Patterson, who had a punch as good as any but a chin which saw him knocked down multiple times, even in apparently routine contests.
Patterson won the vacant title with a fifth round knockout of Archie Moore in 1956, and despite losing it shockingly to Ingemar Johansson two years later, bounced back to beat the Swede twice in a trio of bouts that helped define his career.
Patterson may have been no match for the ogreish Liston, who flattened him twice, but when many assumed he would take the hint from those losses and pursue other activities to which they assumed he must be better suited, he earned a crack at Muhammad Ali in 1965.
Therein lies one of the most unpleasant myths about Patterson, who was routinely branded an 'Uncle Tom' - a lackey of the white establishment - by Ali, a newly-minted member of the separatist Black Muslims.
In fact, Patterson had done an awful lot to help the advancement of black rights, refusing to fight in any venues in which segregation was employed, and ignoring safety concerns to visit Birmingham, Alabama when its race riots were at their height.
Ali admitted as much after their fight, in 1965, in which he appeared to go easy on the fading former champion. Incredibly, Patterson's supposedly questionable fighting heart even carried him to a 1972 rematch, which the post-Vietnam Ali won with ease.
Stratton's tireless sourcing of old articles and interviews have woven a fascinating book, which paints vivid portraits not only of Patterson but his long-time manager and later Mike Tyson mentor Cus D'Amato, as well as opponents like Johansson and Roy 'Cut 'N Shoot' Harris.
It is occasionally let down by unnecessary supposition - it is hard to believe the unqualified assertion on page 59 that Marciano retired undefeated because he feared a fight with Patterson - that "some people close to the champ feared Marciano risked getting killed in the ring with Floyd."
Not that such statements should be allowed to deflect from an eminently worthy and well-written project, and one which deserves its place on the bookshelf of definitive boxing biographies, just as Patterson's name should stand among history's heavyweight greats.
Shoe-horned between the legendary eras of the ever-popular Rocky Marciano and a brash young upstart then still known as Cassius Clay, little credence is given to Patterson when it comes to the age-old task of ranking the heavyweight all-time greats.
Patterson's confusing contradictions were there for all to see: he possessed one of the most malevolent left hooks in history, but appeared almost disinclined to use it, preferring to help an opponent scrabble to retrieve his gumshield, or hug him in apology after beating him.
Shy of the media, he was nevertheless an articulate and politicised man, championing the cause of black people in their rise against racial segregation and developing friendships with stars from president John F Kennedy to Frank Sinatra.
And yet, for all the fact that he made history as the then youngest heavyweight champion in history and the first man to reclaim the crown, he is destined to be best remembered as a fighter who fled his losses in disguise, too embarrassed to be seen in public.
WK Stratton's new biography of Patterson - subtitled The Fighting Life Of Boxing's Invisible Champion - fills a void on the boxing shelf and serves to remind us just how much Patterson's reign has been glossed over and largely forgotten over the past half century.
In it, Stratton charts the rise of Patterson from a dirt-poor urban upbringing in Brooklyn and Bedford-Stuyvesant, through reform school where he started boxing, to contender status in a sport still crying out for a worthy successor to the recently retired Rocky Marciano.
For a fighting man who would go on to conquer the world at a time when so-called the richest prize in sport really was still worthy of its name, Patterson's self-doubt and all-round inclination towards pacifism was really quite extraordinary.
Hard-bit Writers weaned on Marciano's brutal simplicity did not quite know what to make of Patterson, who had a punch as good as any but a chin which saw him knocked down multiple times, even in apparently routine contests.
Patterson won the vacant title with a fifth round knockout of Archie Moore in 1956, and despite losing it shockingly to Ingemar Johansson two years later, bounced back to beat the Swede twice in a trio of bouts that helped define his career.
Patterson may have been no match for the ogreish Liston, who flattened him twice, but when many assumed he would take the hint from those losses and pursue other activities to which they assumed he must be better suited, he earned a crack at Muhammad Ali in 1965.
Therein lies one of the most unpleasant myths about Patterson, who was routinely branded an 'Uncle Tom' - a lackey of the white establishment - by Ali, a newly-minted member of the separatist Black Muslims.
In fact, Patterson had done an awful lot to help the advancement of black rights, refusing to fight in any venues in which segregation was employed, and ignoring safety concerns to visit Birmingham, Alabama when its race riots were at their height.
Ali admitted as much after their fight, in 1965, in which he appeared to go easy on the fading former champion. Incredibly, Patterson's supposedly questionable fighting heart even carried him to a 1972 rematch, which the post-Vietnam Ali won with ease.
Stratton's tireless sourcing of old articles and interviews have woven a fascinating book, which paints vivid portraits not only of Patterson but his long-time manager and later Mike Tyson mentor Cus D'Amato, as well as opponents like Johansson and Roy 'Cut 'N Shoot' Harris.
It is occasionally let down by unnecessary supposition - it is hard to believe the unqualified assertion on page 59 that Marciano retired undefeated because he feared a fight with Patterson - that "some people close to the champ feared Marciano risked getting killed in the ring with Floyd."
Not that such statements should be allowed to deflect from an eminently worthy and well-written project, and one which deserves its place on the bookshelf of definitive boxing biographies, just as Patterson's name should stand among history's heavyweight greats.
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December 17, 2022this book is about Floyd Patterson and his life as he grows u and becomes one of the world's best boxers.For example Floyd was born in north Carolina and would get in trouble a lot and even to the point where he went to juvenile.Floyd did not know what he was going to do because of the color of his skin an the limited opportunists but that was when he found boxing.Floyd got beat his first fight but as he countunied to train with his trainer cus dam'ato who helped lead the young Patterson to be the youngest heavyweight champion. Unfortunley he died of pneumonia in 2006 but lived to the age of 71 years old
July 4, 2017
Floyd Patterson was a great person and professional fighter, one of my early heroes. I was very disappointed by his loss to Ingemar Johansson in June of 1959 but elated when he became the first heavyweight to regain the title in June of 1960. I listened to both fights on my little 9 transistor radio. He probably should have stayed a Light Heavyweight though because Sonny Liston just devastated him in 1962 at 25 pounds heavier and with a 13 inch reach advantage, 84 to 71. It was fun to relive some old times with this book.
May 30, 2019
Flawed Fighter, Solid Man
An incisive portrait of Patterson's life, public and private. Probably the most psychologically complex person ever to rise to the top ranks of a savage sport, Patterson -- and his times -- get full and fair treatment here. Well worth reading.
An incisive portrait of Patterson's life, public and private. Probably the most psychologically complex person ever to rise to the top ranks of a savage sport, Patterson -- and his times -- get full and fair treatment here. Well worth reading.
October 3, 2012
When people think of boxing World Heavyweight Champions, everyone has a favorite, and a few names always take the limelight. One Champion is often overlooked, sometimes forgotten, and usually overshadowed by his losses to Sonny Liston and Muhammad Ali. But Floyd Patterson deserves a spot in boxing history lore, and was more of a champion than many realize or give him credit for. In this new biography, "Floyd Patterson: The Fighting Life Of Boxing's Invisible Champion" by W. K. Stratton, Patterson's story is told in an entertaining and engaging manner, that does justice to the memory of this maybe invisible, but ground-breaking, Heavyweight Champion of the World.
Stratton, who's previous works include "Backyard Brawl," "Chasing the Rodeo," and "Boxing Shadows" as well as writing for many magazines provides a well researched chronicle of the life of Floyd Patterson, the Gentle Gladiator. This tribute to the peek-a-boo stance fighting and soft-spoken warrior of the ring is an honest portrait of a complex and misunderstood champion who pioneered many firsts in the sport of boxing and helped carry the civil rights flag during the height of its battle.
Many have forgotten Patterson's accomplishments, and this book by Stratton does a great job of reminding us just how significant they were. They include that for decades the 1952 Olympic Gold Medalist held the distinction of being the youngest heavyweight in history; he was the first to win the heavyweight title twice; he fought in the first championship bout in Las Vegas, which shortly thereafter became the mecca of big time boxing; he was the first heavyweight with lightweight hand speed; he was the first world champion who trained and managed a world-champion son; and maybe most important, he was the first black heavyweight champion to use the prestige of his title to speak out against bigotry and to demand the seating of his fights not be segregated by race.
This is an interesting and important book that provides a look at the life of a distinctive and important champion that has been sometimes overlooked and often forgotten when people focus on the sport of boxing and those who excelled in the prizefighting ring. I recommend this book to all boxing fans who want to learn about this "invisible champion" as well as to those who are interested in Patterson's place in the battle for civil rights. I thank Stratton for his tribute to this underappreciated heavyweight champion.
Stratton, who's previous works include "Backyard Brawl," "Chasing the Rodeo," and "Boxing Shadows" as well as writing for many magazines provides a well researched chronicle of the life of Floyd Patterson, the Gentle Gladiator. This tribute to the peek-a-boo stance fighting and soft-spoken warrior of the ring is an honest portrait of a complex and misunderstood champion who pioneered many firsts in the sport of boxing and helped carry the civil rights flag during the height of its battle.
Many have forgotten Patterson's accomplishments, and this book by Stratton does a great job of reminding us just how significant they were. They include that for decades the 1952 Olympic Gold Medalist held the distinction of being the youngest heavyweight in history; he was the first to win the heavyweight title twice; he fought in the first championship bout in Las Vegas, which shortly thereafter became the mecca of big time boxing; he was the first heavyweight with lightweight hand speed; he was the first world champion who trained and managed a world-champion son; and maybe most important, he was the first black heavyweight champion to use the prestige of his title to speak out against bigotry and to demand the seating of his fights not be segregated by race.
This is an interesting and important book that provides a look at the life of a distinctive and important champion that has been sometimes overlooked and often forgotten when people focus on the sport of boxing and those who excelled in the prizefighting ring. I recommend this book to all boxing fans who want to learn about this "invisible champion" as well as to those who are interested in Patterson's place in the battle for civil rights. I thank Stratton for his tribute to this underappreciated heavyweight champion.
April 15, 2012
Until Mike Tyson came along, he was the youngest man ever to win boxing's World's Heavyweight Championship. He was the first fighter ever to win the heavyweight crown twice. Yet Floyd Patterson was overshadowed both in his own times and in the years since his retirement and death by a host of more flamboyant figures in the sport, with Muhammad Ali towering above them all. Author W.K. Stratton does an admirable job of stripping away the hype an helping us to understand the circumstances that shaped Patterson's life and times.
Patterson was born into poverty in New York City and he seemed destined for a short, violent and anonymous life until boxing provided a route to success, fame and fortune. An Olympic gold medal was quickly followed by a meteoric professional career that saw him quickly develop into an enigma in the eyes of the media and fans. Was he a glass-jawed fighter who couldn't take a punch, or the possessor of a fearsome left hook who sometimes absorbed (and delivered) brutal punishments? What about the stories of him leaving town in the middle of the night, in disguise, after humiliating losses? Did he really kiss a defeated opponent in the ring? The contradictions that seemed to rule Patterson's life in the ring also played out in the larger world as well. Was he a courageous warrior for civil rights who traveled into the deep south of the early 1960s with little or no regard for his own safety? Or was he, in the words of Ali, an "Uncle Tom?"
Stratton's admiration for Patterson is clear, but he does not shy away from addressing the less heroic aspects of the seventy-one years he spent on this earth. The result is a vivid, rounded portrait of a complex man.
Patterson was born into poverty in New York City and he seemed destined for a short, violent and anonymous life until boxing provided a route to success, fame and fortune. An Olympic gold medal was quickly followed by a meteoric professional career that saw him quickly develop into an enigma in the eyes of the media and fans. Was he a glass-jawed fighter who couldn't take a punch, or the possessor of a fearsome left hook who sometimes absorbed (and delivered) brutal punishments? What about the stories of him leaving town in the middle of the night, in disguise, after humiliating losses? Did he really kiss a defeated opponent in the ring? The contradictions that seemed to rule Patterson's life in the ring also played out in the larger world as well. Was he a courageous warrior for civil rights who traveled into the deep south of the early 1960s with little or no regard for his own safety? Or was he, in the words of Ali, an "Uncle Tom?"
Stratton's admiration for Patterson is clear, but he does not shy away from addressing the less heroic aspects of the seventy-one years he spent on this earth. The result is a vivid, rounded portrait of a complex man.
March 13, 2015
A well-researched and solidly written book about one of the most tragically overlooked heavyweight boxing champions of all time. Floyd Patteron, the "Gentleman of Boxing", was a shy, polite, and thoughtful champion in a profession about punching faces. The book paints a detailed portrait of his life, both in and out of the ring.
The only thing preventing me from giving this book a 5 is that I wish the analysis of Floyd, both in a personal sense and sociological sense, went a little deeper. There are some very thought provoking parts, like when Stratton makes a point to compare Floyd Patterson's background with Sonny Liston's (the heavyweight contender who would take his crown), and how Patterson could've gone in a direction similar to Liston (serious crime, jail, being linked to organized crime in his career) if he didn't have some of the opportunities that happened to come his way in life (which Liston, unfortunately, didn't have). More parts such as this one would've been great to have throughout the book. David Remnick's "King of the World" comes to mind as a boxing history book that consistently has great, great analysis added to its narrative.
That aside, this book paints a comprehensive and detailed picture. It is sure to satisfy anyone who enjoys reading books about boxing history, as well as anyone who likes history about historically significant people in general (for people unfamiliar with boxing history, most heavyweight champions were held as very big cultural figures in the early to mid 20th Century; Ali was the last champion of this era, though Tyson brought attention back to the heavyweight crown while he held it).
The only thing preventing me from giving this book a 5 is that I wish the analysis of Floyd, both in a personal sense and sociological sense, went a little deeper. There are some very thought provoking parts, like when Stratton makes a point to compare Floyd Patterson's background with Sonny Liston's (the heavyweight contender who would take his crown), and how Patterson could've gone in a direction similar to Liston (serious crime, jail, being linked to organized crime in his career) if he didn't have some of the opportunities that happened to come his way in life (which Liston, unfortunately, didn't have). More parts such as this one would've been great to have throughout the book. David Remnick's "King of the World" comes to mind as a boxing history book that consistently has great, great analysis added to its narrative.
That aside, this book paints a comprehensive and detailed picture. It is sure to satisfy anyone who enjoys reading books about boxing history, as well as anyone who likes history about historically significant people in general (for people unfamiliar with boxing history, most heavyweight champions were held as very big cultural figures in the early to mid 20th Century; Ali was the last champion of this era, though Tyson brought attention back to the heavyweight crown while he held it).
August 25, 2013
A generally good book. You learn about a champion who isn't as well known as he should be. The beginning really pulled me in. I was hooked from the first few chapters. Toward the middle it slowed down a bit. It was very mechanical writing, simply going from one fight to the next. It then began to pick up at the end where he talks about Floyd losing the title, trying to get it back, and the people who turned on him.
By the time you finish this book you cant help but like Floyd. The author allows you to see how Floyd remained the shy and polite guy he was all through his struggles. Floyd faces problems which I found myself relating to. I walked into this book not know much about Floyd and walked out as naming him one of my favorite boxers.
While the book it self was not strongly written, the subject is interesting enough and convaid in a way that allows you to enjoy the book and be glad you read it.
By the time you finish this book you cant help but like Floyd. The author allows you to see how Floyd remained the shy and polite guy he was all through his struggles. Floyd faces problems which I found myself relating to. I walked into this book not know much about Floyd and walked out as naming him one of my favorite boxers.
While the book it self was not strongly written, the subject is interesting enough and convaid in a way that allows you to enjoy the book and be glad you read it.
March 4, 2013
A shockingly quick read that did a solid job in giving life to a relatively forgotten champion. I wish there was more, as a majority of the reason why I read it was to understand how Patterson's civil rights record could be so overshadowed for so long.
October 8, 2012
The amateurish writing style detracted from what should have been a fascinating biography.
April 8, 2015
I really enjoyed it. If you are a fan of boxing history you will like this book.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews