This Bloody Mary

by jonathan-rendall

There's something about the mano-a-mano primacy of boxing, something about men fighting men, and the seediness and corruption that so much of the sport wallows in that forces chroniclers of the sweet science to adopt the film noir persona of a Sam Spade. Rendall provides the antidote. His marvelously titled memoir recounts his transition from a starry-eyed young British boxing writer to a disenchanted manager of a promising fighter named Colin McMillan, who rises from nobody status to the featherweight champion of the world. This is a knockout performance by a graceful writer who knows his subject, knows how to spin a yarn, and knows how to make an eclectic stable of characters come alive on the page. As a stylist, Rendall comes out swinging; when he finds an opening, he can score, whether he's in a smoky British boxing club or beneath the neon skies of Las Vegas. He is not afraid to run counter to so much of the good boxing writing that has come before what others have praised as colorful, he sees from his insider's perspective as somewhat sinister and grotesque. There is a sadness, a melancholy really, to much of Rendall's personal journey as he begins to distinguish between boxing's realities and its myths. And yet he's capable of relating this with an almost surreal sense of humor, well timed and well placed, like good jabs should be. A lesser writer might have been flattened by the ordeal; it's Rendall's grace under pressure that, in the end, leaves him standing. --Jeff Silverman

Genres: Nonfiction, Sports, Biography, Memoir, Autobiography, History, Biography Memoir

Paperback

First published August 1, 1997

Reviews

[Bax · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best of that genre of boxing book where an educated, otherwise well adjusted person explores their own obsession with the universally dismal realities of life (and death) in the ring.

No other book conveys the tragic, inevitable slide of participants who fight on past their best (which is, let's face it, EVERYONE). But it's only tangentially a book about boxing's 'dark side'. It doesn't set out to take a hatchet to anything, it's just that any honest appraisal of the sport is pulled to the same place by the sports dark gravity.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jonathan Rendall is probably an appropriate spokesman for this ambivalent walk through the world of boxing. Although it peeks out here and there, he downplays his own vices and recklessness that probably helped propel him to a point where he had the access to write this.

With the benefit of the internet, we can now go back and watch the old fights he talks about and get a look for ourselves (remarkable). We can also see that Rendall didn't make his 50th birthday. I guess this probably isn't news to his fans, but I figured that given the vintage of the book Rendall would have cleaned up and his brilliant writing would manifest itself in a blog that I would start to follow. But, alas, it is not to be.

[Brian D'Souza · Rating 5 out of 5]

No matter what it takes to get your hands on this book, order, buy, borrow or steal it. It is that good.

Excellent writing, tragic-yet-intriguing writer, and an amazing narrative.

Some people think there will ALWAYS be time, so they always put things off. There isn't. This book explains much more about life than boxing.

I would give it 10 stars out of five, 100--no, 1000 stars out of five if possible.

[Eric Juneau · Rating 1 out of 5]

John Green recommended this, but it was out of print and not to be found in any libraries. I finally decided to buy a used copy, because I like boxing.

And I’ve come to the conclusion that John Green’s favorites do not run parallel to my own. The writing style is too journalistic. It’s a memoir, but there’s not enough interesting things happening. The main character doesn’t come up against enough conflict. It’s basically “I saw boxing. I liked boxing. I went into boxing.” And then there’s a laundry list of celebrities and famous pugilists whom I don’t recognize. I’m sure it’s a fine book if you know boxing and/or sports history, but for everyone else… well, there’s a reason these books become unavailable.

[Kirsten · Rating 3 out of 5]

[1997; blurbed by Tom Wolfe and Tom Stoppard; Somerset Maugham Award] A journalist writes about his own journey into and then out of the boxing world. How he fell in love with boxing at a young age, tried it out himself very briefly, tried to take an unknown featherweight to a championship, then became disillusioned with the whole thing. Speaks a lot about the personalities he meets along the way, managers, trainers, promoters and boxers, both his contemporaries and old-timers.

[Jonathan Appleton · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars
I know if I loved boxing this would have been five stars.
First of all let me say it is great to read the work of a real journalist. Yes, I know he was “just a sports journalist”, but he is the real deal (there are some awesome sports writers).
This book takes you on an odyssey through the streets of England, Havana and Los Vegas (with NYC thrown in for good measure). IT shows you what boxing was and what it is now and how they are still the same. Jonathan Rendall is a journalist, but this was written from the capacity as promoter and friend. These were not interviews but real life experiences.
If you love boxing, read this book.
If you love great writing, read this book.
If you like real life story of people (their highs and lows), read this book.

[Ken · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a group of boxing essays by an old reporter/promoter. Quite good sports writing and many good profiles of various boxers. Some are stronger than others, and the first half of the book is stronger than the last. Got this on a video of recommended books from John Green. I thought it was an odd pick for him, so I checked it out. Some essays 5-star, some 2, most 3-to-4-ish. None down for the count, anyway.

[Leonardo Donofrio · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one man odyssey through the muddled backwaters of boxing in the early nineties, made all the more poignant by the author’s untimely death, has been growing in stature ever since its release in 1998, and is now widely regarded as a modern day classic. It tells the story of the author’s growing obsession with the intoxicating, twilight world of boxing, first as a fight manager/ fan and then, later, as a journalist in search of a story. The book has been described as gonzo journalism by some but this is more than the frenzied adventures of a Hunter S Thompson wannabe – this has vulnerability and soul. Rendall’s trip to Cuba in search of the legendary Kid Chocolate is as harrowing and disturbing a meditation on mortality as you could ever wish to read. Later in the book he is pulled into the orbit of the frantic and irrepressible Jack ‘Kid’ Burg and their adventures on the mean streets of New York, desperately searching for an America that no longer exists, are some of the funniest and touching sports journalism ever written. It’s a sprawling and rambling story, full of insight and humour and also a quiet desperation – there is the feeling of Rendall becoming increasingly enmeshed in a world he can no longer free himself of. The title alone would make this book part of my top ten. It seems to perfectly capture the fatalist gallows humour of the men that follow boxing. It’s a world full of gamblers and chancers – of exhilarating highs and crushing lows. Lives of compulsion not reason, of people willing to risk everything on the spin of wheel, the roll of a dice… Ultimately the real tragedy of this book was that the author was just as lost as the characters he was writing about. And he probably knew it.

[Ewo2 · Rating 4 out of 5]

The essays in this book were incredibly interesting. I am fascinated by professional fighting - two of the most interesting things about it to me are what goes through a fighter's head before a fight and what happens once the fighting is over (both the immediate aftermath and the years that follow). This book masterfully covers both of those periods for many different fighters, spending a lot of its time at bars and in hotels in cities around the world, with fighters who are up and coming, fighters who are far past their prime, and fighters who are in the process of missing their shot. It's a very tragic book, but a very honest one, and the writer describes the cities he visits in a beautiful way. The sections about cities, from Havana to Vegas to several places in the UK, were some of my favorite passages.

[Liam Wakefield · Rating 3 out of 5]

I normally have a 100-page rule, of which I judge my level of commitment to a book. If it has been a slog to that page, or a bore, then I will retire the book. However, on this occasion, I pushed through, hoping it would get better. I did so because the writing was superb. It had everything I would look for in a novel, and I believed that I would have thoroughly enjoyed it. Yet I just couldn't fall for it, I tried, but despite my determination, it ran flat.
This book was perfectly fine, and if 'fine' is what you are looking for, then read it. Perhaps this will hook and jab your attention, unfortunately for me, it was no KO.

[Daniel Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really enjoyed the stories about Kid Chocolate, and especially Jack Kid Berg - the legendary boxer who seemed to lose all concept of time. But the second half of the book’s a bit of a mess, where the author writes about conversations with promoters which don’t go anywhere, and doesn’t even mention the outcome of the fight he’s spent ten pages previewing. Could have been so much more than it was, either as a proper look into the life of Jack Kid Berg, or a comprehensive look in to boxing. Seems like two unfinished books in one.

[Tania Greenwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not that in to boxing but this was from a list of 'books you've probably never heard of but should read'. Not all have been that impressive but I really enjoyed this one. An excellent example of life writing; Rendall is natural and engaging, and I felt like I was sitting next to him having a drink and listening to him relate his stories about the wonderful characters, and the angst and excitement of the boxing world.

[Andreus Reedus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes you pick up a book based on its cover; other times because of good reviews from the fine folks over at badreads.

In this case, the title got my interest. Now, this book ain’t about cocktails, or even minimalism, as the title might suggest; it’s about boxing. I’m not a fan of boxing in particular, but this book was nonetheless an interesting read on the subject matter.

[Orrin · Rating 4 out of 5]

About 80% through the book the author hit the DRS and really brings down the pain and humility at the heart of boxing. When a non-fictional account of events can raise my heartrate to 120+, I don't need more justification that it is a good book.

Thanks to my brother Nolan for lending me this book years ago (you'll get it back eventually)

[Arnie Kahn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rendall traces the career of Colin McMillan the world featherweight champion. Rendall describes McMillan's rise to the top, fighting "smokers" in England and eventually progressing to undercards in Las Vegas. The journey of a journeyman can't begin to suggest the frustrations and setbacks along the road to a championship for a kid who doesn't have the backing of a major promoter.

[Chuck · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a memoir about the author's career as a boxing writer and manager. He doesn't offer any new insights on the sport, and though he has some interesting stories to tell, he fails to make them engaging.

[Rijan Dhakal · Rating 5 out of 5]

It has little to no fluff in terms of the content and the writers knows what he is talking about. This is the kind of book that not everyone will pick up but I doubt there is anyone who will not enjoy it once they do.

[Steve Hunt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jonathan Rendall was a brilliant story teller and it is tragic that he died so young. I found this hard to put down; I enjoyed it so much. He covers a lot of ground in a relatively short book. I particularly enjoyed the early section detailing his time with Jack Kid Berg in his later years.

[TheBookChieft Dhakal · Rating 5 out of 5]

It has little to no fluff in terms of the content and the writers knows what he is talking about. This is the kind of book that not everyone will pick up but I doubt there is anyone who will not enjoy it once they do.

[Michael Pugliese · Rating 3 out of 5]

had really high hopes for this one, was let down. Was a name game listing a number of fighters, promoters, and trainers, one after the other. Hardly zoning in on one aside from Colin. If you want a book following the life of a boxer, this isn't it.

[Rijan · Rating 5 out of 5]

It has little to no fluff in terms of the content and the writers knows what he is talking about. This is the kind of book that not everyone will pick up but I doubt there is anyone who will not enjoy it once they do.

[Alexandra · Rating 2 out of 5]

-slow and confusing plot
-each tiny chapter is dedicated to a different character profile, your head will spin trying to keep track of all of them
-interesting insight on boxing though

[Dave Waterman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not exactly a book about the sport, more the writer's involvement in, and observation of it. It took a while to read which may be a reflection of its inability to grip me given its minimal size.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anyone wants a copy let me know. It’s not easy to get a hold of but is well worth a read.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

A boxing writer turned agent spills the good, the bad, and the ugly of his journey. A great, honest look at boxing.

[Finnbarr Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It's full of interesting characters and is very entertaining. The people ring true and I gave it to a friend of mine who is loving it too.

[Paul Lehane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poignant & insightful

[Ross · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing good, quick to read by the pool. It’s made me want to read the few books he references as well. The Whitechapel Whirlwind being one of them!

[Christian Casale · Rating 4 out of 5]

190 pages of hating about your beat is so journalism-core

[Rohan Khosla · Rating 4 out of 5]

You either leave the ring, or leave everything in it. A bit like life itself.