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Dark Trade: Lost in Boxing
WINNER OF THE 1996 WILLIAM HILL SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR PRIZE.
In the early 1990s, Donald McRae set out to discover the truth about the intense and forbidding world of professional boxing. Travelling around the United States and Britain, he was welcomed into the inner sanctums of some of the greatest fighters of the period - men such as Mike Tyson, Chris Eubank, Oscar de la Hoya, Frank Bruno, Evander Holyfield and Naseem Hamed among them. They opened up to him, revealing unforgettable personal stories from both inside and outside the ring, and explaining why it is that some are driven to compete in this most brutal of sports, risking their health and even their lives.
The result is a classic account of boxing that remains as fresh and entertaining as when it was first published 20 years ago. McRae approaches his subjects with wit, compassion and insight, and the result was a book that was a deserved winner of the William Hill Sports Book of the Year prize.
In the early 1990s, Donald McRae set out to discover the truth about the intense and forbidding world of professional boxing. Travelling around the United States and Britain, he was welcomed into the inner sanctums of some of the greatest fighters of the period - men such as Mike Tyson, Chris Eubank, Oscar de la Hoya, Frank Bruno, Evander Holyfield and Naseem Hamed among them. They opened up to him, revealing unforgettable personal stories from both inside and outside the ring, and explaining why it is that some are driven to compete in this most brutal of sports, risking their health and even their lives.
The result is a classic account of boxing that remains as fresh and entertaining as when it was first published 20 years ago. McRae approaches his subjects with wit, compassion and insight, and the result was a book that was a deserved winner of the William Hill Sports Book of the Year prize.
624 pages, Paperback
First published September 18, 1997
57 people are currently reading
848 people want to read
About the author
Donald McRae
30 books40 followersDonald McRae was born near Johannesburg in South Africa in 1961 and has been based in London since 1984.
He is the award-winning author of six non-fiction books which have featured legendary trial lawyers, heart surgeons and sporting icons. He is the only two-time winner of the UK’s prestigious William Hill Sports Book of the Year – an award won in the past by Nick Hornby’s Fever Pitch and Laura Hillenbrand’s Sea Biscuit. As a journalist he has won the UK’s Sports Feature Writer of The Year – and was runner up in the 2008 UK Sports Writer of the Year – for his work in the Guardian.
Donald lived under apartheid for the first twenty-three years of his life. The impact of that experience has shaped much of his non-fiction writing. At the age of twenty-one he took up a full-time post as a teacher of English literature in Soweto. He worked in the black township for eighteen months until, in August 1984, he was forced to leave the country. He is currently writing a memoir based on these experiences.
He is the award-winning author of six non-fiction books which have featured legendary trial lawyers, heart surgeons and sporting icons. He is the only two-time winner of the UK’s prestigious William Hill Sports Book of the Year – an award won in the past by Nick Hornby’s Fever Pitch and Laura Hillenbrand’s Sea Biscuit. As a journalist he has won the UK’s Sports Feature Writer of The Year – and was runner up in the 2008 UK Sports Writer of the Year – for his work in the Guardian.
Donald lived under apartheid for the first twenty-three years of his life. The impact of that experience has shaped much of his non-fiction writing. At the age of twenty-one he took up a full-time post as a teacher of English literature in Soweto. He worked in the black township for eighteen months until, in August 1984, he was forced to leave the country. He is currently writing a memoir based on these experiences.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
June 13, 2008
It's rare to hear active fighters openly discuss the seedy, corrupt reality of the business side of the Sweet Science, but that's just what this book delivers.
Highly recommended for hardcore boxing fans, but likely of little interest to anyone else.
Highly recommended for hardcore boxing fans, but likely of little interest to anyone else.
March 13, 2019
Boxing is a sport that can bring out the best and the worst in human beings. This is true for the fighters, the managers, the fans and nearly anyone with a connection to the sport. Whichever way a story or personal tale goes, this book on the sport in America and Britain during the 1990’s is widely hailed as one of the best books on the sweet science ever written and this reviewer agrees with that assessment.
Donald McRae, a writer for the British publication The Guardian, has been transfixed by the sport for a long time so he set out on a year-long journey to the United States and his adopted homeland of Great Britain (he is a native of South Africa) and through his exchanges with some of the best fighters of that era, he paints a very compelling picture of not only the boxers but also of the role that race, violence and social status play in the game.
Some of the fighters portrayed include Mike Tyson, Roy Jones Jr., James Tomey (whose portrait graces the cover), Chris Eubank, Oscar de la Hoya, and Nassem Hamed. Of course, promoters like Don King and Bob Arum are portrayed as well as some others such as Jackie Kellum, the manager for Tomey and one of the very few females involved in the sport at the time. However, instead of simply rehashing information that can be found in other sources, McRae dives into the minds of the people involved. The reader will feel like he or she knows the person portrayed more intimately than before turning the pages. Just for one example, the reader will learn that Mike Tyson is as well versed in Hemmingway and Mao (and many other authors) as well as uppercuts and body blows. While that wasn’t secret, it isn’t something that is described in as rich detail other places as it is in this book.
I was particularly struck by the portrayal of James Toney as he had a background similar to many other fighters. That is, having no father figure in the house, a hard-working and supportive mother and a close call to being another victim of the streets instead of finding salvation in the gym. While all of these are true in Toney’s life, he went through a different path, most notably helping his mother, who was astute in business, by working at her bakery. Hiring a Jewish woman as his manager and getting married young and having a daughter is also important to his story as McRae illustrates how much the women in Toney’s life affect him so much both in and out of the ring. Since this book is best read in pieces, one person at a time, Toney’s story is one that should be digested fully as the reader will come away mesmerized.
These are just a few examples of the fantastic prose shared by McRae in this book that is now in its third publication and should be read by every person with any interest in the sport. It is one that I will come back to for re-reading sections time and time again.
I wish to thank Hamlicar Publications for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
https://sportsbookguy.blogspot.com/20...
Donald McRae, a writer for the British publication The Guardian, has been transfixed by the sport for a long time so he set out on a year-long journey to the United States and his adopted homeland of Great Britain (he is a native of South Africa) and through his exchanges with some of the best fighters of that era, he paints a very compelling picture of not only the boxers but also of the role that race, violence and social status play in the game.
Some of the fighters portrayed include Mike Tyson, Roy Jones Jr., James Tomey (whose portrait graces the cover), Chris Eubank, Oscar de la Hoya, and Nassem Hamed. Of course, promoters like Don King and Bob Arum are portrayed as well as some others such as Jackie Kellum, the manager for Tomey and one of the very few females involved in the sport at the time. However, instead of simply rehashing information that can be found in other sources, McRae dives into the minds of the people involved. The reader will feel like he or she knows the person portrayed more intimately than before turning the pages. Just for one example, the reader will learn that Mike Tyson is as well versed in Hemmingway and Mao (and many other authors) as well as uppercuts and body blows. While that wasn’t secret, it isn’t something that is described in as rich detail other places as it is in this book.
I was particularly struck by the portrayal of James Toney as he had a background similar to many other fighters. That is, having no father figure in the house, a hard-working and supportive mother and a close call to being another victim of the streets instead of finding salvation in the gym. While all of these are true in Toney’s life, he went through a different path, most notably helping his mother, who was astute in business, by working at her bakery. Hiring a Jewish woman as his manager and getting married young and having a daughter is also important to his story as McRae illustrates how much the women in Toney’s life affect him so much both in and out of the ring. Since this book is best read in pieces, one person at a time, Toney’s story is one that should be digested fully as the reader will come away mesmerized.
These are just a few examples of the fantastic prose shared by McRae in this book that is now in its third publication and should be read by every person with any interest in the sport. It is one that I will come back to for re-reading sections time and time again.
I wish to thank Hamlicar Publications for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
https://sportsbookguy.blogspot.com/20...
June 1, 2024
Undoubtedly the finest book written about boxing, in my humble opinion . Donald McRae never disappoints.
August 5, 2022
I was given a copy of this back in 1997 as a Christmas present. I loved boxing but as most 16 year olds I only read things I was forced to by the school!
The book stayed on the shelf for years and through various house moves I misplaced it.
The book was selected as part of a boxing book club that I’m a member of so I purchased it on kindle, not wanting to pay full price and then find my original copy!
Well, I’m so glad that I read it in my 40’s rather than back in 97’.
This book is a boxing and literary masterpiece. Don has encapsulated a golden era of boxing of the 90’s in these pages.
Written from a human element as well as a journalist, admitting his struggles and his wavering affection with the boxing business and the characters that he has followed for the project.
Another benefit of reading this book later is the wonderful additions added to the book in its Afterwords and Postscripts.
These added chapters coved the losses of De La Hoya, Nazem Hamed and the historic fights between Tyson and Holyfield. These chapters give the book so much more depth and a chance to reflect on the characters and their often extended careers ending up fighting in off destinations against raw 6 fight novices (Toney in Prizefighter)
A must read for any boxing fan. Excellent work Don.
The book stayed on the shelf for years and through various house moves I misplaced it.
The book was selected as part of a boxing book club that I’m a member of so I purchased it on kindle, not wanting to pay full price and then find my original copy!
Well, I’m so glad that I read it in my 40’s rather than back in 97’.
This book is a boxing and literary masterpiece. Don has encapsulated a golden era of boxing of the 90’s in these pages.
Written from a human element as well as a journalist, admitting his struggles and his wavering affection with the boxing business and the characters that he has followed for the project.
Another benefit of reading this book later is the wonderful additions added to the book in its Afterwords and Postscripts.
These added chapters coved the losses of De La Hoya, Nazem Hamed and the historic fights between Tyson and Holyfield. These chapters give the book so much more depth and a chance to reflect on the characters and their often extended careers ending up fighting in off destinations against raw 6 fight novices (Toney in Prizefighter)
A must read for any boxing fan. Excellent work Don.
June 8, 2020
One of the very best books on boxing I have read. This book captures the best and worst of boxing from up close and personal looks at the likes of James Toney and Chris Eubank during their greatest accomplishments to tragedies like the career ending injuries Michael Watson sustained in the ring.
July 22, 2021
McRae is no David Remnick but this book is informative, sharp and sympathetic. Covers British/American boxing in the late 80s up to the Tyson ’pay per chew’ incident in the 90s.
June 15, 2019
The best boxing book I've ever read, maybe even the best sports book I've ever read.
It helps that McRae covers a particularly manic period in the history of the sport and that he gets unparalleled access to some of the most colourful characters ever to grace a ring. But he still had to write about his experiences and he does so in a manner which brings the reader right into the heart of this 'dark trade'.
Few people have written so fluidly about the bleakness and despair of this bloodiest of sports, while still managing to add elements of humour, however dark. Most importantly, through his interview techniques and stellar prose, McRae uncovers these men, showing them at their most vulnerable and honest, going beyond the violence of the ring and into their hearts and minds.
It helps that McRae covers a particularly manic period in the history of the sport and that he gets unparalleled access to some of the most colourful characters ever to grace a ring. But he still had to write about his experiences and he does so in a manner which brings the reader right into the heart of this 'dark trade'.
Few people have written so fluidly about the bleakness and despair of this bloodiest of sports, while still managing to add elements of humour, however dark. Most importantly, through his interview techniques and stellar prose, McRae uncovers these men, showing them at their most vulnerable and honest, going beyond the violence of the ring and into their hearts and minds.
August 26, 2022
A must-have boxing book to add to your book shelf that is extraordinary in the way it shows the intense emotions of boxing that makes the sport so addictive!
December 14, 2015
This is a compelling read for boxing fans, and I would recommend it to those who were fans and recall the period of the 1990s but particularly to younger fans who might have only been kids or not even born then, to help them understand the history of the sport and better assess the legacies of that era at work in the current historical moment. Even non-fans will appreciate the personal struggles, calamities, and successes it documents, for McRae has a gift for getting at the human behind the hype. As Joyce Carol Oates noted in a back cover blurb of the revised second edition I used, “A vividly rendered, immensely readable book.”
As it runs to just over 600 pages, I would recommend reading it over a period of time, dipping into some each day, rather than trying to read it straight through without reading other books while doing so. I found the Intro a lovely piece that could stand alone as a piece of excellent prose, a reminiscence of the author’s boyhood in South Africa and how and why boxing came to have such a power in his life that raises significant questions about the interstices of class, race, and masculinity as defined and demonstrated through the professional ongoing of this blood sport even while speaking to its mesmerizing grace, beauty, and psychological power. McRae went on to live in London, so the bulk of the book traces his following of great boxing legends in the U.K. and the U.S. in the 1990s, including both his intimate interviews outside the ring and his dazzling accounts of the battles within. Among the players he’ll help you come to know well and understand more deeply, count Chris Eubank, James Toney, Naseem Hamed, Oscar de la Hoya, Roy Jones, Evander Holyfield, Don King, Bob Arum, and the enigma that serves as bookends for the beginning and end of the tome (including the postscript to the 2014 edition): Mike Tyson.
Many writers who integrate their own life and experiences into such a study, in the tradition of New Journalism, I often find too self-absorbed and thus off putting in 21st century literature. I want to be emphatic that this is certainly not the case here, and McRae’s blending of his own life and marriage into the narrative works because of his honesty and forthrightness. He is genuine, and this leads me to add great weight to his take on this wide range of different colorful personalities that made up the boxing world then and now. One small quibble: I was a bit distracted by what I felt were too many typos turning up in a revised second edition. Nevertheless, big thumbs up for this classic book on boxing, a must read for those studying the history of the sport.
As it runs to just over 600 pages, I would recommend reading it over a period of time, dipping into some each day, rather than trying to read it straight through without reading other books while doing so. I found the Intro a lovely piece that could stand alone as a piece of excellent prose, a reminiscence of the author’s boyhood in South Africa and how and why boxing came to have such a power in his life that raises significant questions about the interstices of class, race, and masculinity as defined and demonstrated through the professional ongoing of this blood sport even while speaking to its mesmerizing grace, beauty, and psychological power. McRae went on to live in London, so the bulk of the book traces his following of great boxing legends in the U.K. and the U.S. in the 1990s, including both his intimate interviews outside the ring and his dazzling accounts of the battles within. Among the players he’ll help you come to know well and understand more deeply, count Chris Eubank, James Toney, Naseem Hamed, Oscar de la Hoya, Roy Jones, Evander Holyfield, Don King, Bob Arum, and the enigma that serves as bookends for the beginning and end of the tome (including the postscript to the 2014 edition): Mike Tyson.
Many writers who integrate their own life and experiences into such a study, in the tradition of New Journalism, I often find too self-absorbed and thus off putting in 21st century literature. I want to be emphatic that this is certainly not the case here, and McRae’s blending of his own life and marriage into the narrative works because of his honesty and forthrightness. He is genuine, and this leads me to add great weight to his take on this wide range of different colorful personalities that made up the boxing world then and now. One small quibble: I was a bit distracted by what I felt were too many typos turning up in a revised second edition. Nevertheless, big thumbs up for this classic book on boxing, a must read for those studying the history of the sport.
April 13, 2019
The definitive history of a certain slice of 1990s boxing - Chris Eubank, James Toney, Mike Tyson, Oscar de la Hoya, Naseem Hamed, Evander Holyfield - told by an author who keeps himself mostly in the background and captures hundreds of pages of their intimate conversations. All of these men eventually fail to become the next Ali, and McRae is there to capture these career arcs. Quite stellar, honestly. Winter Colours, which I've yet to finish, is perhaps even better, given its detailef discussion of S African sporting culture in the 60s and 70s.
February 11, 2025
McRae's passionate memoir following boxing's most infamous figures during a grim and gripping decade for the sport. A standout classic in the genre.
November 20, 2020
There are nuggets of fascination and insight when McRae digs into the lives of the boxers he’s writing about outside of the ring, and those moments largely make this book worth reading, even if the book comes up short in almost every other area.
McCrae’s coverage of the personal lives of James Toney and Mike Tyson are rich and add so much context to the world surrounding boxing and boxers. This book spends a good chunk of time talking about how dangerous boxing is, and following the lives of boxers who almost lost their lives in the ring, and the life altering effects these head injuries have had on their lives, and how that guilt weighs on the mind of boxing fans and people who work in the boxing industry constantly.
McRae also grapples well with boxing’s love/hate relationship with Mike Tyson through his very public disintegration in the early 90s, and how an individual can love Tyson for his talents as an athlete, sympathize deeply with him for everything he’s been through personally, while acknowledging that he’s done terrible things and has incredibly destructive habits, and noting the systemic issues in society and the corruption and greed in the boxing world that funnelled Tyson to this destruction.
Where this book effectively deadens its impact and waters itself down is through the author injecting so much of his personal life and commentary into these stories, and with the careless and sloppy way he talks about race. The author chronicles much of his own commentary and personal experience into his interactions with these boxers, which make for several detours from these fascinating stories with little payoff or interest. He also spends a good chunk fo time covering him meeting his future wife, introducing her to the world of boxing, and their relationship during the time he spent writing this book, which doesn’t really add anything to the book, and bloats this already large book to an unnecessary length.
The biggest issue of the book though is how McCrae carelessly talks about race and black culture, and uses his South African identity as license to use ebonics and ride the line of being casually racist when talking about African American boxers, referring to them as ‘gangstas’ and their friends/team as ‘homeboys’, pulling you straight out of the book and making the reader cringe.
This tries to follow the path of great boxing books like the Sweet Science, The Fight, and Four Kings, but comes up short with how the author inserts himself into these narratives, his poor handling of race, and with rather weak writing inside the boxing ring, with none of the fights covered carrying the same prose and beauty that the best boxing writers have brought to writing about the act of boxing.
McCrae’s coverage of the personal lives of James Toney and Mike Tyson are rich and add so much context to the world surrounding boxing and boxers. This book spends a good chunk of time talking about how dangerous boxing is, and following the lives of boxers who almost lost their lives in the ring, and the life altering effects these head injuries have had on their lives, and how that guilt weighs on the mind of boxing fans and people who work in the boxing industry constantly.
McRae also grapples well with boxing’s love/hate relationship with Mike Tyson through his very public disintegration in the early 90s, and how an individual can love Tyson for his talents as an athlete, sympathize deeply with him for everything he’s been through personally, while acknowledging that he’s done terrible things and has incredibly destructive habits, and noting the systemic issues in society and the corruption and greed in the boxing world that funnelled Tyson to this destruction.
Where this book effectively deadens its impact and waters itself down is through the author injecting so much of his personal life and commentary into these stories, and with the careless and sloppy way he talks about race. The author chronicles much of his own commentary and personal experience into his interactions with these boxers, which make for several detours from these fascinating stories with little payoff or interest. He also spends a good chunk fo time covering him meeting his future wife, introducing her to the world of boxing, and their relationship during the time he spent writing this book, which doesn’t really add anything to the book, and bloats this already large book to an unnecessary length.
The biggest issue of the book though is how McCrae carelessly talks about race and black culture, and uses his South African identity as license to use ebonics and ride the line of being casually racist when talking about African American boxers, referring to them as ‘gangstas’ and their friends/team as ‘homeboys’, pulling you straight out of the book and making the reader cringe.
This tries to follow the path of great boxing books like the Sweet Science, The Fight, and Four Kings, but comes up short with how the author inserts himself into these narratives, his poor handling of race, and with rather weak writing inside the boxing ring, with none of the fights covered carrying the same prose and beauty that the best boxing writers have brought to writing about the act of boxing.
March 25, 2019
I can't imagine that there's a better book on boxing. Dark Trade tells the story of some of the biggest names in boxing in the late-1980s and 1990s: Tyson, Jones, Toney, Eubank, Benn, De La Hoya among others. The recurring theme is boxing provides a path out of poverty, but no fighter emerges victorious. Deaths, prison sentences, heartbreak, depression, financial ruin, and betrayals - you name it - it's tragic. While claiming to be a fan of the sport of boxing, Donald McRae consistently provides ammunition for the abolition of the sport. Yet, he is a true fan, an addict even - evidenced by the lengths he takes, as a writer, to secure interviews and connect with the fighters and their entourages as well as his return to the fray after numerous in-ring tragedies. Dark Trade is deeply personal from the fighters' perspectives and does not allow the boxing fan to escape the moral consequences of supporting a violent and destructive game. A must-read for boxing fans and recommended for sports fans in general. **As a side note, there's an updated edition of this book (Feb. 2019) that should provide some closure now that the fighters in the book have since retired from the sport. It would be interesting to see how McRae would assess Floyd Mayweather, who emerged following publication of the first edition of the book, and stands, at least temporarily, as an exception to the fatalism that surrounded and grounded other great fighters.
December 10, 2025
An intriguing mix of memoir, boxing analysis and warts-and-all profiles of some of boxing's biggest personalities of the 90s, such as Chris Eubank, Naseem Hamed, James Toney and of course Mike Tyson. It almost reads as though the book was written simply as a private journal or aide-memoire by the author, as it doesn't have much of a structure and is a bit of a mishmash of snapshots of McRae's history and current circumstances, accounts of boxing matches he attends, and the conversations he has with boxers. It's the latter that make the book truly worthwhile: the author has excellent access to the boxers he focuses on and as a result, we are given a great deal of insight into their lives, both public-facing and inner.
The book is let down by being shockingly poorly written, to the extent that I wondered if I'd somehow acquired a proof copy. It's littered with incredibly basic spelling and grammatical errors, and there are many truly egregious howlers, such as spelling the same boxer's name various different ways, writing city names without a capital letter, forgetting apostrophes for possessives, and similar mistakes of a very basic nature. The book's acknowledgements mention an editor and proofreader; to be frank, they both deserve to go a round with Tyson, as they are absolutely stealing a living.
3.5 stars.
The book is let down by being shockingly poorly written, to the extent that I wondered if I'd somehow acquired a proof copy. It's littered with incredibly basic spelling and grammatical errors, and there are many truly egregious howlers, such as spelling the same boxer's name various different ways, writing city names without a capital letter, forgetting apostrophes for possessives, and similar mistakes of a very basic nature. The book's acknowledgements mention an editor and proofreader; to be frank, they both deserve to go a round with Tyson, as they are absolutely stealing a living.
3.5 stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 10, 2021
A poignant, informative insight into the sport of boxing.
Donald McRae charts the rise and fall of showtime boxers including; Oscar De La Hoya, James Toney, Mike Tyson and Naseem Hamed as well as lesser known figures such as Chris Eubank Snr, Nigel Benn and Michael Watson.
McRae provides thoughtful analysis and has interviewed many important figures within the murky waters of the boxing industry which forms an interesting read although I would suggest that this book is not for a casual sports fan and is more for somebody who is already fairly familiar with the boxing industry as a whole and who has more than a fleeting interest in the sport.
I particularly enjoyed the segments involving James ‘Lights Out’ Toney as he is the boxer that Donald McRae cares about most and is evidently fond of, so it is tough to read how he battles on way past his prime into his mid forties resulting in Toney becoming a punch drunk talker with slurred speech.
Also moving are the pages dedicated to those ravaged by boxing, notably Michael Watson who suffered life changing injuries as a result of a boxing match again Chris Eubank in the nineties.
Overall I enjoyed this book and would read more from the author in the future.
Donald McRae charts the rise and fall of showtime boxers including; Oscar De La Hoya, James Toney, Mike Tyson and Naseem Hamed as well as lesser known figures such as Chris Eubank Snr, Nigel Benn and Michael Watson.
McRae provides thoughtful analysis and has interviewed many important figures within the murky waters of the boxing industry which forms an interesting read although I would suggest that this book is not for a casual sports fan and is more for somebody who is already fairly familiar with the boxing industry as a whole and who has more than a fleeting interest in the sport.
I particularly enjoyed the segments involving James ‘Lights Out’ Toney as he is the boxer that Donald McRae cares about most and is evidently fond of, so it is tough to read how he battles on way past his prime into his mid forties resulting in Toney becoming a punch drunk talker with slurred speech.
Also moving are the pages dedicated to those ravaged by boxing, notably Michael Watson who suffered life changing injuries as a result of a boxing match again Chris Eubank in the nineties.
Overall I enjoyed this book and would read more from the author in the future.
September 25, 2025
Donald McRae manages to weave together several tales into one long beautiful story about his introduction, his growing love for boxing, witnessing the highs and lows of the sport, meeting your heroes, understanding the villains and questioning the universal whys of the sport - why do we watch? Why do the boxers compete? Why is something as simple as boxing so captivating? - and takes you on a journey throughout some of the most infamous moments in boxing as well as sprinkling in lesser known tales of trial and tribulation. Stories about James Toney, Chris Eubank, Nigel Benn, Roy Jones Jr, just to name a few, will leave you constantly glued to the book wondering what comes next (if you’re new to boxing) or filled with glee or regret if you can see what the next triumph or tragedy is being prefaced by the boxers he mentions that chapter 😂. Amazing book and I will definitely have to give this a second read.
February 22, 2019
p.144: …. with the coincidental power of the best parables,....
p.218: Dr Flip Homansky stared into Garcia’s vacant eyes, as his father and trainer screamed for him to continue. Homansky allowed him to get off his stool when Garcia nodded twice that he felt able to fight on.
p.290: And the deeper downtown you went, the more Vegas changed. The people left on the bus were angular and leathery, their voice blurred and worn. It was as if the dreaming of a sudden fortune, of a way out, had rusted away.
p.218: Dr Flip Homansky stared into Garcia’s vacant eyes, as his father and trainer screamed for him to continue. Homansky allowed him to get off his stool when Garcia nodded twice that he felt able to fight on.
p.290: And the deeper downtown you went, the more Vegas changed. The people left on the bus were angular and leathery, their voice blurred and worn. It was as if the dreaming of a sudden fortune, of a way out, had rusted away.
November 5, 2024
Candid book about boxing as a sport, covering James Toney, Mike Tyson, Chris Eubank Sr., Oscar De La Hoya, Nassem Hamed, among others. The South African author successfully weaves his apartheid history into the current of boxing. At times dramatic and romantic, but clear that McRae loves boxing. His insightful conversations with James Toney, James' mother Sheri and Mike Tyson are illuminating. At The Fights still remains my favorite book on boxing thus far, however Dark Trade is a definite must to add to one's boxing book collection.
July 1, 2018
A fantastic book. McRae obviously loves boxing, and his powers of observation are balanced by a novelistic ability to reveal character. If there is a central protagonist in DARK TRADE it would be James Toney, for whom McRae is unapologetically aware he does not write about objectively. The loss of objectivity, however, in the hands of someone like McRae, does not diminish the sense of truthfulness or honest information this book provides.
February 16, 2019
The best sports books are about far more than spirt and this wonderful book is no exception.
McCrae is a fantastic writer who has the ability to get his subjects to open up and reveal their deep and innermost thoughts.
This is an updated version of his classic analysis of boxing in the 90s and should be read by anyone who enjoys incisive and even elegiac sports writing.
McCrae is a fantastic writer who has the ability to get his subjects to open up and reveal their deep and innermost thoughts.
This is an updated version of his classic analysis of boxing in the 90s and should be read by anyone who enjoys incisive and even elegiac sports writing.
October 3, 2025
Good to get an insight into a few of the stars of the 90s boxing scene. Loved how close Don appeared to get to them, in particular James Toney.
It was interesting that they all had supreme confidence in themselves despite a lot of evidence pointing to the contrary, but I guess that’s what it takes to be a pro. Plenty of dark sides to the sport, but interesting nonetheless.
It was interesting that they all had supreme confidence in themselves despite a lot of evidence pointing to the contrary, but I guess that’s what it takes to be a pro. Plenty of dark sides to the sport, but interesting nonetheless.
July 6, 2023
Just ok... a decent read, occasionally the author goes gonzo which I'm not so keen on in this book. Now that so much time has passed since it was written, despite updates in later editions, it harks back to an era of boxing that permeated my childhood, so a bit of a nostalgic trip too.
October 19, 2023
A book for me full of nostalgia and imagination, with a cold brutal truth. McRae's access to James Toney is brought to life in an immersive style I think all sports writers would do incredibly well to replicate.
August 22, 2019
Fantastic book from start to finish. Well paced, well written and most importantly it's an interesting read. Would recommend to all boxing fans and most sports fans.
July 29, 2020
Masterpiece. Away from the glitz and the glamour - a gritty realistic journey through the toughest sport of them all.
May 11, 2021
Amazing story of sports, skill and humanity. A must-read not just for boxing aficionados.
September 9, 2022
Excellent
January 6, 2023
Extensive book with incredible in depth looks at the boxers. I can see why it's rated as one of the best boxing books of all time.
October 4, 2023
Depressing and brilliant
November 9, 2023
If you're a boxing fan, especially from the Tyson era, I can't recommend this book enough. Full discussion of it here: https://youtu.be/6Dq80asNq1k?si=_8ZNC...
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