Joe Louis: The Great Black Hope

by Richard Bak

When Joe Louis (1914–1981) knocked out the German boxer Max Schmeling in 1938 in two minutes and four seconds, the entire nation—black and white—celebrated the "fight of the century" as a victory of the United States against the ominous tide of Nazism. Never had an African-American received such universal praise across racial lines. Heavyweight champion for a record twelve years from 1937 to 1949, Louis opened the doors for such future black athletes as Jackie Robinson, Sugar Ray Robinson, and Muhammad Ali.Joe Louis depicts the prizefighter's life, and the times in which he lived, from his childhood in a sharecropper's cabin in Alabama and his formative years in Detroit, to his legendary career, his service in the Army, his stint as a professional wrestler after retiring from boxing in 1951, and his professional demise as an official greeter for a Las Vegas casino. Along the way, Richard Bak compassionately, yet evenhandedly, details Louis's private vices: incessant womanizing, reckless spending habits, massive debts to the IRS, and drug abuse. Filled with over one hundred photographs, including twenty-two in color, Joe Louis is the most comprehensive portrait yet written of one of the greatest African-American heroes who used his fists figuratively—and literally—to fight racism.

Genres: Sports

328 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1995

About the author

RICHARD BAK is a Detroit-based journalist and the author of twenty-five books, including 'Henry and Edsel: The Creation of the Ford Empire' and 'Peach: Ty Cobb in His Time and Ours.' He has received three ForeWord magazine Book-of-the-Year awards, the Stuart D. and Vernice M. Gross Prize for Literature, and two Emmys for his work as writer and coproducer of "Stranded at the Corner," a feature-length documentary about the fight to save Detroit's Tiger Stadium.

Reviews

[Sean Peters (A Good Thriller) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Great book to read if you love boxing, also one of the saddest books to read, nearly a whole life in poverty, one more fight, one too many. But part of heavyweight boxing history.

When Joe Louis (1914–1981) knocked out the German boxer Max Schmeling in 1938 in two minutes and four seconds, the entire nation—black and white—celebrated the "fight of the century" as a victory of the United States against the ominous tide of Nazism. Never had an African-American received such universal praise across racial lines. Heavyweight champion for a record twelve years from 1937 to 1949, Louis opened the doors for such future black athletes as Jackie Robinson, Sugar Ray Robinson, and Muhammad Ali. Joe Louis depicts the prize fighter's life, and the times in which he lived, from his childhood in a sharecropper's cabin in Alabama and his formative years in Detroit, to his legendary career, his service in the Army, his stint as a professional wrestler after retiring from boxing in 1951, and his professional demise as an official greeter for a Las Vegas casino. Along the way, Richard Bak compassionately, yet even handedly, details Louis's private vices: incessant womanizing, reckless spending habits, massive debts to the IRS, and drug abuse. Filled with over one hundred photographs, including twenty-two in colour, Joe Louis is the most comprehensive portrait yet written of one of the greatest African-American heroes who used his fists figuratively—and literally—to fight racism.

Great detail, lists of lots of boxing names, trainers, friends, his lifelong friendship with Jesse Owens, his lifelong passion for woman, the rich life, he never learnt the importance of the money he was making.

The sadness of the story is of Joe to comeback and fight, purely for money, his battle for the rest of his life to make enough money to keep the IRS happy, his involvement with drugs, a sad life.

Sadly a very hard last few years. Great book, great story.

[Jim Sargent]

Joe Louis: The Great Black Hope, by Detroit journalist Richard Bak, is an even-handed study of one of the great American athletes of the Twentieth Century. Louis, who rose from life in an Alabama sharecropper's cabin to a celebrated hero in Detroit, made his mark by knocking out the white German champion Max Schmeling in 1937. Louis held the heavyweight title from 1937 to 1949, including a stint in the Army during World War II. Famed for his boxing skills, Detroit's adopted son became a celebrity for white as well as black fans. Bak, the author of more than two dozen good books, explains
Joe Louis Barrow's meteoric rise to fame, his many notable successes, and his darker side as a womanizer, a reckless spender, and more. A thoughtful, thorough, and readable biography, Bak's book may be the best ever written about the legendary Joe Louis. I recommend it highly.

[Sunny · Rating 5 out of 5]

another impressive biography. to think he only lost 3 professional fights is incredible. the way he "wasted" his money was also very worrying and some of the wrestling and other initiatives he had at the end to raise money was sad to hear. an incredible fighter with a strong punch and very impressive physique. it was also a shame that he couldn't stop his womanizing which tore apart some of his multiple marriages. some of the hints and tips on his training regimen are very interesting if you are interesting in boxing. a really enjoyable read and highly recommended.

[John Marricco · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to admit I was surprised by how good this book was. I had forgotten about Joe Louis and how much I enjoyed reading about him when I was a kid. Well, his story is incredible, and Richard does a fantastic job of writing about it, the times, and racism.

[Chris Dean · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice biography of the life and career of Joe Louis. Predictably, much detail is given to the account of his boxing career; not as much about his post-ring career. Much emphasis was given to Joe's status in American society and his historical implications. A well-done book.