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War and Peace: My Story
On November 24, 2012, four-time World Champion boxer Ricky Hatton dropped to his knees, felled by a sickening punch to the body in his first comeback fight in almost three years. Gasping for breath, down and out, it was then that something extraordinary 20,000 fans began to sing his name. Ricky War and Peace is the story of one of British boxing's true icons. From a Manchester council estate to the bright lights of Las Vegas, Ricky Hatton experienced incredible highs in his career, including one of the greatest ever wins by a British boxer, over the IBF Light Welterweight champion Kostya Tszyu. But heavy defeats to two legends of the ring, Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, brought him quickly down to earth to face a new set of battles against depression, drink, and drugs. Written with his trademark honesty and wit, this is the inspiring story of a charismatic, funny, straight-talking fighter who boxing fans have always taken to their hearts; a man who has survived a lifetime of wars both in and out of the ring, and who only now is finding something close to peace.
298 pages, Paperback
First published October 10, 2013
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106 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
October 5, 2021
War and Peace couldn’t have been a more perfect title for the story of Ricky Hatton. The Manchester Man’s working class sense of humour and comic wit really shines through in this book and I laughed on multiple occasions.
His career defining moment, defeating Kosta Tszyu is discussed in detail, but the book was at its best when Hatton opened up about dealing with his depression, drink and drugs. He was extremely honest about his harrowing suicide attempts, as well as the fall outs which occurred with his family members.
The book finishes with Hatton finding peace after overcoming his demons and shifting a huge amount of weight to return to the ring for one last bout. This was his redemption. The book really made me feel like I had gone on a journey with the ‘People’s champion’ who had an incredible fan base, full of people who flew to Vegas to watch his fights time and time again. The story has a happy ending, it’s the story of a survivor and I’m glad that I read it.
His career defining moment, defeating Kosta Tszyu is discussed in detail, but the book was at its best when Hatton opened up about dealing with his depression, drink and drugs. He was extremely honest about his harrowing suicide attempts, as well as the fall outs which occurred with his family members.
The book finishes with Hatton finding peace after overcoming his demons and shifting a huge amount of weight to return to the ring for one last bout. This was his redemption. The book really made me feel like I had gone on a journey with the ‘People’s champion’ who had an incredible fan base, full of people who flew to Vegas to watch his fights time and time again. The story has a happy ending, it’s the story of a survivor and I’m glad that I read it.
June 21, 2017
Great book by Ricky Hatton. I was a bit dubious buying this book as I knew about the problems he was facing out side the ring I really did not want to remember Hatton for the way his career ended and the problems he had to face there after. I glad the book ends with him managing to find some peace, yes his trials and tribulations are ongoing and he will need to fight his demons on a daily biases, but he seem to be in a better and better equipped to deal with them.
If you read Ricky's first book The Hitman the first 100 pages are a condensed version of that book. Starting with Ricky's start in training and boxing. Unlike his frist book which started and finished with everything was going great in his life. War and Peace, as the name implies, deals with Hatton having to deal with losses for the first time in his career, the coming to terms with life after boxing, going off the rails in his personal life, and the fall out of all that. The people who stuck by him anf the ones who distanced themselves from him.
Even is you are not a Hatton fan but a boxing fan, you would still enjoy this book because Ricky brings all his skill including his sports commentary chop he picked up during his time doing analysis on Sky sports. Ricky does a superb job of his analysing his own fights, I honestly believe you cannot get better analyst than a boxer talking about boxing. Ricky's honesty about his fights and his opponents, I think his commentary was spot on.
This brings us to the Mayweather fight. I am impressed with the way Hatton is very complimentary of Mayweather's boxing skill, even though he cannot stand him as a person. I agree completely with Ricky about the ref, he does not make excuses for losing, but I do belive it would have been a very different fight if a different ref was asigned. For people who dod not see the fight. Explain to me how Mayweather was alowed to crawl on the floor but Hatton was cautioned? Or Mayweather jumped out of the ring over the top rope but Hatton had a point taken off for this.
I good book it is always nice to have the greats leaves a sport like boxing with more than he came in with. Too many time we hear stories of boxers broken down mentally, physicality, and financially. Unfortunately Hattons worst losses were outside the ring, but it is good to know he is dealing with them and in a good place for now. Go no Ricky.
If you read Ricky's first book The Hitman the first 100 pages are a condensed version of that book. Starting with Ricky's start in training and boxing. Unlike his frist book which started and finished with everything was going great in his life. War and Peace, as the name implies, deals with Hatton having to deal with losses for the first time in his career, the coming to terms with life after boxing, going off the rails in his personal life, and the fall out of all that. The people who stuck by him anf the ones who distanced themselves from him.
Even is you are not a Hatton fan but a boxing fan, you would still enjoy this book because Ricky brings all his skill including his sports commentary chop he picked up during his time doing analysis on Sky sports. Ricky does a superb job of his analysing his own fights, I honestly believe you cannot get better analyst than a boxer talking about boxing. Ricky's honesty about his fights and his opponents, I think his commentary was spot on.
This brings us to the Mayweather fight. I am impressed with the way Hatton is very complimentary of Mayweather's boxing skill, even though he cannot stand him as a person. I agree completely with Ricky about the ref, he does not make excuses for losing, but I do belive it would have been a very different fight if a different ref was asigned. For people who dod not see the fight. Explain to me how Mayweather was alowed to crawl on the floor but Hatton was cautioned? Or Mayweather jumped out of the ring over the top rope but Hatton had a point taken off for this.
I good book it is always nice to have the greats leaves a sport like boxing with more than he came in with. Too many time we hear stories of boxers broken down mentally, physicality, and financially. Unfortunately Hattons worst losses were outside the ring, but it is good to know he is dealing with them and in a good place for now. Go no Ricky.
April 25, 2024
Excellent. Ricky has been an inspiration and I wish him the very best as a fellow Mancunion.
April 16, 2020
Really liked the way Ricky isn’t afraid to open up within the book. I know it’s almost typical to say, but you feel like you can understand and relate to a lot of what he goes through, as he is so grounded. Heartbreaking losses and triumphant victories . A great read for any boxing fan and for the casual reader also. Definitely endeared me more to him as a person , would definitely recommend as it’s worth the read!
June 30, 2020
The book is just like Ricky himself, funny, honest and he doesn't hold back. I knew the Ricky Hatton story anyway being a huge fan of him growing up. So if you already know they story you won't learn anything new here. I don't want that to take anything away from it, it's a great read.
June 4, 2021
Great read finished it in 10days once met him in Blackpool unsurprisingly in a pub! Great down to earth guy :-)
Great honest account from a great British boxer sad how things got but it's real and glad he's in a good place again
Didn't duck the greats either
Great honest account from a great British boxer sad how things got but it's real and glad he's in a good place again
Didn't duck the greats either
September 23, 2020
Frank honest account of boxing history and personal issues. Very easy style to read and relate to
January 9, 2026
There’s only one Ricky Hatton
Chapter 11 is a really tough read since his passing I hope he has found peace 🙏🏻
Chapter 11 is a really tough read since his passing I hope he has found peace 🙏🏻
April 16, 2022
I actually read this book twice or three times.
Great book.
Basically, just Ricky Hatton talking about the Drug, fights, mental illness, and triumphs.
He said he never had a thrill like beating Tszyu.
He loved his wife, a school teacher, but felt he let down her by losing to Mayweather.
All the years of training boxing in his dad's pub and years of triumphs went to waste.
He said in the book it was Mayweather SNRS's fault, he had Mayweather SNR train him to fight his son.
He said he would make him run up hills and mountains with lead boots on days before the fight and he was exhausted when he got into the ring.
He obviously lost to Mayweather but he, Still a great fight and the fight itself was an entertaining spectacle watched worldwide.
I do not think he should have been that hard on himself, Great body puncher and explosive power.
He also has some tales in the book of how the English ascended the strip in Vegas, wired for it.
Great book.
Basically, just Ricky Hatton talking about the Drug, fights, mental illness, and triumphs.
He said he never had a thrill like beating Tszyu.
He loved his wife, a school teacher, but felt he let down her by losing to Mayweather.
All the years of training boxing in his dad's pub and years of triumphs went to waste.
He said in the book it was Mayweather SNRS's fault, he had Mayweather SNR train him to fight his son.
He said he would make him run up hills and mountains with lead boots on days before the fight and he was exhausted when he got into the ring.
He obviously lost to Mayweather but he, Still a great fight and the fight itself was an entertaining spectacle watched worldwide.
I do not think he should have been that hard on himself, Great body puncher and explosive power.
He also has some tales in the book of how the English ascended the strip in Vegas, wired for it.
February 2, 2014
Another great sports biography. hatton was a big favorite of mine growing up and had a style i admired. this was a real cathartic auto-bio for hatton and was very revealing. it talks about a lot of his training methods and techniques he uses in fights which i loved, it talks also about his issues with his mum dad and brother, his problems with depression, how he beat Kostya Tszu to become world champion, his losses to mayweather and how he over trained for his loss to pacquiao, it talks about his rise as an amateur and fighting in cuba and how he destroyed people with his body shots, something not a lot of fighters do enough of. very open and honest book and a guy that i really liked. his dedication to the sport especially in his early career and youth was very very admirable. shame he drunk to the extent he did.
January 13, 2014
Really well written autobiography. Can actually hear him say the things in the book. Fantastic showman shined through the book the whole time
July 26, 2014
One of my heroes worth a read
February 5, 2018
funny in parts short and sweet
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews