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A Man's World: The Double Life of Emile Griffith
SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2015 WILLIAM HILL SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR PRIZE.
'I kill a man and most people forgive me. However, I love a man and many say this makes me an evil person.'
On 24 March 1962, when Emile Griffith stepped into the ring in Madison Square Garden to defend his world title against Benny Paret, he was filled with rage. During their weigh-in, the Cuban challenger had denounced Griffith as a 'faggot' and minced towards him. In the macho world of boxing, where fighters know they are engaged in the hurt game, there could be no greater insult. At that time, it was illegal for people of the same gender to have sex, or even for a bar to knowingly serve a drink to a gay person. It was an insinuation that could have had dangerous consequences for Griffith - especially as it was true.
In the fight that followed, Griffith pounded Paret into unconsciousness, and the Cuban would die soon after, leaving Griffith haunted by what he had done. Despite this, he went on to fight more world championship rounds than any other fighter in history in a career that lasted for almost 20 years.
In A Man's World , Donald McRae weaves a compelling tale of triumph over prejudice in a classic piece of sports writing.
'I kill a man and most people forgive me. However, I love a man and many say this makes me an evil person.'
On 24 March 1962, when Emile Griffith stepped into the ring in Madison Square Garden to defend his world title against Benny Paret, he was filled with rage. During their weigh-in, the Cuban challenger had denounced Griffith as a 'faggot' and minced towards him. In the macho world of boxing, where fighters know they are engaged in the hurt game, there could be no greater insult. At that time, it was illegal for people of the same gender to have sex, or even for a bar to knowingly serve a drink to a gay person. It was an insinuation that could have had dangerous consequences for Griffith - especially as it was true.
In the fight that followed, Griffith pounded Paret into unconsciousness, and the Cuban would die soon after, leaving Griffith haunted by what he had done. Despite this, he went on to fight more world championship rounds than any other fighter in history in a career that lasted for almost 20 years.
In A Man's World , Donald McRae weaves a compelling tale of triumph over prejudice in a classic piece of sports writing.
549 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 10, 2015
18 people are currently reading
290 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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January 11, 2020
It takes a special kind of human being to be a professional boxer. Much like an ambition that dwarfs anything else is usually found in Presidents, or a self confidence bordering on arrogance in corporate titans, to be a boxer requires a certain set of qualities.
Or does it?
Emile Griffith, outside of a chiseled physique with a 38 inch chest and an unparalled dexterity and power in the boxing ring, fit none of the qualities one would associate with a professional boxer. He was soft spoken, a momma’s boy through and through, wore outlandish and flamboyant clothing, designed women’s hats(!), and was also gay.
He was also a 5 time champion of the world and in the 1960’s (when being only one of 8 such champions in boxing meant far more than it does today), few men were in more demand or well known than Griffith was.
He partied with Frank Sinatra, shared a gym with a young Cassius Clay, and was all over television and magazines.
Despite feeling the pain of not being able be open about being gay in a highly repressive era (men were still being prosecuted and jailed for consensual sex in their own homes), the world seemed to belong to Emile Griffith, until Benny Paret came into his life.
Part was a Cuban boxer who would face Griffith in a trilogy of bouts, the title changing hands several times between them.
It was the second of these bouts though where things started to go wrong. Griffith and Paret had been friendly despite their rivalry, all the way up to the second bout. It was here during the weigh in before the match that Paret and his fight crew began to mock Griffith by speaking with a lisp (Griffith had a high voice and was very soft spoken), feigning a limp wrist, and finally by calling him a “maricon”.
Maricon has no perfect translation in English but it roughly translates to the English slur “faggot”. In a hyper masculine culture like Cuba, it is and was the worst thing you could say to another man.
Griffith was blindsided by it, and by the third and final of their fights, this time Paret (at the advice of his manager who saw they had rattled Griffith previously) walked up behind Griffith, slapped his butt, and simulated having sex with him.
This was the breaking point for the gentle giant. A man who by all accounts saw fighting merely as something he was fated to do by virtue of his skill at it. He bore no ill will toward anyone. However late in their third fight, Griffith had Paret trapped in a corner, and it began:
Maricon? A right uppercut whipped in and snapped back Paret’s helpless head.
Maricon? Another right uppercut.
Maricon? A right uppercut.
Maricon? Another uppercut.
Maricon? A fifth right uppercut.
Maricon? Again.
Maricon? And again.
Maricon? Another right uppercut.
Maricon? The same punch again.
Maricon? A tenth right uppercut.
Maricon? The eleventh right uppercut.
Maricon? A twelfth right uppercut.
The referee finally stepped in and stopped the fight but it was too late for Paret as his lifeless body slumped to the canvas.
He would be dead two weeks later.
This is Griffith’s story, and he is an endlessly fascinating man. How does one ever cleanse the guilt from having killed a man, albeit inadvertently? (He would tragically also be indirectly involved in several other ringside deaths in much the same doomed way that Robert Todd Lincoln always seemed to be around assassinations). How was he able to live two lives as a gay, black man and also as a virile, heterosexual symbol of a violent sport? His interactions with women (primarily his overbearing mother), his time in South Africa when he stood up to apartheid, his flamboyant spending (he owned an apartment with a poodle, a circular bed with leopard print sheets, and a pink telephone), are all also almost larger than life.
While we learn so much about this man, we also learn about his era. It was the time of the Cuban Missile Crisis, of Stonewall, of American assassinations. It was a time when boxing still reigned supreme and Emile Griffith was its king. Griffith was at the locus of so many of the culture wars the country was fighting in the 1960’s that to talk about Griffith, is to talk about the age he lived in. This book does a wonderful job of presenting an altogether decent man who while he had his demons, never let them stop him from living his life mostly on his own terms.
Or does it?
Emile Griffith, outside of a chiseled physique with a 38 inch chest and an unparalled dexterity and power in the boxing ring, fit none of the qualities one would associate with a professional boxer. He was soft spoken, a momma’s boy through and through, wore outlandish and flamboyant clothing, designed women’s hats(!), and was also gay.
He was also a 5 time champion of the world and in the 1960’s (when being only one of 8 such champions in boxing meant far more than it does today), few men were in more demand or well known than Griffith was.
He partied with Frank Sinatra, shared a gym with a young Cassius Clay, and was all over television and magazines.
Despite feeling the pain of not being able be open about being gay in a highly repressive era (men were still being prosecuted and jailed for consensual sex in their own homes), the world seemed to belong to Emile Griffith, until Benny Paret came into his life.
Part was a Cuban boxer who would face Griffith in a trilogy of bouts, the title changing hands several times between them.
It was the second of these bouts though where things started to go wrong. Griffith and Paret had been friendly despite their rivalry, all the way up to the second bout. It was here during the weigh in before the match that Paret and his fight crew began to mock Griffith by speaking with a lisp (Griffith had a high voice and was very soft spoken), feigning a limp wrist, and finally by calling him a “maricon”.
Maricon has no perfect translation in English but it roughly translates to the English slur “faggot”. In a hyper masculine culture like Cuba, it is and was the worst thing you could say to another man.
Griffith was blindsided by it, and by the third and final of their fights, this time Paret (at the advice of his manager who saw they had rattled Griffith previously) walked up behind Griffith, slapped his butt, and simulated having sex with him.
This was the breaking point for the gentle giant. A man who by all accounts saw fighting merely as something he was fated to do by virtue of his skill at it. He bore no ill will toward anyone. However late in their third fight, Griffith had Paret trapped in a corner, and it began:
Maricon? A right uppercut whipped in and snapped back Paret’s helpless head.
Maricon? Another right uppercut.
Maricon? A right uppercut.
Maricon? Another uppercut.
Maricon? A fifth right uppercut.
Maricon? Again.
Maricon? And again.
Maricon? Another right uppercut.
Maricon? The same punch again.
Maricon? A tenth right uppercut.
Maricon? The eleventh right uppercut.
Maricon? A twelfth right uppercut.
The referee finally stepped in and stopped the fight but it was too late for Paret as his lifeless body slumped to the canvas.
He would be dead two weeks later.
This is Griffith’s story, and he is an endlessly fascinating man. How does one ever cleanse the guilt from having killed a man, albeit inadvertently? (He would tragically also be indirectly involved in several other ringside deaths in much the same doomed way that Robert Todd Lincoln always seemed to be around assassinations). How was he able to live two lives as a gay, black man and also as a virile, heterosexual symbol of a violent sport? His interactions with women (primarily his overbearing mother), his time in South Africa when he stood up to apartheid, his flamboyant spending (he owned an apartment with a poodle, a circular bed with leopard print sheets, and a pink telephone), are all also almost larger than life.
While we learn so much about this man, we also learn about his era. It was the time of the Cuban Missile Crisis, of Stonewall, of American assassinations. It was a time when boxing still reigned supreme and Emile Griffith was its king. Griffith was at the locus of so many of the culture wars the country was fighting in the 1960’s that to talk about Griffith, is to talk about the age he lived in. This book does a wonderful job of presenting an altogether decent man who while he had his demons, never let them stop him from living his life mostly on his own terms.
December 1, 2015
A Man’s World – A Brilliant Biography
Fans of sports writing will be well aware of the excellent and Sports Award Winner, Donald McRae, who researches and writes some of the best, books in sport. McRae in particular is an excellent writer where boxing is concerned and never afraid to tackle issues head on, and once again in A Man’s World McRae does this majestically.
A Man’s World is an excellent examination of the double life of Boxing World Champion, Emile Griffith, a champion at both Welterweight and Middleweights. He won more fights than Ali, but is only remembered for one fight in particular, his third encounter with the Cuban Benny Paret, who died ten days after being beaten by Griffith.
Emile was unusual for a boxer he liked ladies fashion, and enjoyed making ladies hats, far more than he enjoyed boxing. Boxing and society in the 1960s was virulently macho, male and heterosexual, vicious and dangerous. Not fitting in to one of the stereotypes was not accepted, being gay at the time was unheard of, and those that were, were mocked and avoided.
Emile Griffith’s personal life is interesting in that it was ultimately very complex; he had to lead a double life, his complex attitudes and ultimately his sexuality. It must be remembered that he came to boxing late and was found by his employer while Griffith was employed making ladies hats. It was noticed that he had the frame of a boxer and was taken to Gil Clancy’s gym; the rest as they say is history.
Gil Clancy took Griffith from hat maker to an all out World Boxing Champion; he would take on all comers and win in the main. McRae examines the double life, the sexuality and private life, with delicacy but does not hold back on what is written. McRae deals with all the issues with respect, compassion and the dignity Griffith was denied when boxing.
When Griffith went to the weigh-in on the morning of the fight, seven months after he lost his title to Paret, he was taunted by Paret. Paret paid Griffith the ultimate insult at the weigh-in when he called him a “faggot” such taunts did not bode well. Boxing insiders of the time already knew that there was something different about Griffith; it was an open secret that he was gay. This at a time when homosexuality was referred to as a disease, and active gay men could expect to be jailed if they were caught having sex.
That night the bout went to round twelve was the beginning of the end for Paret, but this had been a brutal fight, as all Griffith’s anger came to the fore during the earlier rounds. He hit Paret in the twelfth round with two right hands that were brutal and it was the end of Paret who was rocking on his feet. Ten days later Paret was dead, Griffith was the world champion.
McRae deals with all this with the compassion required and with respect as neither Griffith or Paret are no longer with us. One of the most haunting things he brings up is a quote from Griffith which is also used on the cover of the book; “I kill am man and most people forgive me. I love a man and many say this makes me an evil person.”
This is one of the most engrossing, compassionate reads about boxing and McRae deals with the dignity and respect that is required. This is one of the best biographies in recent years of a boxer, especially so when you read about the complexity of Griffith’s life.
Fans of sports writing will be well aware of the excellent and Sports Award Winner, Donald McRae, who researches and writes some of the best, books in sport. McRae in particular is an excellent writer where boxing is concerned and never afraid to tackle issues head on, and once again in A Man’s World McRae does this majestically.
A Man’s World is an excellent examination of the double life of Boxing World Champion, Emile Griffith, a champion at both Welterweight and Middleweights. He won more fights than Ali, but is only remembered for one fight in particular, his third encounter with the Cuban Benny Paret, who died ten days after being beaten by Griffith.
Emile was unusual for a boxer he liked ladies fashion, and enjoyed making ladies hats, far more than he enjoyed boxing. Boxing and society in the 1960s was virulently macho, male and heterosexual, vicious and dangerous. Not fitting in to one of the stereotypes was not accepted, being gay at the time was unheard of, and those that were, were mocked and avoided.
Emile Griffith’s personal life is interesting in that it was ultimately very complex; he had to lead a double life, his complex attitudes and ultimately his sexuality. It must be remembered that he came to boxing late and was found by his employer while Griffith was employed making ladies hats. It was noticed that he had the frame of a boxer and was taken to Gil Clancy’s gym; the rest as they say is history.
Gil Clancy took Griffith from hat maker to an all out World Boxing Champion; he would take on all comers and win in the main. McRae examines the double life, the sexuality and private life, with delicacy but does not hold back on what is written. McRae deals with all the issues with respect, compassion and the dignity Griffith was denied when boxing.
When Griffith went to the weigh-in on the morning of the fight, seven months after he lost his title to Paret, he was taunted by Paret. Paret paid Griffith the ultimate insult at the weigh-in when he called him a “faggot” such taunts did not bode well. Boxing insiders of the time already knew that there was something different about Griffith; it was an open secret that he was gay. This at a time when homosexuality was referred to as a disease, and active gay men could expect to be jailed if they were caught having sex.
That night the bout went to round twelve was the beginning of the end for Paret, but this had been a brutal fight, as all Griffith’s anger came to the fore during the earlier rounds. He hit Paret in the twelfth round with two right hands that were brutal and it was the end of Paret who was rocking on his feet. Ten days later Paret was dead, Griffith was the world champion.
McRae deals with all this with the compassion required and with respect as neither Griffith or Paret are no longer with us. One of the most haunting things he brings up is a quote from Griffith which is also used on the cover of the book; “I kill am man and most people forgive me. I love a man and many say this makes me an evil person.”
This is one of the most engrossing, compassionate reads about boxing and McRae deals with the dignity and respect that is required. This is one of the best biographies in recent years of a boxer, especially so when you read about the complexity of Griffith’s life.
April 25, 2017
A Lover of Men and a Killer, too
Emile Griffith is considered one of the greatest boxers of all time. He was also a gay man when homosexuality was still an offense that could land a man in prison. He was a gentle soul who worked as stock-boy and a milliner in a lady's hat shop by day, who also felt at home in some of the seamiest dives in Times' Square way before Giuliani changed the flavor of the borough. Human beings are complex, but Mr. Griffith was a bit more complex and contradictory than your average man, boxer or otherwise.
Donald McRae does a good job (as always), as he takes the reader on a chronological journey starting with Emile Griffith's traumatic childhood in the Virgin Islands, where he was beaten and molested so badly that he ran away to a boy's prison, where he found life to be more bearable than at home. Griffith and his large extended family eventually found their way to New York City, the metropolis Griffith would call home for his two decades or so as campaigner from welterweight to middleweight. He fought many of the best fighters of his era, including big names like Carlos Monzon and perennial contenders like Gaspar Ortega and Luis "El Feo" Rodriguez.
McRae gets the eras right, seguing from the cigar-smoke-hazed last days of mob-controlled boxing, to the tumult of the sixties, including the assassinations of several avatars of Civil Rights and (more personal to Emile Griffith) the Stonewall Riots. A fitting coda to the book involves a look at the life of Orlando Cruz, the first openly gay pro boxer, who makes it clear that he owes a lot of his motivation to the example set by Griffith. Emile Alphonse Griffith was gay and black at a time in American history where being saddled with either of those jackets brought a lot of perils, some of them very physical and real. Griffith took beatings in and out of the ring, including being on the receiving end of a gang attack that turned out to be a homophobic hate crime. But he survived. Donald McRae does a capable job of honoring a life worth remembering, shedding much needed light on a character of many contradictions who embodies something elemental about man's struggles to find his place in the world, regardless of his sexuality. Recommended.
Emile Griffith is considered one of the greatest boxers of all time. He was also a gay man when homosexuality was still an offense that could land a man in prison. He was a gentle soul who worked as stock-boy and a milliner in a lady's hat shop by day, who also felt at home in some of the seamiest dives in Times' Square way before Giuliani changed the flavor of the borough. Human beings are complex, but Mr. Griffith was a bit more complex and contradictory than your average man, boxer or otherwise.
Donald McRae does a good job (as always), as he takes the reader on a chronological journey starting with Emile Griffith's traumatic childhood in the Virgin Islands, where he was beaten and molested so badly that he ran away to a boy's prison, where he found life to be more bearable than at home. Griffith and his large extended family eventually found their way to New York City, the metropolis Griffith would call home for his two decades or so as campaigner from welterweight to middleweight. He fought many of the best fighters of his era, including big names like Carlos Monzon and perennial contenders like Gaspar Ortega and Luis "El Feo" Rodriguez.
McRae gets the eras right, seguing from the cigar-smoke-hazed last days of mob-controlled boxing, to the tumult of the sixties, including the assassinations of several avatars of Civil Rights and (more personal to Emile Griffith) the Stonewall Riots. A fitting coda to the book involves a look at the life of Orlando Cruz, the first openly gay pro boxer, who makes it clear that he owes a lot of his motivation to the example set by Griffith. Emile Alphonse Griffith was gay and black at a time in American history where being saddled with either of those jackets brought a lot of perils, some of them very physical and real. Griffith took beatings in and out of the ring, including being on the receiving end of a gang attack that turned out to be a homophobic hate crime. But he survived. Donald McRae does a capable job of honoring a life worth remembering, shedding much needed light on a character of many contradictions who embodies something elemental about man's struggles to find his place in the world, regardless of his sexuality. Recommended.
December 22, 2025
When focused, this is a compelling story on one of the most accomplished fighters in history. Griffith's life was marked with a lot of sadness: a turbulent childhood, racism, rabid homophobia that kept Griffith from being able to live his life openly, a boxing career shrouded in death, and the eventual onset of dementia. McRae covers this all with a deft touch. The full-circle conclusion to the book was a nice way to end Emile's story on a positive note.
McRae is a great boxing writer, displayed by the in-depth coverage he gives to Griffith's welterweight fights. His description of the final sequence to the third Paret fight is chilling in its detail.
I was disappointed McRae didn't give Griffith's middleweight title fights the same coverage, in particular the fights against Dick Tiger, Nino Benvenuti, and Carlos Monzon. Also, some of the narrative veered off course from telling Emile's story.
Overall, this is a good book that just misses the mark from being a great book.
McRae is a great boxing writer, displayed by the in-depth coverage he gives to Griffith's welterweight fights. His description of the final sequence to the third Paret fight is chilling in its detail.
I was disappointed McRae didn't give Griffith's middleweight title fights the same coverage, in particular the fights against Dick Tiger, Nino Benvenuti, and Carlos Monzon. Also, some of the narrative veered off course from telling Emile's story.
Overall, this is a good book that just misses the mark from being a great book.
February 4, 2016
Sports fans of my generation (the same as the author's) were brought up on boxing. It was the biggest sport with the biggest prizes and the greatest champions. It was also on British television more than any other sport apart from horse racing (data based on imperfect personal memory). We knew names like Randolph Turpin, Sugar Ray Robinson and Rocky Marciano as four year olds, and couldn't have told you where we learnt them from. Much of the boxing was British. Someone always seemed to be fighting for the British, the European and even the Empire Championship. Many of the bouts came from old sweat soaked venues like the York Hall Bethnal Green. Posh ones came from the Empire Pool Wembley. We were not alone among our friends in owning boxing gloves. Fighting was a major game and always carried out according to the rules learnt from the television. Most of the broadcast world title bouts were at heavyweight. It usually required a Terry Downes or a Howard Winston (in other words a British challenger) to show the lower weights. But we knew the key fighters. We knew Emile Griffith and Davey Moore and Carlos Monzon. They were points of reference. They were heroes and we knew of the tragedies.
I gradually lost interest in boxing. Once the great era of heavyweights; Ali, Foreman, Frazier had passed and the great era of middleweights; Leonard, Hearns, Hagler, Duran, there didn't seem the same interest. Less fights were shown. It's hard to take a close interest in the championship fight if you hadn't been watching the fighters progress through the ranks.
At a certain point the free to air channels surrendered broadcasting rights on the big fights to the satellite companies. I never much liked the way they presented things. Interest waned. In addition to this, too many fighters had died or, often worse, been reduced in an evening from the most able to the least able of their generation. I was taken to watch an out and out thug train for the British title. It wasn't an elevating experience. I'd lost my love of boxing. It faded away.
And then I read this book. It travels through the very period of my own interest. (Hence my autobiographical meander). It contains all the excitement, the period, the sheer energy of the boxing; especially in New York. And it tells of the glory and the tragedy. And it tells this through the double life of Emile Griffith. And it captures it all in a way I have rarely encountered in a sports book. It re-ignited my love for this sport and it confirmed my hatred. I have never really known where I stand on boxing (forgive the personal viewpoint but this is a book that speaks very personally to the reader) and I still don't. What I do know is that this book has entrenched both sides of my position on the noble art of self defence. At the same time it has reaffirmed strong views I already held on homophobia. To have gone through everything that Emile Griffith went through in his life is too much. Far more than anyone should ever have gone through. For him to come out of it with decency and kindness intact is a triumph of the highest order. I shared many a cry of "Poor Emile" as I read. I cried three times in the book. This is a book about true courage: about true bravery. It resonated against my own nostalgic memories of the ring. Though I don't think you have to be able to remember the fights to feel the full impact of the book.
I've read two of the short-listed books for this year's William Hill Award. This is much the better of two very good books. Neither of them won. I hope that means that the judges got it right and that there is one hell of a book still waiting to be read. It will have to be exceptional to be better than this one.
I gradually lost interest in boxing. Once the great era of heavyweights; Ali, Foreman, Frazier had passed and the great era of middleweights; Leonard, Hearns, Hagler, Duran, there didn't seem the same interest. Less fights were shown. It's hard to take a close interest in the championship fight if you hadn't been watching the fighters progress through the ranks.
At a certain point the free to air channels surrendered broadcasting rights on the big fights to the satellite companies. I never much liked the way they presented things. Interest waned. In addition to this, too many fighters had died or, often worse, been reduced in an evening from the most able to the least able of their generation. I was taken to watch an out and out thug train for the British title. It wasn't an elevating experience. I'd lost my love of boxing. It faded away.
And then I read this book. It travels through the very period of my own interest. (Hence my autobiographical meander). It contains all the excitement, the period, the sheer energy of the boxing; especially in New York. And it tells of the glory and the tragedy. And it tells this through the double life of Emile Griffith. And it captures it all in a way I have rarely encountered in a sports book. It re-ignited my love for this sport and it confirmed my hatred. I have never really known where I stand on boxing (forgive the personal viewpoint but this is a book that speaks very personally to the reader) and I still don't. What I do know is that this book has entrenched both sides of my position on the noble art of self defence. At the same time it has reaffirmed strong views I already held on homophobia. To have gone through everything that Emile Griffith went through in his life is too much. Far more than anyone should ever have gone through. For him to come out of it with decency and kindness intact is a triumph of the highest order. I shared many a cry of "Poor Emile" as I read. I cried three times in the book. This is a book about true courage: about true bravery. It resonated against my own nostalgic memories of the ring. Though I don't think you have to be able to remember the fights to feel the full impact of the book.
I've read two of the short-listed books for this year's William Hill Award. This is much the better of two very good books. Neither of them won. I hope that means that the judges got it right and that there is one hell of a book still waiting to be read. It will have to be exceptional to be better than this one.
May 29, 2019
I am not surprised that this biography was shortlisted for the William Hill 'Sports Book of the Year'. 'A Man's World', published in 2016, goes the distance and packs quite a punch. Sports writer Donald McRae has produced a riveting, vivid and highly poignant life story of one of the twentieth centuries little known boxing greats, who happened also to be a gay man.
It is purely coincidental that in two visits to the library I select firstly 'Ali A Life' by Jonathan Aig, a book also nominated for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year for 2017. 'A Man's World', telling of the life and boxing career of Emile Griffith dovetailed perfectly with Aig's book.
As Griffith was a five time World Champ, I feel I have had my head in a sack by knowing nothing about him at all. Yet the relevant decades in this story were during my youth, and in Britain I certainly recall boxers like Terry Downes, Alan Minter and Barry McGuigan. I was aware of Dylan's 'Who Killed Davey Moore' but knew nothing of Moore's opponent Sugar Ramos. It is the depth of detail in this book that reads almost like a fictional novel, a 'Rocky' in print, packed full of triumph and tragedy.
McRae certainly has produced the goods here, with knowledge and many interviews he has painted a near masterpiece. Completely off topic, but in filling in the socio-political details of the 60's, I do wish authors would not parrot the official lies of Oswald, Ray and Sirhan. The only fiction in the narrative.
It is purely coincidental that in two visits to the library I select firstly 'Ali A Life' by Jonathan Aig, a book also nominated for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year for 2017. 'A Man's World', telling of the life and boxing career of Emile Griffith dovetailed perfectly with Aig's book.
As Griffith was a five time World Champ, I feel I have had my head in a sack by knowing nothing about him at all. Yet the relevant decades in this story were during my youth, and in Britain I certainly recall boxers like Terry Downes, Alan Minter and Barry McGuigan. I was aware of Dylan's 'Who Killed Davey Moore' but knew nothing of Moore's opponent Sugar Ramos. It is the depth of detail in this book that reads almost like a fictional novel, a 'Rocky' in print, packed full of triumph and tragedy.
McRae certainly has produced the goods here, with knowledge and many interviews he has painted a near masterpiece. Completely off topic, but in filling in the socio-political details of the 60's, I do wish authors would not parrot the official lies of Oswald, Ray and Sirhan. The only fiction in the narrative.
January 31, 2019
For as long as I can remember I have been a fan of boxing. I absolutely love the sport, a love that I inherited from my father and a love I will take to the grave. Part of being such a fan of the sport has lead me to follow the current states of the game but also it’s long history. So before I read this book Emile Griffith was not unknown to me, I knew he was the first Welterweight in history to hold the world title at the weight on 3 separate occasions, I knew he’d moved up to middleweight and had great success there too. I also knew that he suffered the great misfortune of killing a rival in the ring after being goaded for being gay in an era where being gay was not only frowned upon but totally illegal.
But this great book tells the story behind it all. It tells us the kind of man Emile was, not just from a blind fans point of view but also from a point of view that shows the torment and confusion he suffered being gay and black at a time when being either was so difficult.
The author, Donald McRae, transports us through the life and times of Emile Griffith in a mesmerising way from the very early days to the time of his sad death. This is a book I’d recommend to anyone, not just sport or boxing fans. There is just so much more to this book than that.
But this great book tells the story behind it all. It tells us the kind of man Emile was, not just from a blind fans point of view but also from a point of view that shows the torment and confusion he suffered being gay and black at a time when being either was so difficult.
The author, Donald McRae, transports us through the life and times of Emile Griffith in a mesmerising way from the very early days to the time of his sad death. This is a book I’d recommend to anyone, not just sport or boxing fans. There is just so much more to this book than that.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 31, 2023
The best boxing books (and this is, without doubt, one of them) are never just about boxing. They touch on the circumstances that created the athlete, what he must overcome to become a champion and, most fascinatingly, the paradoxes that come from being a caring and thoughtful person who just so happens to excel at beating other man senseless.
Griffith is one of the most interesting cases, as he, sadly, delivered the blows that lead to a death in the ring. McRae covers this with great sensitivity and insight ... telling not just the story of how the event affected Griffith, but also the impact it had on boxing, society and, of course, the victim's family.
As we travel through Griffith's life with him, we see the double life he led ... a man, who by his heritage and profession, was compelled to broadcast great machismo ... who at the same time carefully navigated life in the closet and on the dangerous streets of a New York City that was not only not accepting of homosexuals, it was openly violent against them.
Griffith is one of the most interesting cases, as he, sadly, delivered the blows that lead to a death in the ring. McRae covers this with great sensitivity and insight ... telling not just the story of how the event affected Griffith, but also the impact it had on boxing, society and, of course, the victim's family.
As we travel through Griffith's life with him, we see the double life he led ... a man, who by his heritage and profession, was compelled to broadcast great machismo ... who at the same time carefully navigated life in the closet and on the dangerous streets of a New York City that was not only not accepting of homosexuals, it was openly violent against them.
January 3, 2019
This book is so many complicated nuanced themes masterfully weaved into a beautiful whole. It revolves around the life of a homosexual boxer encumbered by his own success (5 time world champion) and the uber-machoism of his sport. There is deep sympathy in Mcrae’s writing even as he describes the persecution of sexual minorities in a matter-of-fact manner.
I found it mesmerizing to read about major world events such as the Cuban Missile crisis from the point of view of people experiencing them as they happened. That’s what this book does spectacularly well. It illustrates socio-political realities of those decades through boxing. Personally, the chapter on Emile Griffith’s fight in apartheid South Africa was brilliant. This is a fantastic read even if you’re not interested in sports.
I found it mesmerizing to read about major world events such as the Cuban Missile crisis from the point of view of people experiencing them as they happened. That’s what this book does spectacularly well. It illustrates socio-political realities of those decades through boxing. Personally, the chapter on Emile Griffith’s fight in apartheid South Africa was brilliant. This is a fantastic read even if you’re not interested in sports.
November 7, 2025
This book was a combination of a more in depth biography, character study and career retrospective of Emile Griffith. To learn about his struggles from early childhood, to his first foray into boxing, him constantly being followed by death in or around the boxing ring, his struggles with his sexuality and the lasting impact he had as a world class boxer, hero for the LGBTQ community in NY (and worldwide) made this a very compelling read. The author manages to intertwine many real world events that parallel major and minor moments in Emile’s life to really hammer home how serious the stakes were.
September 1, 2017
Great look back into history to see how hateful we've been towards each other. Made me more understanding and increased my desire to get to know minorities better, maybe even help, if possible in their causes. The most memorable and touching quote from the book is ‘I kill a man and most people understand and forgive me. However, I love a man and many say this makes me an evil person.’ This author did a fantastic job of telling Emile's story. Will have to read his other work.
February 9, 2021
4.2 - in my opinion, a very interesting and well researched book. If you enjoy boxing (Gilly - not one for you) I think you will appreciate this book.
YouTube is a good companion to the book because it has many of the bouts covered.
YouTube is a good companion to the book because it has many of the bouts covered.
July 27, 2021
This book is by far the most comprehensive book on any boxer that I've read. The fact that it's about the life of Emile Griffith makes it even more impressive. Inside and outside of the ring Griffith had such a complex story to tell and the author makes it so clear.
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August 26, 2019Heart breaking book...sad but the story is very well told...
January 12, 2020
By far the best boxing book I’ve read! A great character and a life lived fully when everything was against him! A phenomenal fighter!
February 5, 2021
Tremendous. Very moving. All in all: Spicy.
May 13, 2022
Brilliant account of a fabulous life
October 18, 2023
"I kill a man and most people forgive me. However, I love a man and many say this makes me an evil person".
December 25, 2024
Terrific. What a story and superbly put together
January 11, 2016
What a book! This is the strange and wonderful story of Emile Griffith, the gay 5 time world champion who once beat a man to death in the ring. This is a fantastic book for boxing fans, it's brilliantly researched and the descriptions of the fights will have you wincing, while telling just how difficult it was to be a gay man in 1960's New York.
July 9, 2016
An interesting and detailed read, but too lengthy. I don't like to leave a book unfinished but by halfway I'd lost the main thread of the story and failed to summon the motivation or interest to finish the remaining 200 pages..
March 6, 2016
Even though i am not such a boxing fan, this was an interesting social history book tracing both the history of boxing and the history of homosexuality in the US. showed boxing to me in a completely different (and compassionate) light.
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