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Strong Boy Lib/E: The Life and Times of John L. Sullivan, America's First Sports Hero
"I can lick any son-of-a-bitch in the world."So boasted John L. Sullivan, the first modern heavyweight boxing champion of the world, a man who was the gold standard of American sports for more than a decade and the first athlete to earn more than a million dollars. He had a big ego, a big mouth, and even bigger appetites. His womanizing, drunken escapades, and chronic police-blotter presence were godsends to a burgeoning newspaper industry. The larger-than-life boxer embodied the American dream for late nineteenth-century immigrants as he rose from Boston's Irish working class to become the most recognizable man in the nation. In the process, the "Boston Strong Boy" transformed boxing from outlawed bare-knuckle fighting into the gloved spectacle we know today.Strong Boy tells the story of America's first sports superstar, a self-made man who personified the power and excesses of the Gilded Age. Everywhere John L. Sullivan went, his fists backed up his bravado. Sullivan's epic brawls, such as his seventy-five-round bout against Jake Kilrain, and his cross-country barnstorming tour in which he literally challenged all of America to a fight are recounted in vivid detail, as are his battles outside the ring with a troubled marriage, wild weight and fitness fluctuations, and raging alcoholism. Strong Boy gives readers ringside seats to the colorful tale of one of the country's first Irish American heroes and the birth of the American sports media and the country's celebrity obsession with athletes.
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First published January 1, 2013
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About the author
Christopher Klein
10 books69 followersWHEN THE IRISH INVADED CANADA now available
I’m a total history geek. Favorite historical figure: Teddy Roosevelt. Favorite historical event: the Defenestration of Prague. (Go ahead, Google it.) I love writing about history because it allows me to indulge my passion, travel back in time, and constantly learn more about humanity’s incredible backstory. History helps to explain our present-day world and acts as our roadmap to the future. After all, how can we know where we are going without knowing where we’ve been? (Not to mention, writing about dead people means never having to worry about your subjects returning your phone calls.)
I love to sweep away the cobwebs of history and introduce modern-day audiences to incredible figures who have begun to fade from our collective memory. My latest book is When the Irish Invaded Canada, the outlandish, untold story of the Irish American revolutionaries who tried to free Ireland by invading Canada. Taking their cue from a previous generation of successful American revolutionaries, these Great Hunger refugees and Civil War veterans attacked Canada five times between 1866 and 1871 in what are known as the Fenian Raids. With the tacit support of the U.S. government, these Irish Americans established a state in exile, planned prison breaks, weathered infighting, stockpiled weapons, and assassinated enemies. Defiantly, this motley group, including a one-armed war hero, an English spy infiltrating rebel forces, and a radical who staged his own funeral, managed to seize a piece of Canada--if only for three days.
In addition to When the Irish Invaded Canada, I am also the author of Strong Boy The Life and Times of John L. Sullivan America's First Sports Hero, Discovering the Boston Harbor Islands A Guide to the City s Hidden Shores, and The Die-Hard Sports Fan's Guide to Boston. I’m a frequent contributor to History.com, the web site of the History Channel, and often write about subjects from the past for the travel and Ideas section of the Boston Globe. I have also written for the New York Times, National Geographic Traveler, Harvard Magazine, Red Sox Magazine, ESPN.com, Smithsonian.com, and AmericanHeritage.com.
I am a member of the Authors Guild, Biographers International Organization, Boston Authors Club, and American Society of Authors & Journalists (ASJA).
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
November 24, 2013
After seeing the "Overly Manly Man" meme pop up on FB a little while back, I decided to look into who he actually was. The name that Google fed me was "John L. Sullivan" (JLS). Comparing the pictures now, I believe that my Google-Fu was weak, but it did provide me with the name of one of the MANLIEST SONS OF BITCHES WHO EVER LIVED. Wikipedia him for yourself, if you think that I'm a liar.
Now "manley" has been redefined over the years to mean something less than it used to. It's become watered down, like coffee grounds that have had too much water passed through them (only the coffee grounds are manliness and the water is liberalism).
I've spent the better part of today reading Sullivan's new biography titled Strong Boy by Christopher Klein and learned about this great hero in boxing history and have decided to list some more facts that are found in the book (but probably not on Wikipedia, though maybe they are, but if they are, rest assured that they are worth reading multiple times).
*Early in his career, JLS toured America (and its Western Territories) and posted $50-$100 that no one could last four rounds with him. No one ever did. (Well, one guy did, by repeated throwing himself on the ground w/o JLS ever laying a hand on him... for four rounds.) Some people who tried were happy just to have been knocked out by this great man.
*When JLS met the President, the newspapers reported "The President Met Sullivan", not the other way around, b/c JLS WAS MORE OF A MAN THAN HIM.
*JLS once got drunk and kidnapped an organ grinder (and his monkey) and forced him to play while he drove a carriage around town.
*For a title bout in Mississippi, fought bare-knuckled, for 2 hours and 16 minutes, in the sun, with the temperature over 100 degrees. In the 44th round he threw up b/c he mixed in too much whiskey with his iced tea. The match lasted 75 rounds.
*The above factoid was after he was recovering from consuming so much alcohol that he destroyed his stomach lining SIX MONTHS PRIOR.
*First athlete to make >$1,000,000, most of which went to support drinking... his and everyone else's... but mostly his. He also purchased two different bars.
*His scowl was so powerful that the one man who ever beat him would not look him in the eye before the fight.
*Was friends with Teddy "A Bullet Won't Stop My Speech" Roosevelt.
*Once mistook heart problems for over-eating, b/c HE ATE SEVEN CHICKENS.
*He denied his wife's request for divorce. He applied for divorce 25 YEARS LATER (b/c that's when he felt like it). His wife wasn't notified of the proceedings.
For real though, if you know anyone this Christmas who enjoys biographies, history, books, owning a piece of processed tree, sports, or anything close to those things, show this book a little love. As of this writing, this book had one review on Amazon and one on Goodreads (which was just stars, 5/5 stars, which is great, but nothing written, which is not). The book is amazingly well researched and runs just shy of 300 pages, so it's not overly long and tedious like some bios tend to be.
Now "manley" has been redefined over the years to mean something less than it used to. It's become watered down, like coffee grounds that have had too much water passed through them (only the coffee grounds are manliness and the water is liberalism).
I've spent the better part of today reading Sullivan's new biography titled Strong Boy by Christopher Klein and learned about this great hero in boxing history and have decided to list some more facts that are found in the book (but probably not on Wikipedia, though maybe they are, but if they are, rest assured that they are worth reading multiple times).
*Early in his career, JLS toured America (and its Western Territories) and posted $50-$100 that no one could last four rounds with him. No one ever did. (Well, one guy did, by repeated throwing himself on the ground w/o JLS ever laying a hand on him... for four rounds.) Some people who tried were happy just to have been knocked out by this great man.
*When JLS met the President, the newspapers reported "The President Met Sullivan", not the other way around, b/c JLS WAS MORE OF A MAN THAN HIM.
*JLS once got drunk and kidnapped an organ grinder (and his monkey) and forced him to play while he drove a carriage around town.
*For a title bout in Mississippi, fought bare-knuckled, for 2 hours and 16 minutes, in the sun, with the temperature over 100 degrees. In the 44th round he threw up b/c he mixed in too much whiskey with his iced tea. The match lasted 75 rounds.
*The above factoid was after he was recovering from consuming so much alcohol that he destroyed his stomach lining SIX MONTHS PRIOR.
*First athlete to make >$1,000,000, most of which went to support drinking... his and everyone else's... but mostly his. He also purchased two different bars.
*His scowl was so powerful that the one man who ever beat him would not look him in the eye before the fight.
*Was friends with Teddy "A Bullet Won't Stop My Speech" Roosevelt.
*Once mistook heart problems for over-eating, b/c HE ATE SEVEN CHICKENS.
*He denied his wife's request for divorce. He applied for divorce 25 YEARS LATER (b/c that's when he felt like it). His wife wasn't notified of the proceedings.
For real though, if you know anyone this Christmas who enjoys biographies, history, books, owning a piece of processed tree, sports, or anything close to those things, show this book a little love. As of this writing, this book had one review on Amazon and one on Goodreads (which was just stars, 5/5 stars, which is great, but nothing written, which is not). The book is amazingly well researched and runs just shy of 300 pages, so it's not overly long and tedious like some bios tend to be.
February 16, 2014
This was one of the best books that I've read in months. I've always had an interest in this era of boxing and especially John L Sullivan. My great-great grandfather was a featherweight fighter named Jack McCelland "The Pride of Pittsburgh" who fought around the same time as Sullivan (though they never met in the ring) and reading this book really brought to life a bygone era of crazy fight locations, London Prize Ring rules, handlebar mustached fighters, and just the strange laws and attitudes surrounding prizefighting at the end of the 19th/ early 20th century.
I recommend this book to anyone, even if you don't care for modern boxing (which I don't).
I recommend this book to anyone, even if you don't care for modern boxing (which I don't).
July 27, 2019
Bellowing, blustering, old John L.
Fearing nothing 'tween sky and hell!
Rushing, roaring, swinging his right.
Smashing, crashing, forcing the fight.
Battering foes until they fell,
Tilt your glasses to old John L!
----Robert E Howard
John L Sullivan or John L for short was the first American Superstar athlete. He brought boxing from the old bareknuckle fights to the modern era of boxing. He was the son of Irish Immigrants who settled in South Boston and became known as the "Boston Strong Boy" because of his powerful slugging style which made him the heavy weight champion of the world with bare knuckles or gloves. As the first stanza of Robert E Howard's poem above states, he was a bellowing, blustering and fearsome fighter who said he could "lick anyone in the world". He set out to prove it one time on a barnstorming tour around the country daring anyone to last 4 rounds with him under the "Marquis of Queensberry rules" (with gloves). Besides a great story for boxing fans It gives great insight into the period in which Sullivan lived during the gilded age of the latter part of the 19th century through the WWI era.
It also covers Sullivan's flawed Man-child character who was the first athlete to make a Million dollars and then lose it due to his excesses in drink, women, and food.
John L was always extremely popular even after he lost the heavy weight title which he held for 10 years. He was more popular than almost any other celebrity during his lifetime. A common saying was I "Shook the hand that shook the hand of the great John L" .
Fearing nothing 'tween sky and hell!
Rushing, roaring, swinging his right.
Smashing, crashing, forcing the fight.
Battering foes until they fell,
Tilt your glasses to old John L!
----Robert E Howard
John L Sullivan or John L for short was the first American Superstar athlete. He brought boxing from the old bareknuckle fights to the modern era of boxing. He was the son of Irish Immigrants who settled in South Boston and became known as the "Boston Strong Boy" because of his powerful slugging style which made him the heavy weight champion of the world with bare knuckles or gloves. As the first stanza of Robert E Howard's poem above states, he was a bellowing, blustering and fearsome fighter who said he could "lick anyone in the world". He set out to prove it one time on a barnstorming tour around the country daring anyone to last 4 rounds with him under the "Marquis of Queensberry rules" (with gloves). Besides a great story for boxing fans It gives great insight into the period in which Sullivan lived during the gilded age of the latter part of the 19th century through the WWI era.
It also covers Sullivan's flawed Man-child character who was the first athlete to make a Million dollars and then lose it due to his excesses in drink, women, and food.
John L was always extremely popular even after he lost the heavy weight title which he held for 10 years. He was more popular than almost any other celebrity during his lifetime. A common saying was I "Shook the hand that shook the hand of the great John L" .
February 26, 2023
Well bake my biscuits, I had no idea that boxing was illegal in America until the 1890's!!! This is a great read that doesn't suffer like most biographies that take chapters and chapters about family history and early childhood because I, like the rest of humanity, don't give a hoot about all of that. It's like the opening credits of a film, I careth not.
Strong Boy......Five Stars!
Strong Boy......Five Stars!
March 15, 2016
A biography that has some punch to it. Entertaining, no holds-barred account of Sullivan, considered to be the first legitimate heavyweight champion. As one of the major post-Civil War celebrities, Sullivan lived a life of excess in the ring, with women, and with the bottle. It would be the latter which would prove to be his undoing as his alcohol addiction led to abusive conduct in his domestic and public relationships, frequent run-ins with the law, and contributed to inflating his stomach and eroding his legendary pugilistic skills. Although he would eventually quit drinking and achieve some measure of tranquility in his waning years, he left a trail of destruction and debt in his wake. To maintain his lifestyle (he squandered over a million dollars in the currency of the era), he took to barnstorming tours, fighting expeditions, and was even featured in a number of plays. His celebrity status masked any of his deficiencies in thespian roles. In many ways, he was a forerunner to many sports superstars who feel they can act with impunity and become social liabilities. It is a tale well told, instructive and intriguing.
February 18, 2021
A good biography. I'm not a boxing person and appreciated how the lens is pulled back enough to learn a lot about boxing in the 19th century but also life and celebrity during this era. Sullivan has a really unique story and these perspectives were really insightful.
September 25, 2020
Excellent story about America's first sports superstar, well worth the time for the fan of boxing, and an excellent book on boxing as well.
April 1, 2021
There are few people throughout history about whom one would boast of the meeting, as if shaking a hand itself were a great accomplishment. King among such personages in the late 19th century and early 20th century was John L. Sullivan, the first heavyweight champion of the gloved era and probably America's first bona fide sports star.
John L. Sullivan was born in Roxbury, Mass. and after a hardscrabble but not entirely charmless childhood, he made a name for himself as a somewhat crude and unscientific boxer with an iron will and a poleaxing array of power shots (jabs, feints, and footwork apparently were not his forte). At some point during his campaigning from coast to coast he made that great leap from celebrity to legend, his light burning so bright that it has continued to act as an eye-catching cynosure for everyone from boxing fans to historians for more than a century.
Christopher Klein's "Strong Boy" captures the man, his time, the myth, and the reality, all in strong, colorful prose that makes learning about the idol of Fistiana a breezy joy. Blow-by-blow accounts of fights are well-described, both those contested bareknuckle under the London Prize Ring rules and bouts held under the nascent auspices of Queensbury. We read of Sullivan's battles outside the ring, with the bottle, with his own hubris and prodigious appetites, his charm and his arrogance. What ultimately emerges is a picture of a man who, like all outsized personalities, perfectly captures the spirit of his age. The saga of John L. symbolizes the moment where the Irish underclass (shanty Irish) thumbed their noses at their social betters (the lace Irish) in their own community, and carved out a place for themselves as actors rather than subject of the American drama.
The old saying went, "Shake the hand that shook the hand of John L.," a prideful boast made by those who had met the man. Until someone invents a time machine, this fine book is as close as you're going to get to pressing that mighty palm. Highest recommendation. With photos and illustrations.
John L. Sullivan was born in Roxbury, Mass. and after a hardscrabble but not entirely charmless childhood, he made a name for himself as a somewhat crude and unscientific boxer with an iron will and a poleaxing array of power shots (jabs, feints, and footwork apparently were not his forte). At some point during his campaigning from coast to coast he made that great leap from celebrity to legend, his light burning so bright that it has continued to act as an eye-catching cynosure for everyone from boxing fans to historians for more than a century.
Christopher Klein's "Strong Boy" captures the man, his time, the myth, and the reality, all in strong, colorful prose that makes learning about the idol of Fistiana a breezy joy. Blow-by-blow accounts of fights are well-described, both those contested bareknuckle under the London Prize Ring rules and bouts held under the nascent auspices of Queensbury. We read of Sullivan's battles outside the ring, with the bottle, with his own hubris and prodigious appetites, his charm and his arrogance. What ultimately emerges is a picture of a man who, like all outsized personalities, perfectly captures the spirit of his age. The saga of John L. symbolizes the moment where the Irish underclass (shanty Irish) thumbed their noses at their social betters (the lace Irish) in their own community, and carved out a place for themselves as actors rather than subject of the American drama.
The old saying went, "Shake the hand that shook the hand of John L.," a prideful boast made by those who had met the man. Until someone invents a time machine, this fine book is as close as you're going to get to pressing that mighty palm. Highest recommendation. With photos and illustrations.
August 8, 2021
I like to quantify that five stars are reserved for my absolute favorite books, so a solid four stars from me is still an excellent read.
I read this after listening to an Art of Manliness podcast with Christopher Klein, the author. I've started to get more into biographies in recent years. John L. Sullivan is certainly one for the ages. He was born and lived in a rapidly changing time in America and the world. What I liked about this book is that while the author celebrated all of Sullivan's victories, he didn't shy away from Sullivan's flaws. I am not a fan of boxing, but the history of the sport and the athleticism Sullivan demonstrated are fascinating.
Klein wrote in such a way as to put the reader directly in the middle of the action. I felt like I was cheering alongside the boxing ring with Sullivan's thousands of fans and celebrating with him at the bars and enjoying tender moments with him on his farm.
I recommend this book even for non sports fans.
I read this after listening to an Art of Manliness podcast with Christopher Klein, the author. I've started to get more into biographies in recent years. John L. Sullivan is certainly one for the ages. He was born and lived in a rapidly changing time in America and the world. What I liked about this book is that while the author celebrated all of Sullivan's victories, he didn't shy away from Sullivan's flaws. I am not a fan of boxing, but the history of the sport and the athleticism Sullivan demonstrated are fascinating.
Klein wrote in such a way as to put the reader directly in the middle of the action. I felt like I was cheering alongside the boxing ring with Sullivan's thousands of fans and celebrating with him at the bars and enjoying tender moments with him on his farm.
I recommend this book even for non sports fans.
May 18, 2017
Wow, what a fascinating book! If you are interested in the life of Teddy Roosevelt you'll love this as well. These guys were from the same era and cut from some of the same cloth.
John L. Sullivan was one of America's first sports heroes. He rose to boxing greatness around the time that transcontinental railroads were finished and photography became mainstream. This made him incredibly recognizable.
I love the descriptions of his exploits in the ring and outside of it. A super gripping book that had me on the edge of my seat wanting to read more. For fans of history, biographies, sports and stories of redemption, this one is for you.
John L. Sullivan was one of America's first sports heroes. He rose to boxing greatness around the time that transcontinental railroads were finished and photography became mainstream. This made him incredibly recognizable.
I love the descriptions of his exploits in the ring and outside of it. A super gripping book that had me on the edge of my seat wanting to read more. For fans of history, biographies, sports and stories of redemption, this one is for you.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 25, 2021
Worth the read for the insight into late 18th century Boston/NYC and early boxing in general. He was pretty terrible and so instantly spoiled it was fun to start hating the guy, realizing he would never have to deal with any consequences. He was one of the first superstars and it was amazing how he couldn't lose his popularity despite how shitty he was to seemingly everyone, except when he wasn't buying people shots. Biographies generally bore me once the person has reached their peak and this one is pretty much the same, it was about a third of the book left after his career with a couple of interesting developments.
April 2, 2021
This is a hard book to rate. I absolutely love books covering gilded age history, especially covering celebrity and sports. This book delivered in that regards. The topic was well researched and the author was able to deliver the biography in a non-biased fashioned. However, John L. Sullivan was AT BEST a self-aggrandizing blow hard. In reality, he probably was far worse than that and embodies a lot of attributes that weren’t admirable 140 years ago, let alone today. It was a lot to get through and I was weary from trying to separate truth from hyperbole.
March 19, 2022
The crazy and often unbelievable story of John L. Sullivan, a fighter who took the world by storm. Back in the days when boxing matches would last for hours, Sullivan became the first gloved world champion. His story is one of triumph and tragedy as it often is with famous sport icons. Overall, it is a great look into history and the cautionary tale of fame and substance abuse that modern athletes still face today.
September 30, 2022
Klein does a wonderful job describing the colorful life of John L. Sullivan, pugilist and sports icon who was born in1858 as he follows the ups and downs of his life and career till his death in 1918. Despite the lack of TV and radio, Sullivan’s popularity was one of the highest in the US and he was considered the US’s first sports hero. Highly recommended!
November 19, 2020
One of the better boxing bios I've read...
October 9, 2021
Really interesting book about one of the first sports celebrities. Learned quite a bit about him. Would have liked to read some insight about his alcohol rages and views on race.
August 8, 2022
A solid biography. A highly flawed man, who by the end of his life achieved a level of peace, sobriety, and happiness.
January 2, 2024
This was a great biography of an interesting man. He was an elite athlete who disliked training. Eventually time and habits laid him low.
March 17, 2025
A lovely book on an intriguing man.
Aside from the personal connection to the story, I would’ve loved sit and have a chat with old John L
Aside from the personal connection to the story, I would’ve loved sit and have a chat with old John L
April 17, 2014
A must read for anyone who's interested in boxing, American culture in the late 18th and early 19th century, and The Great Outdoor Fight. The book is full of characters that are seemingly made up, people like Wild Bill, Theodore Roosevelt, Jack Johnson, among many others. Of course let's not forgot John L Sullivan. I'm sure you'd recognize The picture of him, hair slicked with pomade, thick mustache curled up, fist casually raised up for fisticuffs. Sure he was kind of a jerk, a racist, and a drunk, but the man lived, grabbing life by it's throat and punching it square in the face. Christopher Klein has put together book that captures not only the life of Sullivan but America in a grand rollicking manner, it's almost overwhelming at times. Fresh and sharp overall. Read it while drinking a good bourbon. Neat.
July 24, 2015
I received this book for free via Goodreads First Reads.
Fantastic book. A definite must-read for boxing fans, sports fans, Irish Americans, and generally fans of biographies and interesting people. Christopher Klein has a clean good prose that makes it easily accessible to both sporting/boxing fans and non-fans alike. He holds nothing back and besides the segments near the end about John L. and the color line, Klein is very unbiased in his portrayal of John L. He totals and depicts both the good and the bad of John L. Sullivan's life without commentary or criticism (again - until the end about John L.'s racism). A fantastic read and an extraordinary book that definitely belongs on any boxing fan's bookshelf.
Fantastic book. A definite must-read for boxing fans, sports fans, Irish Americans, and generally fans of biographies and interesting people. Christopher Klein has a clean good prose that makes it easily accessible to both sporting/boxing fans and non-fans alike. He holds nothing back and besides the segments near the end about John L. and the color line, Klein is very unbiased in his portrayal of John L. He totals and depicts both the good and the bad of John L. Sullivan's life without commentary or criticism (again - until the end about John L.'s racism). A fantastic read and an extraordinary book that definitely belongs on any boxing fan's bookshelf.
July 26, 2015
"Strong Boy" is a fascinating and well-researched look at the life of John L. Sullivan. Having only knowing of Sullivan as a boxer, I was surprised to learn about the variety of endeavours that John L took part in during his life. Klein does an excellent job of providing context as the reader is informed and reminded about people and society in Boston and the United States during John L’s time, over a hundred years ago. Highly recommended for fans of boxing, biographies, or Boston!
Please note that I received a copy of the book from the author in exchange for my honest review.
Please note that I received a copy of the book from the author in exchange for my honest review.
December 28, 2023
An intriguing story of a deeply flawed man. Dragged in places but did a great job of telling a story while sticking to the real story
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews