PacMan: Behind the Scenes with Manny Pacquiao--the Greatest Pound-for-Pound Fighter in the World

by Gary Andrew Poole

PacMan is "a one-of-a-kind ride into the one-of-a-kind life of Manny Pacquiao."--Robert Cassidy, Newsday

With his shellacking of Antonio Margarito in November 2010, Manny "PacMan" Pacquiao became the only boxer ever to win eight world championships in eight different weight classes. Proclaimed the "fighter of the decade" by ESPN and elected Congressman in the Philippines, he is an inspiration to his countrymen. But to many, he remains an enigma.

In PacMan--named one of the best sports books of 2010 by the Guardian--Gary Andrew Poole pulls back the curtain in an "amazing tale of how a reed-thin Filipino, who left his home in the poorest pocket of the Philippines ("The City of Dust") at the age of 15 . . . became one of the most recognizable names and faces in the world" (Dallas Morning News).

"Excellent."--Sports Illustrated

Genres: Sports, Nonfiction, Biography

240 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 2, 2010

About the author

Gary Andrew Poole is the author of The Galloping Ghost: Red Grange, an American Football Legend (Houghton Mifflin).

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This past January, ESPN named Harold Red Grange the greatest college football player ever. Yet for all his achievements, Grange has been a largely overlooked and unexplored icon, until now. In The Galloping Ghost, Gary Andrew Poole gives us the first major biography of Grange, one of the most significant athletes in American sports and the founding father of our football culture. A tremendous college player who decided to go against convention and turn pro in the 1920sa time when football was seen as a purely amateur sportRed Grange is known as the man responsible for popularizing the NFL, altering the American sports landscape forever.

Red Grange was the most important figure in the history of American football, both college and pro, and Gary Andrew Pooles extremely well-researched biography of the man sheds new light on Granges career . . . A fascinating read. William Nack, author of Secretariat and Ruffian

A provocative, atmospheric sports history that provides a new understanding of a seminal sports figure, from raw and innocent athletic talent to mortal American icon, The Galloping Ghost brings the legend of Red Grange to a new generation and underscores his enormous impact on American sports.

With superb reporting and deft writing, Gary Andrew Poole pulls off his version of a spectacular Grange touchdown run, invigorating a legendary sports story with energy and new detail. Granges inner life is explored as broken-field runs come alive and a controversial saga plays out. John Eisenberg, author of The Great Match Race

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Poole has written for the New York Times, TIME, GQ, Wired, and other publications.

His Website: www.garyandrewpoole.com"

Reviews

[Ruel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I probably overrated this by a half star or more since I'm a diehard Pacquiao fan. Poole is a good writer, but trying to tell the story of an athlete who is still actively competing is a losing proposition. PacMan was written a few years ago, before Manny was robbed in the first Bradley fight, knocked out cold by Marquez, and avenged the Bradley loss, so this book is far from complete.

Still, Poole does a fine job of relating the well-known story of Pacquiao's rise from abject poverty to one of the all-time greats in the sweet science. He examines the success of a diminutive pugilist who was recognized as fighter of the decade and blossomed into an international brand. There are also references to Manny's legendary gambling, womanizing, and lavish spending. Any Pac Man fan will be familiar with these tales of their hero, but to the casual sports fan this could be an entertaining weekend read. Poole paints a sympathetic portrait of an extraordinary man-child athlete who remains loyal to his childhood friends and believes he can inspire and help the poor in his native country.

[Jack Cuyler · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a biography fan and a boxing fan this book was very much enjoyed. I started watching boxing too late to see Manny’s prime (although I guess he’s back) so this was a really cool opportunity to not just hear about his fights but also his story and his life. The dude is so much more than a fighter and is the perfect example of why fighters interest me so much. I can’t wait to deep dive on his documentaries and fights to learn more about him. The pacing of the book too was great, didn’t ever get bored and always wanted to read more. Shoutout Mom and Dad for the gift!

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

I grabbed this one at the Hong Kong airport, and had gone through 56 pages before arriving in Northern Samar -- down in the Philippines where it all originated.

It made a difference. Reading about Manny Pacquiao in his home country. Words come to life, making Poole's smooth copy flow like a rapid river, rushing down a mountain.

I finished the 320 plus pages in just a few days.

A young boy helped illustrate where the PacMan comes from with his constant donations to the poor. The boy, about 8, kept talking to his grandmother in the van from near the airport in Western Samar as we headed north. My wife noticed something, but I didn't see it until the boy stepped out to let another passenger exit.

He smiled at me when he got back in -- complete with teeth showing through an untreated harelip. Something you are not likely to see in the U.S. or more developed countries.

Pacquiao might have handed over the operation money right away. You can do things like that when you win big fights, and make money from endorsements.

[Peter Thor · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book gives us a look about the life of pro boxer Manny Pacquiao and his road to success. It goes back to the day where he was a child selling stuff on the street in order to survive and how he had to fight to eat as a child. Manny lived a hard life in a third world country where he stated that he didn't even own a pair of shoes until the age of 15. When he finally gotten into boxing he trained hard and when he came to America to look for a trainer and agent no one took him seriously. He said no one wanted to sign him or help him because they didn't believe he would sell or succeed. Even after his first fight no one wanted to take a chance at promoting him until he kept fighting. After years of fighting he won 8 world title and made a name for himself and with most of the money that he made he gave back to his country to rebuild the cities in which he once lived in. This book is great to teach kids because it showed that even though he was from a third world country he found a way to survive and he made it out. This is great to teach kids because it gives them hope and confident in themselves that they too can be like him.

[Willie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've searched far and wide to find any book about Pacquiao. When finally I had the chance and found this book, I was so thrilled to have had it. The opportunity to read it has given me palpitations (lol) and decided right there and then that it's going to be '5 stars' though I had no inkling of its contents nor read a single sentence.

But when I started reading the early parts of the book, I was a bit disappointed. There are so many rudimentary facts about the Philippines the author did not get right. Like Mandaluyong being a barangay or village of Manila. Mandaluyong is a city and not a village of Manila. Another is Laguna which the author described as an exclusive neighborhood of Manila. Laguna is a province in the Philippines about 16 miles south of Manila, for crying out loud! But the most unforgivable mistake the author made was about the People's Power movement. This is so near and dear to the hearts of Filipinos and to screw this up is tantamount to a slap on their faces! Here's what the author wrote in Chapter 2 and I quote, unquote "From his cell, Aquino (Ninoy) led the People’s Power movement and ran for president despite being incarcerated." When I read that I was stunned! Ninoy did not lead People's Power movement! It came about after he was martyred. It started to get organized because people had enough of the Marcos regime! And it is his wife, Cory, not him who ran for president and subsequently assumed that office after Marcos had fled the country! For these glaring mistakes, I'm deducting one star. So it's now '4 stars.'

If this author couldn't get his facts right, how credible is the rest of the book? I'm beginning to wonder whether I'm reading fiction or not and for that I'm deducting another star. So, it's down to '3 stars.'

But then again, as I have said in the beginning, I have been looking far and wide for any book about Pacquiao and it took me quite a while before this book filled the void. So, I have to admit I've got to give him back 1 star. As I progressed until I've reached the last page, my doubts were erased whether to trust this guy. He's a good and convincing writer. The proof of that is, I would have abandoned the book unfinished if I thought the author was full of baloney. Besides, he had the cojones to travel the remote areas of the muslim rebel infested Southern Philippines. I've been there in the Philippine South but not the dangerous areas he visited. He doubled the risk by being an American which the Abu Sayyaf rebel group highly prized. For that I'm giving him a salute. Final tally is '4 stars.'

[Alan Cruz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is amazing because it inspired me to never give up. In the book it talks about how Manny overcame obstacles such as, leaving his family for almost 4 years to pursue his dream of becoming a professional boxer. This book might inspire you I hope it does, for it inspired me.

[J · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was okay.

Manny has a great story, but felt the writing could have been more inspirational. could have had more pictures. Could have had better pictures. Felt it could have been better.

[Johnathan Millan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book about boxing and Manny Paquiao. Must read even if you do not like Boxing. Manny fights more than to box. He fights against poverty!

[Antonio Martin]

Excellent book takes you not only into Manny's life but also into Pinoy daily lives.