What will the European retail banking landscape look like in 2010? The book describes the current picture, trends and drivers, analyses the industry along its value chain and searches for key success factors in each step. Additionally, the authors search for new paradigms by looking at benchmarks both within and outside the banking industry.

"Other stories are more dramatic and somber, including "Iron Men," which Howard called "the best fight story I ever wrote - in many ways the best story of any kind I ever wrote." Severely edited and truncated for its original publication in 1930 in Fight Stories magazine, the tale has never been published in its original form - until now. It appears here, completely restored from Howard's original typescript, in an authoritative version that Howard fans everywhere will appreciate."--BOOK JACKET.

Twenty-two boxing stories written over the century. They include two on men who box to finance their education. In The Croxley Master, written in 1900 by A. Conan Doyle, he is a medical student, while in Mel Matison's 1943 Rose into Cauliflower he is a ballet dancer.

"Every once in a while, a book publisher comes up with a great concept for a series of books that deserve more than superficial recognition. Such a series is The Greatest (fill in the blank) Stories Ever Told, anthologies that should win places on many bedside tables. On the long winter nights that lie ahead, such stories make great reading." -The Lexington County Chronicle "THE GREATEST BOXING STORIES EVER TOLD assembles some of the best writing available on the sweet science and illuminates boxing in all its literal and symbolic glory. Each piece in this varied collection connects with the sort of powerful punch one can only expect from the world's greatest writers." -Boxing Digest In THE GREATEST BOXING STORIES EVER TOLD, editor Jeff Silverman delivers a knockout collection of not only the best writing ever penned on the subject of "the sweet science," but also stories that relate to the larger human issues the brutal sport has come to embody. Whether the story be about the triumph of a heroic champion, a tragic death in the ring, the shady tactics of fight promoters, or victories against seemingly impossible odds, each story in this varied collection connects powerfully with the reader. THE GREATEST BOXING STORIES EVER TOLD is the perfect gift for fight fans and non-fight fans alike, and with its allstar lineup of "contenders" throwing "haymakers" and "uppercuts" in every round, it stands as the definitive volume of short stories on this enduring pugilistic pastime.

Of all sports, boxing has been the writers' favorite. Maybe it's because of his need for persistence and resilience, perhaps for the narratives of victory and defeat, perhaps even for the relatable solitude of the boxer who faces his challenge in the ring; boxing has inspired large pieces of fiction that enchanted generations. Through the eyes of consecrated authors you will meet the passionate world of boxing, in this seven short stories selected by Augst Nemo: A Piece of Steak by Jack London The Mexican by Jack London The Croxley Master by Arthur Conan Doyle Champion by Ring Lardner Alleys of Peril by Robert E. Howard Blow the Chinks Down! by Robert E. Howard Breed of Battle by Robert E. Howard For more books with interesting themes, be sure to check the other books in this collection!

Boxing has been a part of our history going back centuries. Whether it’s bare knuckle or the pay-per-view fights we see today, it has been a staple in our lives. In Classic Boxing Stories, Paul D. Staudohar has collected work from dozens of writers, telling stories about the sport that has been so important to them. With tales going back 100 years, you will be enthralled in the storytelling and moved by the characters who never quit. Included in this collection are stories from such famous writers as: O. Henry H. C. Winter Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Ring Lardner Jack London P. G. Wodehouse Octavus Roy Cohen And many more! Classic Boxing Stories shows the true grit of this tough and brutal sport. From knockouts to comebacks, these stories will show you why you fell in love with boxing and how this sport has lasted for so long. So tighten your gloves, put in your mouthpiece, and get ready to take on this # 1 contender!

Thom Jones made his literary debut in The New Yorker in 1991. Within six months his stories appeared in Harper's, Esquire, Mirabella, Story, Buzz, and in The New Yorker twice more. "The Pugilist at Rest" - the title story from this stunning collection - took first place in Prize Stories 1993: The O. Henry Awards and was selected for inclusion in Best American Short Stories 1992. He is a writer of astonishing talent. Jones's stories - whether set in the combat zones of Vietnam or the brittle social and intellectual milieu of an elite New England college, whether recounting the poignant last battles of an alcoholic ex-fighter or the hallucinatory visions of an American wandering lost in Bombay in the aftermath of an epileptic fugue - are fueled by an almost brutal vision of the human condition, in a world without mercy or redemption. Physically battered, soul-sick, and morally exhausted, Jones's characters are yet unable to concede defeat: his stories are infused with the improbable grace of the spirit that ought to collapse, but cannot. For in these extraordinary pieces of fiction, it is not goodness that finally redeems us, but the heart's illogical resilience, and the ennobling tenacity with which we cling to each other and to our lives. The publication of The Pugilist at Rest is a major literary event, heralding the arrival of an electrifying new voice in American fiction, and a writer of magnificent depth and range. With these eleven stories, Thom Jones takes his place among the ranks of this country's most important authors.