9781861052124:Synopsis coming soon.......

When he died in 1933, James J. "Gentleman Jim" Corbett was honored by two distinguished groups of people: the professional boxing public, who celebrated him as America's greatest boxing champion, and the world of popular theater admirers, who revered him as one of Broadway's top vaudeville headliners. Corbett was uniquely instrumental in making boxing and popular theater both justifiable commercial enterprises, to be enjoyed by all classes of people. He became America's first national sports hero and went on to formulate the theater world's star system. This is the first definitive biography of the man who knocked out heavyweight champion John L. Sullivan, and who also knocked out audiences who flocked to see him in vaudeville and silent pictures. The focus herein is on the real man, the influences on his life, and the social and commercial environment within which he functioned. The author reveals that Corbett was a complex, driven, enigmatic man whose dedicated participation in popular entertainment changed American social values and mores, and at the same time reinvented the notion of a national hero.

This is the most thoroughly researched boxing-detailed biography of James J. Corbett's career ever written. It reveals new dates, bouts, and facts, shedding fresh light on his experience, skills, and ability. It meticulously describes his bouts and provides multiple viewpoints by local next-day newspapers, giving it unparalleled authenticity and accuracy. The exhaustive research provides an encyclopedic wealth of knowledge about Corbett's boxing career. His bouts are placed into social, legal, racial, and historic contexts, including anti-prize-fight laws and the color line. Corbett's complete career record is included, as well as 53 photos, 813 footnotes, a bibliography, and an index. Adam J. Pollack is the author of boxing biographies of John L. Sullivan, James J. Corbett, Bob Fitzsimmons, James J. Jeffries, Marvin Hart, and Tommy Burns. He is a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America, Cyberboxingzone.com, and is an attorney practicing in Iowa City, Iowa. Adam was a guest lecturer on the career of John L. Sullivan for the Whitehall lecture series at the Flagler Museum in Palm Beach, Florida, and also an interviewee in the documentary film on James J. Corbett, The Gentleman Prizefighter.

In 1892, "Gentleman" James J. Corbett defeated John L. Sullivan to become the heavyweight champion of the world, using his "scientific boxing" techniques.Corbett is considered by many to be the "father of modern boxing" for being the first person to apply scientific principles to the art of pugilism. This classic book contains sections on fundamental boxing techniques, proper footwork, fouling techniques, and the various boxing rules of his time.

In the Ring With Jack Dempsey - Part I: The Making of a Champion, by Adam J. Pollack is the most thorough and detailed book ever written about former world heavyweight champion Jack Dempsey. This book (the first of two) chronicles Dempsey's life and career from its start up to his winning the world heavyweight championship, fight by fight, as told by those who saw the contests and reported on them at the time, utilizing multiple local next-day newspaper reports. This includes training, predictions, pre-fight hype, and discussions about the opponents. As with other books in the In the Ring series, this book also discusses the context of the times, the color line and race in boxing and society (offering the perspectives of both white and black-owned newspapers), World War I, Dempsey's personal and managerial choices, and how these topics affected the sport and Dempsey's life and career. Even new facts about the controversial Jim Flynn fight are revealed. Boxing fans will obtain knowledge and insight into Jack Dempsey like never before. 560 pages, with over 550 rare photos, illustrations, cartoons, and fight advertisements. Adam J. Pollack's In the Ring With series on the heavyweight champions of the gloved era also includes books on John L. Sullivan, James J. Corbett, Bob Fitzsimmons, James J. Jeffries, Marvin Hart, Tommy Burns, and Jack Johnson. Adam J. Pollack is a boxing referee, judge, and member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. He also is an attorney practicing law in Iowa City, Iowa.

New York Times Bestseller: This true Depression-era story of a down-and-out fighter’s dramatic comeback is “a delight” (David Halberstam). James J. Braddock was a once promising light heavyweight. But a string of losses in the ring and a broken right hand happened to coincide with the Great Crash of 1929—and Braddock was forced to labor on the docks of Hoboken. Only his manager, Joe Gould, still believed in him. Gould looked out for the burly, quiet Irishman, finding matches for Braddock to help him feed his wife and children. Together, they were about to stage the greatest comeback in fighting history. Within twelve months, Braddock went from being on the relief rolls to facing heavyweight champion Max Baer, renowned for having allegedly killed two men in the ring. A brash Jewish boxer from the West Coast, Baer was heavily favored—but Braddock carried the hopes and dreams of the working class on his shoulders, and when he emerged victorious against all odds, the shock was palpable—and the cheers were deafening. In the wake of his surprise win, Damon Runyon dubbed him “Cinderella Man.” Against the gritty backdrop of the 1930s, Cinderella Man brings this dramatic all-American story to life, telling a classic David and Goliath tale that transcends the sport. “A punchy read with touches of humor.” —The New York Times “A wonderful, thrilling boxing story, and simultaneously a meticulous look at Depression life.” —Jimmy Breslin