This book tells the story of the extraordinary life of a man from North London, from 1960 to 2020. He battles his way through life, mostly in a catastrophic manner. To the reader he openly admits his faults and mistakes, from violence, cocaine, sexual differences, prison, and to Northern Ireland and back to London. Whilst reading this book you will feel joy, sorrow, then more joy. You will want to love him, hit him, then love him some more. It’s an enjoyable read for everyone to learn from his mistakes and understand how he turned his life around to success.

Jack Dempsey was perfectly suited to the time in which he fought, the time when the United States first felt the throb of its own overwhelming power. For eight years and two months after World War I, Dempsey, with his fierce good looks and matchless dedication to the kill, was heavyweight champion of the world. A Flame of Pure Fire is the extraordinary story of a man and a country growing to maturity in a blaze of strength and exuberance that nearly burned them to ash. Hobo, roughneck, fighter, lover, millionaire, movie star, and, finally, a gentleman of rare generosity and sincerity, Dempsey embodied an America grappling with the confusing demands of preeminence. Dempsey lived a life that touched every part of the American experience in the first half of the twentieth century. Roger Kahn, one of our preeminent writers about the human side of sport, has found in Dempsey a subject that matches his own manifold talents. A friend of Dempsey's and an insightful observer of the ways in which sport can measure a society's evolution, Kahn reaches a new and exciting stage in his acclaimed career with this book. In the story of a man John Lardner called "a flame of pure fire, at last a hero," Roger Kahn finds the heart of America.

The English-language debut of a major Latin American writer.

Boxing might not have survived the 1930s if not for Max Baer. A contender for every heavyweight championship 1932-1941, California's "Glamour Boy" brought back the "million-dollar gate" not seen since the 1920s. His radio voice sold millions of Gillette razor blades; his leading-man appeal made him a heartthrob in The Prizefighter and the Lady (1933). The film was banned in Nazi Germany--Baer had worn a Star of David on his trunks when he TKOed German former champ Max Schmeling. Baer defeated 275-pound Primo Carnera in 1934 for the championship, losing it to Jim Braddock the next year. Contrary to Cinderella Man, (2005), Baer--favored 10 to 1--was not a villain and the fight was more controversial than the film suggested. His battle with Joe Louis three months later drew the highest gate of the decade. This first comprehensive biography covers Baer's complete ring record, his early life, his career on radio, film, stage and television, and his World War II army service.

Seán Mannion was once ranked the #1 US light middleweight boxer and in 1984 he fought Mike McCallum for the world title, only to fall just short of his dreams. Featuring exclusive interviews with Mannion, this book provides an inside perspective on his boxing career, 1980s Boston, and his present search for purpose outside the ring. In 1977, looking to fulfill a dream as a pro boxer, 17-year-old Seán Mannion flew into Boston from Ireland, straight into a world of gun smugglers, drug dealers, and the world’s best boxers. By 1983, Mannion was ranked the number one US light middleweight boxer. In The Man Who Was Never Knocked Down: The Life of Boxer Seán Mannion, Rónán Mac Con Iomaire recounts Mannion’s struggles and triumphs in and out of the ring. Despite dubious management and the attention of the Boston Irish Mafia, Mannion quickly climbed his way up from the lower rungs of one of the most competitive weight divisions in boxing history. This biography is more than a boxing story; it’s a personal story that also intersects with notorious crime figures, world-class fighters, and several pivotal moments in history. Featuring the likes of Micky Ward, Pat Nee, Marty Walsh, and Kevin Cullen, The Man Who Was Never Knocked Down is provides an inside perspective on the boxer, the fighting culture of his era, and on 1980s South Boston.

"Roger wants some peace and quiet so he can read his book, but his neighbor Emily has some hobbies of her own -- very loud ones!"--

to follow