Overview
Black and White: The Birth of Modern Boxing is the definitive history of the early years of transatlantic pugilism. It reveals the poisonous racism disfiguring the sport and the black boxers fighting an uphill struggle for equality. It lays bare ugly attempts by authorities to stifle or ban a sport that millions flocked to see, and exposes the unethical actions of distinguished figures such as Lord Lonsdale and Sir Winston Churchill. Black and White brings to life some of the greatest fights in history as the narrative charts boxing's growth from underground sleaze to fashionable spectacle. Along the way we hear the stories of the great champions of the era including Jack Dempsey, Jack Johnson, Jimmy Wilde and Ted 'Kid' Lewis. The book culminates in the 'Fight of the Century', where a gallant European and an unpopular American battled for supremacy as the world looked on with trepidation.
Full Product Details
Author: Brian Dobbs
Publisher: Pitch Publishing Ltd
Imprint: Pitch Publishing Ltd
Weight: 2.218kg
ISBN: 9781785318900
ISBN 10: 178531890
Pages: 480
Publication Date: 30 August 2021
Audience:
General/trade
,
General
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: In Print
This item will be ordered in for you from one of our suppliers. Upon receipt, we will promptly dispatch it out to you. For in store availability, please contact us.
Reviews
"""Through its richly illustrated 900 pages, Dobbs recreates the extraordinary years of the early twentieth century when boxing moved from obscurity to the world's most popular sport. Meticulous research into long forgotten files, records and newspapers reveals a sport racked with controversies and disfigured by racial prejudice. . . . He does not duck important questions: Is boxing really legal? How is it that black boxers were officially banned from British title fights? What made major US cities erupt into riots? What did boxing mean to ethnic minorities and immigrant communities? . . . Boxing has always attracted some of the best writing in sports, and Black and White is a worthy addition."" --World Boxing News ""If you are a boxing fan or a student of sport, this book is for you. Brian Dobbs poured a lifetime of research into his splendid new study."" --Elliott J Gorn, author, The Manly Art"
Through its richly illustrated 900 pages, Dobbs recreates the extraordinary years of the early twentieth century when boxing moved from obscurity to the world's most popular sport. Meticulous research into long forgotten files, records and newspapers reveals a sport racked with controversies and disfigured by racial prejudice. . . . He does not duck important questions: Is boxing really legal? How is it that black boxers were officially banned from British title fights? What made major US cities erupt into riots? What did boxing mean to ethnic minorities and immigrant communities? . . . Boxing has always attracted some of the best writing in sports, and Black and White is a worthy addition. --World Boxing News If you are a boxing fan or a student of sport, this book is for you. Brian Dobbs poured a lifetime of research into his splendid new study. --Elliott J Gorn, author, The Manly Art
Author Information
Brian Dobbs is the author of numerous sporting books and a contributor to sporting anthologies. He has written articles and reports for various sports magazines and was art editor and books columnist for the greatly missed World Sports magazine. He has a particular passion for sports history. His acquaintance with boxing began when staying up with his father to hear radio commentaries on the fights of Joe Louis, Freddie Mills and Bruce Woodcock.
