Any Recomendations

[Ian Lord]

Hi guys. I'm really big on the bareknuckle/early prizefighting era at the minute. I've just started a uni in this era using TB2.5, which I'll be sharing with you once I've built it up a bit. I'm currently reading Bare Fists by Bob Mee and I'm hooked. I was just wondering if there are any other books covering this era that are good.
Thanks in advance.

[bigMatt]

A few years ago I read the Alan Loyd book called "The Greatest Prizefight" a story about Tom Sayers and John C. Heenan and the first world championship. I liked that one quite a bit as I recall.

ChrisConn sent me the book Black Genesis last fall and I'm embarrassed to say that I haven't finished it yet, but it is about the early bareknuckled fighters of color. Now that I mentioned that, I need to get back to it. It was a good read as well.

[Ian Lord]

Thanks Matt. They sound like good books. I'll check them out.

[beekman]

If you liked Mee's book you should check out Elliot Gorn's The Manly Art -- it is terrific. Also take a look at John L. Sullivan & His America by Michael Isenberg.
beekman

[Ian Lord]

Originally Posted by beekman

If you liked Mee's book you should check out Elliot Gorn's The Manly Art -- it is terrific. Also take a look at John L. Sullivan & His America by Michael Isenberg.
beekman

Cheers Beekman. Another couple to add to my list.

[bigMatt]

Originally Posted by beekman

Also take a look at John L. Sullivan & His America by Michael Isenberg.
beekman

Oh yeah, I forgot about this one. Very thorough, scholarly, yet I remember it being a real page-turner.

[Tosti]

Currently reading this.

Amazon.co.uk: John L. Sullivan: The Career of the First Gloved Heavyweight Champion: Adam J. Pollack: Books

Good background for rating/universe stuff.

Got these in reserve by the same author.

Amazon.co.uk: In the Ring With Bob Fitzsimmons: Adam J. Pollack: Books

In the Ring With James J. Corbett von Adam J. Pollack (Buch) in Sports & Adventure

[Tosti]

Amazon.com: Boxiana; or, Sketches of Ancient and Modern Pugilism, from the Days of the Renowned Broughton and Slack, to the Championship of Cribb: Volume 1: Pierce Egan: Books

There's also this one if you want to go further back.

The original's quite often come up on ebay, but cost a fair bit more.

[Ian Lord]

Thanks Tosti. They all sound interesting and I'm going to check them out. I'd heard of Boxiana before, but it gets mentioned a hell of a lot in Bare Fists and I'll definately check it out. Thanks again.

[bear]

Tony Gee also has a book on the Prize Ring entitled Up To Scratch. It focuses specifically on fighting in the area of Barnet and is a fine ppiece of scholarship. I'm currently keeping this and Bob Mee's great book close at hand. The books comlement each other well. I'm also working on a Prize Ring Uni with The Bear Garden.

A fellow named Scott Noble reprinted the first three volumes of Boxiana before dying of cancer a few years ago. One of his relatives Cliff Noble is still maintining a website for Nicoll Island Books and may have copies left for sale.

Try looking at
Boxiana Home Page

Boxiana and Pugilistica are among the classic sources for information on this era.

The 1842 edition of Fistiana can also be found online vis Google Books

Fistiana: Or, The Oracle of the Ring ... - Google Book Search

Bear

[bear]

Years ago I posted some information in the forums that had appeared in Hartley's reprint of the book on Jack Scroggins. It was a table of merit that ranked some of the pubilists. Here is the link

http://www.ootpdevelopments.com/boar...-fighters.html

[bear]

Gerald Early's The Culture of Brusing: Essays on Prizefighting, Literature and Modern American Culture may prove useful.

Bear

[Ian Lord]

Bear, many thanks.
I'm particularly interested in the Boxiana and Pugilistica publications. They are mentioned a hell of a lot in Bare Fists. In fact, I'm not far past nthe chapter on Pierce Egan, who seemed to be a bit of a Bert Sugar of his era.

[bear]

I was saddened by the death of Scott Noble. I had some email contact with him before his death. He was committed to reprinting the complete Boxiana, but unfortunately died before he could complete the project. It would be nice if his family would complete it in his memory, but, alas I don't think that's in the cards.

Don Cogswell, whose articles used to appear on the Trunzo's pre-OOTP Title Bout wrote an obit for Scott. He had a lot more contact with Scott than I had. Whenever we see one another the first question we ask each other is whether or not we've heard anything new about Boxiana Vol. IV.

Only the first volume of Pugilistic is available via Google Books search in full text. Volumes II and III are not yet available. I was offered a shot at buying the rare, single volume, first edition of Pugilistica but turned it down. It's on sale for a mere pittance, $1,500. I'm lucky enough to already own the three volume set and look at it as a research source rather than a collectable. All of my prize ring resources are ready-to-hand in two stacks next to my PC desk at home.

Bear

[bear]

Originally Posted by Ian Lord

Bear, many thanks.
I'm particularly interested in the Boxiana and Pugilistica publications. They are mentioned a hell of a lot in Bare Fists. In fact, I'm not far past nthe chapter on Pierce Egan, who seemed to be a bit of a Bert Sugar of his era.

Eagan was famed for his bombastic prose which influenced Charles Dickens, among others. Also found amid Eagan's published work was a dictionary of cant, entitled the Vulgar Tongue. Eagan was an Irishman and the staunchly English Mills, in Pugilistica, often rails against Eagan's praise of Irish fighters, such as Corcoran, whom Mills dismisses as third rate. In fact he often rails about Eagan pretty much in general. This makes it very amusing to the read coverage of individual fighters presented by each of these two, side by side.