The Boxing Kings
When American Heavyweights Ruled the Ring

An incredible overview of the history of heavyweight boxing in it’s greatest and most mythic era. Reading the stories of the first generations of boxers is like flipping to the beginnings of Greek myth and reading about the Titians. Beston’s history present the appeals which brought boxing to promine......more

I really liked this book. I’d give it 4.5 stars had that been an option. An engaging & extremely readable, but brief, history of boxing’s once great heavyweight division, from its simpler origins to the more complex modern day era. Beston not only does a good job introducing the key figures in the h......more

Picked this up for some fun light reading. I had no idea how much history I would learn, the involvment of the mob, the racial tension, the nation of Islam. The heavy weight history is an American one. Joe Louis was the MAN.......more

Have you ever read a book that you wish didn't end? Well, for me it was this one. Being a boxing nerd and historian, I am always looking for new things to learn about and research. This book has given me some ideas for future projects. Anyone can pick this book up and walk away with an understanding......more

I thought the book would have a different theme than it did. It had several themes. I learned a lot about names I knew but not entirely. The author gives a little bio of each big name, one big win and one sad loss. Each big name is a representative of their times. A lot of early bios had a lot of ra......more