Spring Break
An insider's look at boxing today
Timothy Baghurst
Issue date: 11/28/07 Section: Life & Style
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"The Greatest Sport of All: An Inside Look at Another Year in Boxing" by Thomas Hauser (University of Arkansas Press, $19.95).
Well-established and well-respected writer of books about boxing, Thomas Hauser compiled some of his best work from 2006 into this educational and informative read. "The Greatest Sport of All" features a variety of topics that the boxing fan, or even those with limited knowledge of boxing, will find interesting.
The book begins by providing analysis of some of the featured fights of the year including Lennox Lewis, Bernard Taylor, Oscar De La Hoya and Little Rock's own Jermain Taylor. Included are an analysis of each fight and explanations of what the results mean for each respective fighter.
If that was the totality of the book, readers might be looking for some change from the asking price. However, the rest of the book is perhaps the most interesting, as Hauser provides insight into a variety of boxing topics not associated with one individual.
The exception to this is Don King. Hauser includes a vast array of quotes from King, which make the book worth the cover price. In addition to comments from King, Hauser quotes other well-known individuals.
Different topics covered in his book include an inside look into the role of the boxing inspector, promoter and those working behind the scenes to create a fight, in addition to more controversial topics, such as the role of pay-per-view and piracy through the Internet.
Hauser is clearly a capable writer with a thoughtful pen who understands the views of the average fan. The text is very easy to read and the topics are varied and entertaining. One topic that was sadly lacking from the book was the author's thoughts on boxing in comparison to the dramatic rise of mixed martial arts. Perhaps that is a topic for a future book.
Well-established and well-respected writer of books about boxing, Thomas Hauser compiled some of his best work from 2006 into this educational and informative read. "The Greatest Sport of All" features a variety of topics that the boxing fan, or even those with limited knowledge of boxing, will find interesting.
The book begins by providing analysis of some of the featured fights of the year including Lennox Lewis, Bernard Taylor, Oscar De La Hoya and Little Rock's own Jermain Taylor. Included are an analysis of each fight and explanations of what the results mean for each respective fighter.
If that was the totality of the book, readers might be looking for some change from the asking price. However, the rest of the book is perhaps the most interesting, as Hauser provides insight into a variety of boxing topics not associated with one individual.
The exception to this is Don King. Hauser includes a vast array of quotes from King, which make the book worth the cover price. In addition to comments from King, Hauser quotes other well-known individuals.
Different topics covered in his book include an inside look into the role of the boxing inspector, promoter and those working behind the scenes to create a fight, in addition to more controversial topics, such as the role of pay-per-view and piracy through the Internet.
Hauser is clearly a capable writer with a thoughtful pen who understands the views of the average fan. The text is very easy to read and the topics are varied and entertaining. One topic that was sadly lacking from the book was the author's thoughts on boxing in comparison to the dramatic rise of mixed martial arts. Perhaps that is a topic for a future book.
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