Author:Steve Bunce
*FULLY REVISED AND UPDATED TO INCLUDE THE BIGGEST FIGHTS IN THE LAST FEW YEARS*
'Essential reading for anyone with even a fleeting interest in boxing' Boxing Monthly
'Nobody knows British fighters and their stories better than Steve Bunce' Daily Telegraph
Boxing is Steve Bunce's game. He has filed thousands and thousands of fight reports from ringside. He has written millions and millions of words for national newspapers previewing boxing, profiling boxers and proselytising on the business. He has been the voice of British boxing on the airwaves, both radio and television, with an army of loyal fans. And now it's time to put those many years of experience into penning his history of the sport of kings on these isles. It's Bunce's Big Fat Short History of British Boxing.
Starting in 1970, the beginning of modern boxing in Britain, Bunce takes us from Joe Bugner beating Henry Cooper to an explosion then in the sport's exposure to the wider British public, with 22 million watching Barry McGuigan win his world title on the BBC.All boxing royalty is here - Frank Bruno taking on Mike Tyson in Las Vegas; Benn, Watson, Eubank and Naseem; Ricky Hatton, Lennox Lewis and Calzaghe; Froch and Haye - through to a modern day situation where with fighters as diverse as Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, we have more world champions than ever before. And besides the fighters, there are the fixers, the managers, the trainers, the duckers and divers...
Bunce's Big Fat Short History of British Boxing will have every high and impossible low, tragic deaths and fairy tales. It is a record of British boxing, British boxing people and fifty years of glory, heartache and drama.
WHAT READERS ARE SAYING
***** A fantastic history and a top collectors prize already... this book knocked me out in the first pages.
***** Must read book for boxing fans.
***** Been reading boxing books all my life, don't think I've enjoyed one more than this.
***** An absolute must for any British boxing fan.
A history that crackles with energy and is rich in empathy.
—— Daily TelegraphI went on some crazy boxing journeys and Steve was always there
—— Ricky HattonOutstanding
—— Carl FrochRevealing . . . Everything you wanted to know about what makes Danny so good, so driven, and so successful
—— road.ccHe's an internet stunt sensation
—— The Daily MailSit down and let Wilfried guide you through the wondrous world of cycling
—— Tim KrabbéA master of the short story
—— Die ZeitA goldmine of historical nuggets and walking inspiration
—— WunderlustThis inspiring book tells the story of a year of walking across the British Isles...Evocatively written, with charming snippets of childhood memories... Somerville explains how walking the countryside shaped him as an adult... Touching on his father's Second World War experiences and stoic nature, Somerville seeks to discover the man inside the man. Poignantly highlights the power walking has in forging close relationships and enabling communication, this heart-warming walker's diary proves real inspiration to exploring Britain on foot.
—— Carys Matthews , CountryfileChristopher Somerville’s moving, measured and immaculate The January Man is part walker’s diary, part celebration of his reticent yet loving father, and part... well, anything that takes his fancy and ours. But most of all it is a tender rumination on the One Big Thing that troubles all of us when we put on our hiking boots – and that’s mortality.
A rich and wonderful book which draws on Christopher Somerville’s unusually deep knowledge of Britain’s hidden pathways.
—— Hugh Thomson, author of 'The Green Road into the Trees'Editor's Choice: a beguiling blend of memoir, travel and nature writing.
—— Caroline Sanderson , BooksellerA terrific and touching read. The January Man is a combination of natural and human history and somehow manages to be both light- and slightly heavy-hearted... amusing but almost mystical in places too, which is a pretty incredible feat to pull off.
—— Tobias JonesBrilliantly descriptive of the British landscape and wildlife across the seasons, from fields to coasts, along lanes and byways, it is interwoven with stories of local people, traditions, customs and thoughts on history, culture and geography. Walker or armchair traveller, it’s a pleasure to read.
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Exquisitely written.
—— Publisher's Association REviewA thrilling read ... exquisitely poignant
—— SagaThe author's gaze is on the world around him, especially its natural history ... his skill at describing just what he sees is remarkable ... a very British account of a father-son relationship and more moving for its restraint and light touch.
—— Susan Griffith , Perceptive TravelThis finely observed and evocative book is a celebration of the power of walking to discover emotional, as well as physical, landscapes.
—— Jane Shilling , Daily MailA delightful, poetical hotchpotch of a book. It's part nature notes, part history lesson, as well as memoir and loving salute to his late father. . . Somerville is a great wordsmith.
—— Patrick Hosking , The TimesCharming, evocative
—— CHOICE magazineTop 10 Books About Walking in Britain - The book tenderly blends memoir with descriptions of nature and the passing of the seasons.
—— GuardianCalvin is a natural storyteller who is unflinching as he goes behind the scenes and meets the people at the heart of the youth development network.
—— Irish IndependentThe book is an eye-opener into the pressures put on young players by clubs, coaches and parents; the corruption and conceit, bullying and harassment. Plus the lengths those clubs and their scouts go to, to recruit kids who have yet to reach secondary school.
—— Independent, 10 Best Football Books of the Year 2017Completes his formidable trilogy on the game with a blistering indictment of how it treats its youngest players
—— Guardian’s sport books of the yearOutstanding
—— TimesAs the book unfurls, the march along the marches turns into a eulogy to his father, part memoir, part biography, always a love story. It also contains one of the most unflinching, moving descriptions of death I have read.
—— Melanie Reid , The TimesThis beautifully written book is a haunting reflection of identity and our relationships with the people and places we love.
—— Jane Shilling , Daily MailStewart provides much food for thought about how we value our past history
—— Susannah Law , Scottish Field