Beyond Glory: Joe Louis vs. Max Schmeling, and a World on the Brink
by David Margolick
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Book Summary Information
Author: David MargolickEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2006-10-10
ISBN: 0375726195
Number of pages: 464
Publisher: Vintage
Book Reviews of Beyond Glory: Joe Louis vs. Max Schmeling, and a World on the Brink
Book Review: Recalling History
Summary: 5 Stars
There was a time in boxing history when there were only eight champions. Eight weight divisions with one man recognized as the best in each of those divisions. Each of these men were revered, but the man on top of the heavyweight division sat at the apex of the boxing world.
Max Schmeling was a German who won the Championship in 1933, after being fouled by Jack Sharkey and awarded the title as he lay writhing on the ground. He was a fine fighter, and one of the early scientific boxers in a dawning sport. He lost the title on a decision to Jack Sharkey, but knocked out an up and coming Joe Louis in a wondrous upset in 1935.
Joe Louis was widely thought of as the greatest heavyweight, and possibly even the greatest fighter of all-time until the advent of Muhammad Ali. Hi srecord of twenty seven title defenses and twelve years as champion are records that stand to this day. His skill as a fighter and a finisher are unquestioned.
This story is set against the backdrop of the upheaval in Nazi Germany, and the fear and hatred of its leader, Adolph Hitler. A nation turned to Joe Louis as their hope in one-upping the evil Nazi regime, who looked to Max Schmeling to prove their Aryan superiority.
Schmeling, who was a decent man by most accounts, walked a tightrope in appeasing the Nazi hierarchy, and pleasing his American fan base. He wrote three biographies in later years, and spoke of his distaste for the German government, and his fairness as a celebrity. This book takes issue with these statements, and hints that some of his comments toward Joe Louis were racial.
Nevertheless, the drama of this fight, and electricty of this event have not been mirrored since. Although Ali-Frazier I was billed as the fight of the century, this fight, by all accounts eclipsed it for the build up, for the social implications, and for the heroism of Joe Louis, who carried the weight of his race on his shoulders.
This story is masterfully told, and the build-up to both fights between the two is palpable in these pages.
This is a story unlike any other sports event, and the participants are larger than life. One gets a stronger sense of who Max Schmeling was, and although much has been written of Joe Louis, it is still difficult to pinpoint what he was at his core. the book leaves him as a simple man, with great boxing skills, but I am left to suspect there was more to him.
This is a worthwhile and gripping story for any boxing fan to read.
Summary of Beyond Glory: Joe Louis vs. Max Schmeling, and a World on the Brink
Nothing in the annals of sports has aroused more passion than the heavyweight fights in New York in 1936 and 1938 between Joe Louis and Max Schmeling ? bouts that symbolized the hopes, hatreds, and fears of a world moving toward total war. Acclaimed journalist David Margolick takes us into the careers of both men ? a black American and a Nazi German hero ? and depicts the extraordinary buildup to their legendary 1938 rematch. Vividly capturing the outpouring of emotion that the two fighters brought forth, Margolick brilliantly illuminates the cultural and social divisions that they came to represent.Boxing Books
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