Donald McRae

It might be an unusual sports book that tells the lives of two sportsmen in completely different sports but this book manages it very well. The famous boxing champion Joe Louis and the legendary athletics star Jesse Owens, were both born in the early part of the 20th century and lived in, if not poverty, then certainly in families struggling for money in a racist America.

The two men eventually became good friends and met up often throughout their lives, at one point even running a race against each other! The book tracks their respective careers, with a highlight being Jesse Owens' 1936 Olympic success in a pre WW2 Nazi Germany, defying Hitler's desire to show the superiority of the Aryan race. (But it is interesting to note that even in Nazi Germany - admittedly after some initial difficulties - Owens was able to stay in the same hotels as white athletes, and they could eat together, whereas in America at the time, so many food places wouldn't even serve black people and he could not stay in 'white' establishments.) Jesse's life after the Olympic success is also chronicled - here is a man who was badly let down by his government but refused to lose his patriotism.

Joe Louis' career meanwhile went on an upward trajectory, and there are literal blow by accounts of many of his most legendary fights, but his later life is also covered without filters.

While the book acknowledges the achievements of the two men, it does not paint them as perfect heroes, and instead acknowledges their human flaws and errors.

I also really enjoyed reading about other athletes whose own lives intertwined with Owens and Louis - for example, a young boxer named Cassius Clay is included.

I would say that you don't have to be particularly interested in athletics or boxing to find something to enjoy here. The most interesting parts for me were the difficulties the two men faced just because of the colour of their skin.

The book is clearly well researched and the author is undoubtedly passionate about his subject - and definitely made me want to find out more about some of the more peripheral characters.… (mehr)

A Man’s World – A Brilliant Biography

Fans of sports writing will be well aware of the excellent and Sports Award Winner, Donald McRae, who researches and writes some of the best, books in sport. McRae in particular is an excellent writer where boxing is concerned and never afraid to tackle issues head on, and once again in A Man’s World McRae does this majestically.

A Man’s World is an excellent examination of the double life of Boxing World Champion, Emile Griffith, a champion at both Welterweight and Middleweights. He won more fights than Ali, but is only remembered for one fight in particular, his third encounter with the Cuban Benny Paret, who died ten days after being beaten by Griffith.

Emile was unusual for a boxer he liked ladies fashion, and enjoyed making ladies hats, far more than he enjoyed boxing. Boxing and society in the 1960s was virulently macho, male and heterosexual, vicious and dangerous. Not fitting in to one of the stereotypes was not accepted, being gay at the time was unheard of, and those that were, were mocked and avoided.

Emile Griffith’s personal life is interesting in that it was ultimately very complex; he had to lead a double life, his complex attitudes and ultimately his sexuality. It must be remembered that he came to boxing late and was found by his employer while Griffith was employed making ladies hats. It was noticed that he had the frame of a boxer and was taken to Gil Clancy’s gym; the rest as they say is history.

Gil Clancy took Griffith from hat maker to an all out World Boxing Champion; he would take on all comers and win in the main. McRae examines the double life, the sexuality and private life, with delicacy but does not hold back on what is written. McRae deals with all the issues with respect, compassion and the dignity Griffith was denied when boxing.

When Griffith went to the weigh-in on the morning of the fight, seven months after he lost his title to Paret, he was taunted by Paret. Paret paid Griffith the ultimate insult at the weigh-in when he called him a “faggot” such taunts did not bode well. Boxing insiders of the time already knew that there was something different about Griffith; it was an open secret that he was gay. This at a time when homosexuality was referred to as a disease, and active gay men could expect to be jailed if they were caught having sex.

That night the bout went to round twelve was the beginning of the end for Paret, but this had been a brutal fight, as all Griffith’s anger came to the fore during the earlier rounds. He hit Paret in the twelfth round with two right hands that were brutal and it was the end of Paret who was rocking on his feet. Ten days later Paret was dead, Griffith was the world champion.

McRae deals with all this with the compassion required and with respect as neither Griffith or Paret are no longer with us. One of the most haunting things he brings up is a quote from Griffith which is also used on the cover of the book; “I kill am man and most people forgive me. I love a man and many say this makes me an evil person.”

This is one of the most engrossing, compassionate reads about boxing and McRae deals with the dignity and respect that is required. This is one of the best biographies in recent years of a boxer, especially so when you read about the complexity of Griffith’s life.… (mehr)

4 1/2 stars: Super, couldn't put it down.

In rapid succession, Clarence Darrow defended three landmark cases, each dubbed "trial of the century", in the mid 20s: Leopold and Loeb (who pled guilty at Darrow's recommendation, but he got them spared from the death penalty), the Scopes trial and the case of Ossian Sweet and his 10 codefendants: the first time that a black man was acquitted of murder in the United States.

The book also covered at a high level his relationship with a sometime mistress Mary Field and his wife Ruby.

A very engaging read, with large portions taken from court transcripts. Highly recommended to any court watchers or followers of history.

Some moving quotes below:

"My object, and my only object, was to focus the attention of the country on the program of Mr. Bryan and other fundamentalists in America. I knew that education was in danger from the source that has always hampered it-- religious fanatacism. to me, it was perfectly clear that the proceedings bore little semblance to a court case, but I realized that there was no limit to the mischief that might be accomplished unless the country was roused to the evil at hand."

If today you can take a thing like evolution and make it a crime to teach it in the public school, tomorrow you can make it a crime to teach it in the private schools and the next year you can make it a crime to teach it to the hustings or in the church. At the next session you may ban books and newspapers. Soon you may set Catholic against Protestant against Protestant, and try to foist your own religion upon the minds of men. If you can do one you can do the other. Ignorance and fanaticism is ever busy and needs feeding.

I know that back of me and back of you is an infinite ancestry stretching back at least five hundred thousand years, and we are mad eup of everything on the face of the earth, of all kinds and colors and degrees of civilization and out of that come we. Who are we, any of us, to be boastful above our fellows? [Darrow swept on, daring to ask the jury some harsh questions in order to depict the sate of America in the mid-1920s]. Supposing you had your choice, right here, this minute. Would you rather lose your eyesight, or become colored? Would you rather lose your hearing or be a Negro? Would you rather go out there on the street and lose a leg or have black skin? [There was a muted gasp at Darrow's savagery]. I don't like to speak of it, but it is true. Life is a hard game anyhow. But when the cards are stacked against you, it is terribly hard. And they are stacked against a race for no other reason but they are black.

Darrow complained that the very practice of autobiography reeked of a man standing on a street corner and shouting "For God's sake, look at me for a minute!"… (mehr)