Brossura

ISBN 10: 1590132386 ISBN 13: 9781590132388

Casa editrice: McBooks Press, 2009

Their names are legendary: Sugar Ray Leonard, Marvelous Marvin Hagler, Thomas Hit Man Hearns, and Roberto Duran. They were exceptional boxers with unique combinations of power and speed. In another era, with few rivals of equal caliber, each might have held championship belts for years on end. But as it was, they matured together in the 1980s and fought each other as middleweights. With unforgettable courage and skill, they ruled the ring and ushered in the last Golden Age of boxing. George Kimball takes an authoritative look at the rivalries that fueled this great era in sports history. Veteran sports journalist Kimball reported on every one of the Four Kings' nine internecine fights. Here his eye-witness coverage is enhanced by recent interviews with each of the boxers and other seasoned analysts. The result is a fast-paced, blow-by-blow account of four extraordinary adversaries and a remarkable boxing epoch.

About the Author:

George Kimball was a sports columnist for the "Boston Herald" for 25 years. He was awarded the Nat Fleischer Award for Excellence in Boxing Journalism in 1985 from the Boxing Writers Association of America. He has covered nearly 400 world-title fights and is the author of "Only Skin Deep" and "Sunday's Fools." He lives in New York City.

Review:

"George Kimball's excellent and accurate account of the grandeur--indeed the majesty--of the confrontations among Hagler, Hearns, Leonard, and Duran is an exciting read. I highly recommend it." -- Bob Arum, CEO, Top Rank, Inc.

"Kimball's accounts of the fights are riveting blow-by-blows, the 'big event' context is palpably rendered, and each of the fighters reemerges from the mists of memory as colorful and compelling as ever. Boxing fans . . . will savor Kimball's work." --"Booklist"

"Bottom line: Check out the book." --Don Steinberg, ESPN.com

"Very accurate and well-researched . . . a phenomenon . . . well-written. I couldn't put it down. I loaned it to a friend and he won't give it back" --Emanuel Steward, World Champion Boxing trainer

"Boxing's last Golden Age gets the book it deserves. Kimball's breezy, detail-packed book . . . provides vivid, knowledgeable accounts of the action. He also draws clear colorful portraits of [the] four fighters." "--Sports Illustrated"

Chosen for Booklist Online's 10 Top Sports Books of 2009

"George Kimball is one of America's best-loved sportswriters and Four Kings shows why. With skill, grace and humor, he brings to life a remarkable era and four uniquely gifted athletes." --Jeremy Schaap, ESPN reporter and author, "Cinderella Man: James J. Braddock", "Max Baer and the Greatest Upset in Boxing History"

"Kimball writes with insight and humor. The bigger the fight, the better he tells it." --Thomas Hauser, author, "Muhammad Ali: His Life and Times"

""Four Kings" is a thriller and George Kimball a prince among sportswriters . . . an epic poem of a book, a book that lifts the heart." --Frank McCourt, author, "Angela's Ashes", '"Tis", and "Teacher Man"

"Kimball's accounts of the fights are riveting blow-by-blows, the "big event" context is palpably rendered, and each of the fighters re-emerges from the mists of memory as colorful and compelling as ever. Boxing fans . . . will savor Kimball's work." "--Booklist"

"A a terrific book. Kimball was there and never missed a moment of it. His account of the fighters, the fights and the colorful supporting players is rich with insights and details." --Vincent Patrick, author, " The Pope of Greenwich Village" and" Family Business"

"Boxing's last Golden Age gets the book it deserves. Kimball's breezy, detail-packed book . . . provides vivid, knowledgeable accounts of the action. He also draws clear colorful portraits of [the] four fighters." "--Sports Illustrated"