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Books > Sport & Leisure > Sports & outdoor recreation > Combat sports & self-defence > Boxing
“Rahaman has, at last, written the definitive biography on his
late brother, which tells the real Ali story.” —Mike Tyson More
words have been written about Muhammad Ali than almost anyone else.
He was, without doubt, the world’s most-loved sportsman. At the
height of his celebrity he was the most famous person in the world.
And yet, until now, the one voice missing belonged to the man who
knew him best—his only sibling, and best friend, Rahaman Ali. No
one was closer to Ali than Rahaman. Born Cassius and Rudolph Arnett
Clay, the two brothers grew up together, lived together, trained
together, travelled together, and fought together in the street and
in the ring. A near-constant fixture in his sibling’s company,
Rahaman saw Ali at both his best and his worst: the relentless
prankster and the jealous older brother, the outspoken advocate,
the husband and father. In My Brother, Muhammad Ali, Rahaman offers
an insider's perspective on the well-known stories as well as
never-before-told tales, painting a rich and intimate portrait of a
proud, relentlessly polarizing, yet often vulnerable man. In this
extraordinary, poignant memoir, Rahaman tells a much bigger and
more personal story than in any other book on Muhammad Ali—that
of two brothers, almost inseparable from birth to death. It is the
final and most important perspective on an iconic figure.
Jock McAvoy was influenced by his poor 1930s background. A
ferocious fighter, a special kind of person who fought hard to give
his family a better standard of living. Many older boxing
journalists believe that the romance of the ring and its hungry
exponents rest, almost entirely, in the years gone by. The 1930s
were, without doubt, the greatest period in British boxing history.
On the social side, this period was hard and desolate: there was no
welfare state, conditions of employment for this generation were
oppressive, everyone worked for wages that allowed no margin for
illness. If a man didn't work, he and his family went hungry. Man
was at his best when up against it and thousands fought to put food
on the table for their families. "McAvoy: Portrait of a Fighting
Legend" lays not only a man but an era to rest.
Nothing to lose...When nineteen-year-old Tommy Carter throws away a
promising career as a professional boxer to work for local villain
Davey Abbott, everyone thinks he's made a huge mistake - collecting
debts and working in strip clubs is no life for a young lad just
starting out in life. Everything to gain. A brutal fighter, Tommy
quickly earns a reputation for himself - feared and respected by
everyone - and becomes Davey's trusted right-hand man. But when
Davey is murdered Tommy is shocked to learn that Davey has left his
business empire to him - Tommy's the boss now. No one believes
Tommy will succeed. But there is only one rule Tommy lives
by...always back the underdog. Because Tommy is on the way up. This
book was previously published as Barking Boy. Another gripping
gangland read by Kerry Kaya. Perfect for fans of Kimberley
Chambers, Martina Cole, Heather Atkinson and Caz Finlay.
Nothing to lose...When nineteen-year-old Tommy Carter throws away a
promising career as a professional boxer to work for local villain
Davey Abbott, everyone thinks he's made a huge mistake - collecting
debts and working in strip clubs is no life for a young lad just
starting out in life. Everything to gain. A brutal fighter, Tommy
quickly earns a reputation for himself - feared and respected by
everyone - and becomes Davey's trusted right-hand man. But when
Davey is murdered Tommy is shocked to learn that Davey has left his
business empire to him - Tommy's the boss now. No one believes
Tommy will succeed. But there is only one rule Tommy lives
by...always back the underdog. Because Tommy is on the way up. This
book was previously published as Barking Boy. Another gripping
gangland read by Kerry Kaya. Perfect for fans of Kimberley
Chambers, Martina Cole, Heather Atkinson and Caz Finlay.
Conor McGregor's trainer tells the amazing story of his long road
to success in the world's fastest-growing sport Growing up in
Dublin, John Kavanagh was a skinny lad who was frequently bullied.
As a young man, after suffering a bad beating when he intervened to
help a man who was being attacked, he decided he had to learn to
defend himself. Before long, he was training fighters in a tiny
shed, and promoting the earliest mixed-martial arts events in
Ireland. And then, a cocky kid called Conor McGregor walked into
his gym ... In Win or Learn, John Kavanagh tells his own remarkable
life story - which is at the heart of the story of the
extraordinary explosion of MMA in Ireland and globally. Employing
the motto 'win or learn', Kavanagh has become a guru to young men
and women seeking to master the arts of combat. And as the trainer
of the world's most charismatic champion, his gym has become a
magnet for talented fighters from all over the globe. Kavanagh's
portrait of Conor McGregor - who he has seen in his lowest moments,
as well as in his greatest triumphs - is a revelation. What emerges
from Win or Learn is a remarkable portrait of ambition, discipline,
and persistence in the face of years and years of disappointment.
It is a must read for every MMA fan - but also for anyone who wants
to understand how to follow a dream and realize a vision. 'For
anyone interested in following their dream to the end of the line'
Tony Parsons 'It kept me up well past my bedtime' Sean O'Rourke,
RTE Radio One 'Remarkable' Irish Times 'Kavanagh is open and honest
about his upbringing ... The journey hasn't been easy, but
Kavanagh's inbuilt determination has carried him all the way' Irish
Examiner
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