I was just wondering if anybody knows any good boxing authors? I am doing a dissertation for my university course about perceptections and particpation in combat sports like boxing and Thai boxing. I have found a few good authors but I Need a broad amount of literature for this title.

Would be great if anybody could help, cheers.

Boxing -A Cultural history by Kasia Boddy
A great overview of Boxing from it's classical inception, through the English Golden Age and beyond. It is a great piece of work that places the art of pugilism into context by viewing it's depiction in art,poetry,sculpture,film etc and examines great fights and fighters through this cultural prism.

Mcilvanney on Boxing by Hugh Mcilvanney
In my opinion the greatest living sports writer. When he isn't enlightening us on the beautiful game or horse racing, his thoughts on boxing are so succinctly and eloquently put it is liking having a ringside seat. He has a keen eye and a insightful approach to unravelling the fight games complex characters and a long history with which to chart boxing's heritage.

Dark Trade -Lost in Boxing by Donald Mcrae
An examination of the dark themes that coarse through boxing. A dark five year odyssey in which Mcrae looks at figures like Tyson,Hamed, Toney, and Don King and confronts tragedy and the brutal truth that haunts the game.

Master of the Ring by Graham Gordon
Seen by many as the father of modern boxing, it is on one level a biography of Jem Mace but also a great way to experience the transition of boxing from prize fighting and circus boxing booths to what we know today. A defensive master who did much to establish the scientific style that we recognise as great technique, it is a rattling good read full of surprises, like Mace's use of padded gloves and the ten count long before Queensberry.

other books and authors to look out for are Thomas Hauser (particularly his Ali biog-"His Life and Times"), balanced out by reading Fraziers biography "Smokin Joe" co-written with Phil Berger.
Sam Sheridan and his book - A Fighter's heart which covers his journey through kickboxing, muay thai, wrestling, jujitsu and the UFC.
The Pugilist at rest -Thom Jones (fiction),
Jack Dempsey by Randy Roberts
Bud Schulberg, George Kimball, Ian Probert and of course countless biographies and auto biographies.

Thanks for that Greenbeanz, I am getting together a lot of authors and journal articals. My dissertation is next year, but I have to do a propsosal for it soon. Its going to be fucking hard

Originally Posted by Tam Seddon

Thanks for that Greenbeanz, I am getting together a lot of authors and journal articals. My dissertation is next year, but I have to do a propsosal for it soon. Its going to be fucking hard

It's hard work but worth it. I can remember stressing out a bit with mine but it's a great feeling when it's done. Choosing the idea and narrowing down the subject to something unique is half the hard work, so that everything researched falls into place and supports an hypothesis. Ideas for a title that asserts, or questions something often helps. I found it helpful to have a quick scan in the University library at dissertations from previous students on the same subject whose writing scored well. Your Tutors/Lectures should help point you in the right direction. Good Luck Mate.

AJ Leibling. WC Heinz.