Black and White: The Birth of Modern Boxing

Black and White: The Birth of Modern Boxing is the definitive history of the early years of transatlantic pugilism. It reveals the poisonous racism disfiguring the sport and the black boxers fighting an uphill struggle for equality. It lays bare ugly attempts by authorities to stifle or ban a sport that millions flocked to see, and exposes the unethical actions of distinguished figures such as Lord Lonsdale and Sir Winston Churchill. Black and White brings to life some of the greatest fights in history as the narrative charts boxing’s growth from underground sleaze to fashionable spectacle. Along the way we hear the stories of the great champions of the era including Jack Dempsey, Jack Johnson, Jimmy Wilde and Ted ‘Kid’ Lewis. The book culminates in the ‘Fight of the Century’, where a gallant European and an unpopular American battled for supremacy as the world looked on with trepidation.