When Boxing Was a Jewish Sport

Rating:
Summary: Labor of Love
Review: Allen Bodner has tracked down and interviewed just about all of the surviving boxers from the Golden Age of Jewish participation in professional boxing, the 20's, 30's, and 40's. Jews then were near the bottom of the socio-economic ladder, entree to many of the professions denied them by "Jewish quotas" and other forms of officially sanctioned forms of discrimination. The tough, talented men sought out by Mr. Bodner grabbed their share of the American Dream with their fists. As times changed many later went on to successful careers outside the ring but if there is one common denominator to these men-other than their religion-it is that all still defined themselves by the warrior's heart that impelled them into the ring in the first place. Mr. Bodner has proven to be a skillful interviewer and chronicler. He hasn't limited himself to these oral histories, important though they are, but has gone through old newspaper accounts of fights held decades ago and also consulted numerous other source materials (the book contains an excellent bibliography) to profile other, deceased, Jewish fighters. "When Boxing Was A Jewish Sport" is so good that my only complaint is that two personal favorites didn't make Mr. Bodner's cut for inclusion-Benny Bass and Harry Blitman, both Philadelphians. Benny "Little Fish" Bass was dubbed by no less an authority than Jack Dempsey as one of the contenders for the mythical title of best pound for pound fighter of his era; he lost his share of the lightweight title to the legendary Tony Canzoneri. Harry Blitman only lost four times in his career, once to Bass. He beat Canzoneri in a non-title bout.

Rating:
Summary: A fascinating history lacking vibrancy
Review: Allen Bodner's sincerity and feeling for his subject is undeniable. "When Boxing was a Jewish Sport" contains historical information and vignettes about an era when, as the title implies, Jews were a major force in boxing. For that reason alone, the book is worth reading by any boxing history fan. The problem is with the writing. Despite ample oral histories and interviews, the book reads like a sociological text, dense and often tedious. Nonetheless, as a reference, for those who know that Benny Leonard, a Jew, was one of the five greatest pound for pound fighters ever, or for those boxing fans who don't know, the book is a wealth of boxing history not to be found elsewhere.

Rating:
Summary: A fascinating history lacking vibrancy
Review: Allen Bodner's sincerity and feeling for his subject is undeniable. "When Boxing was a Jewish Sport" contains historical information and vignettes about an era when, as the title implies, Jews were a major force in boxing. For that reason alone, the book is worth reading by any boxing history fan. The problem is with the writing. Despite ample oral histories and interviews, the book reads like a sociological text, dense and often tedious. Nonetheless, as a reference, for those who know that Benny Leonard, a Jew, was one of the five greatest pound for pound fighters ever, or for those boxing fans who don't know, the book is a wealth of boxing history not to be found elsewhere.