Body and Soul: Notebooks of an Apprentice Boxer, Loïc Wacquant. One of Bourdieu's students tells about his days in a boxing gym in Chicago.

If you're looking for fiction then off the top of my head: The Knockout Artist by Harry Crews The Harder They Come by Budd Schulberg (Someone already beat me to it, but absolutely seconding Fat City) For non fiction: The Sweet Science by AJ Liebling Welcome to the Big Time by Earnie Shaver

Anything by Bert Sugar, he's the absolute GOAT on anything having to do with boxing history.

Georges St. Pierre's memoir, The Way of the Fight, is kind of fascinating. On like the third page he says, "my goal here is to write the greatest book ever written...it doesn't matter that this happens to be the first book I've ever written." He is admittedly one of the least retarded figures of the UFC, but there is an unintentional humour to some of the writing that I found entertaining. There's also a bunch of transcribed interviews with people like his mom and his first trainer which shed some light on the drive it takes to succeed as a fighter. He also waxes philosophical about dinosaurs and cockroaches...the guy clearly has CTE. But he's a genuinely humble king and there are some cool anecdotes and insights throughout it.

democritusjrjr

1 month ago

I'm surprised you didn't give a nod to Fat City!

2Reply

iamafrog

1 month ago

Had to restrain myself. But yes, @mitchell should read Fat City.

1Reply

Way back when, I enjoyed the short story collection Rust and Bone by Craig Davidson. There's some boxing stuff in there. My gf also recommends The Bittersweet Science and This Bloody Mary is the Last Thing I Own. Boxing and muay thai rule. Get well!

Four Kings by George Kimball, recommend watching the various fights (at least, any with one of the four facing another) as you read through as well. The Fight by Norman Mailer, pretty classic.