John L. Sullivan and His America (SPS) - Hardcover

This book uncovers the roots of the Sullivan myths that help mark the break between America's isolated rural past and its modern urban culture.

"Sullivan's story is as colorful as its large cast, which ranges from 'Little Chocolate' and 'The Bull's Head Terror' to Theodore Roosevelt. Mr. Isenberg is quite right to suggest that by following it we can learn a great deal about American society at the end of the nineteenth century... No one, reading Isenberg, can fail to feel the lure of the ring." Times Literary Supplement "The definitive biography of the last bare-knuckle heavyweight champion... A vivid re-creation of an era of unchecked male dominance." Sports History "A remarkable study of Sullivan's life and times... A rich and valuable account of a vivid era that has long been obscured by legend." Sports Illustrated "An objective and scholarly work cutting through the media image and ably analyzing the age that created Sullivan. A book of real merit for both scholars and the general reader." Journal of American History "Uncovers the roots of the Sullivan myths that help mark the break between America's isolated rural past and its modern urban culture." Washington Post Book World "A fine work, well researched and nicely told... Recaptures an extraordinarily important moment in the development of modern professional athletics." Journal of Sport History