Book Review - Cinderella Man by Jeremy Schaap
Category Book Reviews
After hearing all the hype behind the movie Cinderella Man, I decided to get a non-Hollywood version of the story. The book that fulfills that need is Jeremy Schaap's Cinderella Man - James J. Braddock, Max Baer, and the Greatest Upset in Boxing History. This is an incredible story of perseverance and determination...
If you're unfamiliar with the story, it basically takes place during the years of the Great Depression. Braddock grew up in an environment where fighting and sparring was second nature. Once he figured out that boxing was something he could excel in, he started to fight for money. Keep in mind that boxing back in the 20's and 30's was *the* sport of the people. Crowds of 60 and 70 thousand to watch matches was not uncommon. A champion in the sport was treated as the king of the world. Braddock was well on his way to climbing that peak until he broke his powerful right hand. It never got a chance to heal properly, and his sole weapon started to become ineffective. After losing a number of fights against boxers he should have dominated, he decided he had had enough and quit. Unfortunately, the depression robbed him of any savings he had earned during his career and he had no other skills to fall back on. He finally ended up on the relief program and was working at whatever job he could find on a daily basis down on the docks.
Contrast that with Max Baer. Baer was a highly skilled boxer with looks and personality. His career was somewhat rocky at first, but then he started a four year winning streak that made him one of the most well-known personalities in the world. But for him, boxing was simply the means by which he could have fine food, wine, and all the women he wanted. Even though his training was half-hearted at best, he was still able to dominate the heavyweight ranks.
The stories start to converge in 1934. Baer is the world champion, and Braddock is working on the docks. But all that hard work has led to a leaner, more fit Braddock. His right hand has healed, and his left, always a non-factor, is now as strong as his right. He is signed to fight on two days notice against someone who needs a "name" fighter to go against but who won't beat him. Braddock surprises everyone by dominating him. After two more fights where he wins in impressive fashion, circumstances align to place him against Baer for the heavyweight championship of the world. Baer sees this as nothing more than other victim of his boxing prowess, while Braddock sees this as the culmination of everything he's worked for his entire life. As the bout gets closer, Baer starts to sense that perhaps he's underestimated Braddock. In the ring, Braddock takes everything Baer can throw at him but is still able to box and dominate the champion. At the end, he's declared the winner by unanimous decision and caps the most unlikely upset in boxing history.
Schaap does a great job painting the story in relation to how society functioned back in the 20's and 30's. It's hard to imagine today how much prestige boxing champions had, as the sport has lost a lot of its popularity. But back then, Braddock's "Rocky"-like story captivated the nation and gave the common man, struggling to make ends meet, a symbol of hope. If this were nothing more than a Hollywood story, it'd be a good one. The fact that it is a factual recreation of real events makes it even more inspiring. A great read...
After hearing all the hype behind the movie Cinderella Man, I decided to get a non-Hollywood version of the story. The book that fulfills that need is Jeremy Schaap's Cinderella Man - James J. Braddock, Max Baer, and the Greatest Upset in Boxing History. This is an incredible story of perseverance and determination...
If you're unfamiliar with the story, it basically takes place during the years of the Great Depression. Braddock grew up in an environment where fighting and sparring was second nature. Once he figured out that boxing was something he could excel in, he started to fight for money. Keep in mind that boxing back in the 20's and 30's was *the* sport of the people. Crowds of 60 and 70 thousand to watch matches was not uncommon. A champion in the sport was treated as the king of the world. Braddock was well on his way to climbing that peak until he broke his powerful right hand. It never got a chance to heal properly, and his sole weapon started to become ineffective. After losing a number of fights against boxers he should have dominated, he decided he had had enough and quit. Unfortunately, the depression robbed him of any savings he had earned during his career and he had no other skills to fall back on. He finally ended up on the relief program and was working at whatever job he could find on a daily basis down on the docks.
Contrast that with Max Baer. Baer was a highly skilled boxer with looks and personality. His career was somewhat rocky at first, but then he started a four year winning streak that made him one of the most well-known personalities in the world. But for him, boxing was simply the means by which he could have fine food, wine, and all the women he wanted. Even though his training was half-hearted at best, he was still able to dominate the heavyweight ranks.
The stories start to converge in 1934. Baer is the world champion, and Braddock is working on the docks. But all that hard work has led to a leaner, more fit Braddock. His right hand has healed, and his left, always a non-factor, is now as strong as his right. He is signed to fight on two days notice against someone who needs a "name" fighter to go against but who won't beat him. Braddock surprises everyone by dominating him. After two more fights where he wins in impressive fashion, circumstances align to place him against Baer for the heavyweight championship of the world. Baer sees this as nothing more than other victim of his boxing prowess, while Braddock sees this as the culmination of everything he's worked for his entire life. As the bout gets closer, Baer starts to sense that perhaps he's underestimated Braddock. In the ring, Braddock takes everything Baer can throw at him but is still able to box and dominate the champion. At the end, he's declared the winner by unanimous decision and caps the most unlikely upset in boxing history.
Schaap does a great job painting the story in relation to how society functioned back in the 20's and 30's. It's hard to imagine today how much prestige boxing champions had, as the sport has lost a lot of its popularity. But back then, Braddock's "Rocky"-like story captivated the nation and gave the common man, struggling to make ends meet, a symbol of hope. If this were nothing more than a Hollywood story, it'd be a good one. The fact that it is a factual recreation of real events makes it even more inspiring. A great read...
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