Pound for Pound - by Herb Boyd (Paperback)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

Hailed by critics as a long overdue portrait of Sugar Ray Robinson, a man who was as elusive out of the ring as he was magisterial in it, Pound for Pound is a lively and nuanced profile of an athlete who is arguably the best boxer the sport has ever known. So great were Robinson's skills, he was eulogized by Woody Allen, compared to Joe Louis, and praised by Muhammad Ali, who called him "the king, the master, my idol." But the same discipline that Robinson brought to the sport eluded him at home, leading him to emotionally and physically abuse his family -- particularly his wife, the gorgeous dancer Edna Mae, whose entrepreneurial skills helped Robinson build an empire to which Harlemites were inexorably drawn. Exposing Robinson's flaws as well as putting his career in the context of his life and times, renowned journalist and bestselling author Herb Boyd, with Ray Robinson II, tells for the first time the full story of a complex man and sport-altering athlete.

From the Back Cover

Hailed by critics as a long overdue portrait of Sugar Ray Robinson, a man who was as elusive out of the ring as he was magisterial in it, Pound for Pound is a lively and nuanced profile of an athlete who is arguably the best boxer the sport has ever known. So great were Robinson's skills, he was eulogized by Woody Allen, compared to Joe Louis, and praised by Muhammad Ali, who called him "the king, the master, my idol." But the same discipline that Robinson brought to the sport eluded him at home, leading him to emotionally and physically abuse his family -- particularly his wife, the gorgeous dancer Edna Mae, whose entrepreneurial skills helped Robinson build an empire to which Harlemites were inexorably drawn. Exposing Robinson's flaws as well as putting his career in the context of his life and times, renowned journalist and bestselling author Herb Boyd, with Ray Robinson II, tells for the first time the full story of a complex man and sport-altering athlete.

Review Quotes

"A nuanced, sensitive, critical, and definitive biography of arguably the greatest boxer of all time." - --Kevin Powell, author of Who's Gonna Take the Weight? Manhood, Race, and Power in America

"Boyd is particularly strong in placing [Robinson's] life in a social context...and he captures the vagaries of this mercurial character." - Los Angeles Times

"A rich history of the athlete, the man, the sport and a fascinating time in African American history." - Ebony

"An informative account of the life of Hollywood-handsome middleweight champion Sugar Ray Robison." - Essence

"Admiring biography that neither glosses over nor dwells on [Ray's] not-always-great behavior outside the ring." - Kirkus Reviews