World champion boxer Lew Jenkins fought his whole life. As a child, he fought extreme poverty during the Great Depression; in his twenties, he fought as a professional boxer and became a world champion; and at the pinnacle of his boxing career, Jenkins fought in World War II and the Korean War. From Boxing Ring to Battlefield: The Life of War Hero Lew Jenkins details for the first time this extraordinary story. Despite his talent for boxing, Jenkins often fought and trained in drunken stupors. And though he became the world lightweight champion, he soon wasted his ring title and all his money. Unable to find meaning in life at the peak of his boxing success, Jenkins discovered values to which he could cling during World War II and the Korean War. His efforts earned him one of the highest decorations for bravery, the Silver Star. From Boxing Ring to Battlefield features exclusive interviews with Lew Jenkins's son and grandson, providing a personal perspective on the life of this complicated war hero. The first biography of Jenkins, this book will fascinate boxing fans and historians alike.
Autorentext
Gene Pantalone is an expert on the golden age of boxing1920 to 1950and Madame Bey's boxing camp, which hosted fourteen heavyweight champions and no fewer than eighty International Boxing Hall of Fame inductees. He is a contributing writer to the boxing website The Weigh-In and author of Madame Bey's: Home to Boxing Legends .
Inhalt
Foreword
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Chapter 1: A Fighting Man
Chapter 2: Impoverished Beginnings
Chapter 3: The Toast of Broadway
Chapter 4: A Run at the Title
Chapter 5: Unstoppable
Chapter 6: Just Wanted to Have a Good Time
Chapter 7: Falling
Chapter 8: A Return to Service
Chapter 9: A Past with Jack Dempsey
Chapter 10: A Different Kind of Fight
Chapter 11: Consumed with Guilt
Chapter 12: Katie Rocks the Boxing World
Chapter 13: A Return from War
Chapter 14: Bloody Ridge
Chapter 15: Heartbreak Ridge
Chapter 16: Enlightened
Chapter 17: A Final Fight
Epilogue
Bibliography
About the Author