Looking for a Fight by David Matthews
When Dave Mattews began to research the strange underworld of boxing, he found that many were reluctant to talk to a writer looking for colour pieces without really understand the sport. So he decided to take them on at their own game and began a two-year training programme so he could have one professional fight. "Looking for a Fight" is Matthew's story of his own battle for fitness, the difficulty of learning how to punch properly and how to take a punch. Above all he reveals what really motivates the characters that he worked and trained with. What makes someone risk their life for a purse of a few hundred pounds? Why do so many boxers believe that God is on their side? Is boxing a force for good in our society? This is an account of boxing from within and without.
As the author recounts the sights and sounds of the scary new world he has embraced, it connects like a sweetly timed uppercut - Mike Rowbottom, IndependentHis book has huge vitality, beguiling characterisation, authentic dialogue and a fine evocation of time and place..We have lost a boxer, but gained a writer - Brian Glanville, Sunday TimesA highly readable book ... Made even better by the author's facility for memorable similes ... This absorbing book paints the bottom end of the British fight game, warts and all - Sunday HeraldCompulsive reading - Martin Smith, Daily TelegraphA hell of a tale - Robert Philip, Daily TelegraphPacks a mighty punch ... A raw, new voice steeped in an experience that is very 21st century - Morning StarAn epic, downbeat journey of discovery. A painfully honest account - Mike Rowbottom, IndependentUnputdownable ... [a] riveting work to read - Frank Keating, Guardian
David Matthews is a freelance journalist who has written for various newspapers, including the OBSERVER and the SUNDAY TELEGRAPH, and is currently working on a scholarship with the BBC.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780747262350 |
| ISBN 10 | 0747262357 |
| Title | Looking for a Fight |
| Author | David Matthews |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | Headline Publishing Group |
| Year published | 2002-05-07 |
| Number of pages | 320 |
| Prizes | Short-listed for William Hill Sports Book of the Year 2001 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |