Post by Clay on Jul 27, 2010 0:22:32 GMT -5
Book Review: Battling Ward. The Life Story of a Greek Immigrant by Peter J. Douros. Trafford Publishing, 2007. Softcover. “Immigrant, Gandy Dancer, Prize Fighter/Semi-Pro Boxer, Bootlegger, Restaurateur, and Father. A true story as told by his son Peter J. Douros.”
When I recently purchased this book from the author it arrived with a letter in which he said that he was not a writer, but had taken a liking to putting his thoughts down on paper as a pastime, or what you might call a hobby. Well after reading the book, I have to disagree, Peter is definitely a writer, and in my opinion a very good one. When the book arrived I skipped ahead and started my reading with chapter seven, because that was the one in which Peter describes his father’s meeting with Jess Willard and really gets into the meat of his father’s boxing career. I originally planned to only read the chapters that dealt with the boxing career. While it’s probably unfair to compare anyone to W.C. Heinz, I will say that I enjoyed the chapters about Battling Ward’s boxing career so much that it reminded me of how much I had enjoyed reading ‘The Professional’ by Heinz so many years ago. Once I finished those chapters I found myself reading the chapters dealing with the balance of his life after his boxing career, and was further compelled to go back and read the first six chapters. I thought the book was a very good read, and interesting throughout. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys not only boxing, but a good story.
Anyone interested in purchasing an inscribed copy directly from the author can arrange to do so by emailing him at peter_j_douros@yahoo.com
When I recently purchased this book from the author it arrived with a letter in which he said that he was not a writer, but had taken a liking to putting his thoughts down on paper as a pastime, or what you might call a hobby. Well after reading the book, I have to disagree, Peter is definitely a writer, and in my opinion a very good one. When the book arrived I skipped ahead and started my reading with chapter seven, because that was the one in which Peter describes his father’s meeting with Jess Willard and really gets into the meat of his father’s boxing career. I originally planned to only read the chapters that dealt with the boxing career. While it’s probably unfair to compare anyone to W.C. Heinz, I will say that I enjoyed the chapters about Battling Ward’s boxing career so much that it reminded me of how much I had enjoyed reading ‘The Professional’ by Heinz so many years ago. Once I finished those chapters I found myself reading the chapters dealing with the balance of his life after his boxing career, and was further compelled to go back and read the first six chapters. I thought the book was a very good read, and interesting throughout. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys not only boxing, but a good story.
Anyone interested in purchasing an inscribed copy directly from the author can arrange to do so by emailing him at peter_j_douros@yahoo.com
