Why did Mark love this book?
Authors Aycock and Wallace bring Max Baer to life in this comprehensive biography that covers the fighter’s complete ring record, his early life, his career on radio, film, stage and television, and his World War II army service. Not a surprise considering Aycock’s father, Norman “Ike” Aycock was one of Baer’s sparring partners. Baer defeated 275-pound Primo Carnera in 1934 for the championship, losing it to Jim Braddock the next year. Contrary to Cinderella Man, (2005), Baer--favored 10 to 1--was not a villain and the fight was more controversial than the film suggested. His battle with Joe Louis three months later drew the highest gate of the decade. Brilliantly crafted, the prolific boxing authors provide a fascinating glimpse into this charismatic man.
1 author picked The Magnificent Max Baer as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.
California's "Glamour Boy" and world champion boxer was a movie attraction for women and a money-making draw for promoters during the Great Depression. The Prizefighter and the Lady, in 1933, gave movie-goers a boxer who could sing and dance. The film, climaxing with Baer's world title fight against Italian Primo Carnera, was reprised in 1956 in The Harder They Fall, with Humphrey Bogart.
Many said the sport would have died in the 1930s were it not for the colorful Max Baer. He was a contender for every heavyweight championship from 1932 to 1941. In 1935, Baer brought back the "million-dollar…