Four Kings: Leonard, Hagler, Hearns, Duran and the Last Great Era of Boxing

by George Kimball

Overview

Roberto Duran, Marvelous Marvin Hagler, Sugar Ray Leonard, and Thomas "Hit Man" Hearns all formed the pantheon of boxing greats during the late 1970s and early 1980s-before the pay-per-view model, when prize fights were telecast on network television and still captured the nation's attention. Championship bouts during this era were replete with revenge and fury, often pitting one of these storied fighters against another. From training camps to locker rooms, author George Kimball was there to cover every body shot, uppercut, and TKO. Inside stories full of drama, sacrifice, fear, and pain make up this treasury of boxing tales brought to life by one of the sport's greatest writers.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781590132388
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	09/01/2009
Pages:	364
Sales rank:	311,372
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

George Kimball spent 25 years as a sports columnist for the Boston Herald and in 1986 received the Nat Fleischer Award for Excellence in Boxing Journalism. He has covered more than 350 title bouts, and is the author of Only Skin Deep and Sunday's Fools. He lives in New York City.

What People are Saying About This

Emanuel Steward

Very accurate and well-researched . . . a phenomenon . . . well-written. I couldn't put it down. I loaned it to a friend and he won't give it back! (Emanuel Steward, World Champion Boxing trainer)

Frank McCourt

Four Kings is a thriller and George Kimball a prince among sportswriters . . . an epic poem of a book, a book that lifts the heart. (Frank McCourt, author, Angela's Ashes )

Jeremy Schaap

George Kimball is one of America's best-loved sportswriters and Four Kings shows why. With skill, grace and humor, he brings to life a remarkable era and four uniquely gifted athletes. (Jeremy Schaap, ESPN reporter and author, Cinderella Man: James J. Braddock, Max Baer and the Greatest Upset in Boxing History)

Bob Arum

George Kimball's excellent and accurate account of the grandeur-indeed the majesty-of the confrontations among Hagler, Hearns, Leonard and Duran is an exciting read. I highly recommend it. (Bob Arum, CEO, Top Rank, Inc.)

Don Steinberg

Bottom line: Check out the book. (Don Steinberg, ESPN.com)

Vincent Patrick

Four Kings is a terrific book. Kimball was there and never missed a moment of it. His account of the fighters, the fights and the colorful supporting players is rich with insights and details. (Vincent Patrick, author, The Pope of Greenwich Village and Family Business)

Thomas Hauser

Kimball writes with insight and humor. The bigger the fight, the better he tells it. (Thomas Hauser, author, Muhammad Ali: His Life and Times)

Editorial Reviews

"Boxing's last Golden Age gets the book it deserves. Kimball's breezy, detail-packed book . . . provides vivid, knowledgeable accounts of the action. He also draws clear colorful portraits of [the] four fighters." "--Sports Illustrated"

"Kimball's accounts of the fights are riveting blow-by-blows, the "big event" context is palpably rendered, and each of the fighters re-emerges from the mists of memory as colorful and compelling as ever. Boxing fans . . . will savor Kimball's work." "--Booklist"

""Four Kings" is a thriller and George Kimball a prince among sportswriters . . . an epic poem of a book, a book that lifts the heart." --Frank McCourt, author, "Angela's Ashes", '"Tis", and "Teacher Man"

"A a terrific book. Kimball was there and never missed a moment of it. His account of the fighters, the fights and the colorful supporting players is rich with insights and details." --Vincent Patrick, author, " The Pope of Greenwich Village" and" Family Business"

"George Kimball is one of America's best-loved sportswriters and Four Kings shows why. With skill, grace and humor, he brings to life a remarkable era and four uniquely gifted athletes." --Jeremy Schaap, ESPN reporter and author, "Cinderella Man: James J. Braddock", "Max Baer and the Greatest Upset in Boxing History"

"Kimball writes with insight and humor. The bigger the fight, the better he tells it." --Thomas Hauser, author, "Muhammad Ali: His Life and Times"

Chosen for Booklist Online's 10 Top Sports Books of 2009

"Boxing's last Golden Age gets the book it deserves. Kimball's breezy, detail-packed book . . . provides vivid, knowledgeable accounts of the action. He also draws clear colorful portraits of [the] four fighters." "--Sports Illustrated"

"Very accurate and well-researched . . . a phenomenon . . . well-written. I couldn't put it down. I loaned it to a friend and he won't give it back" --Emanuel Steward, World Champion Boxing trainer

"Bottom line: Check out the book." --Don Steinberg, ESPN.com

"Kimball's accounts of the fights are riveting blow-by-blows, the 'big event' context is palpably rendered, and each of the fighters reemerges from the mists of memory as colorful and compelling as ever. Boxing fans . . . will savor Kimball's work." --"Booklist"

"George Kimball's excellent and accurate account of the grandeur--indeed the majesty--of the confrontations among Hagler, Hearns, Leonard, and Duran is an exciting read. I highly recommend it." -- Bob Arum, CEO, Top Rank, Inc.

From the Publisher

Boxing's last Golden Age gets the book it deserves. Kimball's breezy, detail-packed book . . . provides vivid, knowledgeable accounts of the action. He also draws clear colorful portraits of [the] four fighters.

Sports Illustrated

Top 10 Sports Books of 2009.

Booklist Online

Kimball resurrects Sugar Ray Leonard, Marvin Hagler, Thomas Hearns, and Roberto Duran from the mists of memory, re-creating the nine bouts the middleweights fought against one another in the 1980s. A great boxing book.

Booklist