Boxing Hall of Fame--With Books "Updated Weekly!"
Boxing Library Hall of Fame
We are a New-York-based book publishing house interested in books and boxers.
We are also interested in promoting academic growth and literacy within our youth.
We asked boxers, and prominent figures within the boxing world, to tell us the title of their favorite book. "What is the book that you enjoyed reading the most?" we inquired.
Their book could be fiction, nonfiction, memoir, autobiography, history, sport-related, or not. We simply wanted to peek into their soul and see what book--as a kid, or now—knocked them out! Below, are their responses. Enjoy!
"Big" George Foreman
Name: "Big" George Foreman
Favorite Book: "War and Peace" by Leo Tolstoy "The most interesting book ever for me--"War and Peace"! I love English, and the bit of wisdom found all through the pages of the book. It's so long, I am never done with it! Thanks, George Foreman." |
Arthur Mercante, Jr.
Name: Arthur Mercante, Jr.
Favorite Book: "Inside the Ropes" by Arthur Mercante, Sr. "I'm an avid boxing fan. Always have been. I've around the sport my whole life. You want to read a good boxing book, read my dad's!" |
Bruce Beck
Name: Bruce Beck
Favorite Book: "Fathers, Sons & Golf: Lessons in Honor & Integrity" by Andrew Shanley "Great book! It's Shanley's account of the memorable summer when he and his boys hit the fairways and learned as much about the daily conduct of life, and the love they have for each other, as they did about the elements of a good swing. The book is structured as a series of golf lessons that at the same time are instruction for building character." |
Hilmer Kenty
Name: Hilmer Kenty
Favorite Book: "The Godfather" by Mario Puzo "I loved the book and the movie. I liked "Batman and Robin" series, too. They had great teamwork!" |
Bobby Czyz
Name: Bobby Czyz
Favorite Book: "Silent Strength" by Lloyd J. Ogilvie "This book is about growing up hard and beating the odds. The author puts the reader into the story. It's true to life, very moving, and hard to put down." |
Peter "The Pride Of Providence" Manfredo, Jr.
Name: Peter "The Pride Of Providence" Manfredo, Jr.
Favorite Book: "Lone Survivor" by Marcus Luttrell "My favorite book is "Lone Survivor". It's a true story about a navy seal who was the lone survivor in a military operation in Afghanistan. I enjoyed the book because it showed what a true hero is and what happens when you prepare yourself through grueling training." |
Willie DeWitt
Name: Willie DeWitt
Favorite Book: "Atlas Shrugged" by Ayn Rand "It's a long book, but "Atlas Shrugged" is one of my favorites. Not that I agree with everything in it, because I don't. I'm older now and wiser. I guess Rands' themes support what I learned as a fighter: If I worked hard, trained hard and had a strong work-ethic then I'd win. It usually worked out that way. I was reading this book when I was in my 20s during training. That book was the best of the bunch by Rand, but "The Fountainhead" was good too." |
Alfonso Gomez
Name: Alfonso Gomez
Favorite Book: "A Desparate Cry" by Carlos Cuauhtemoc Sanchez "My favorite books are "A Desparate Cry" by Carlos Cuauhtemoc Sanchez and "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho. Both knockout books." |
Mickey "The Toy Bulldog" Walker
Name: Mickey "The Toy Bulldog" Walker
Favorite Book: "The Moon and Sixpence" by W. Somerset Maugham "This was a book and movie based upon the life of the French painter, Gauguin, in Tahiti. I didn't know who Gauguin was but I read some of Maugham's earlier books. I met the writer at Billy DeBeck's apartment years earlier during The Roaring Twenties. The picture had a strange effect upon me...I envied this guy who could paint so beautifully. I envied his way of living. I pictured myself in his place. If only I could paint like that. Suddenly, I wanted to be an artist...That's the way it was in those days...I jumped from my seat...and headed straight for Kramer's art store on Bond Street...I wound up with an easel, palette, canvas sketch board, oil tubes, and a fistful of brushes...It set me back about $200. As I was about to leave, I turned to the clerk. 'Don't tell anyone about this...or I'll break your jaw.'" ("Mickey Walker--The Toy Bulldog & His Times", p. 275) |
Nikolay Valuev "The Russian Giant"
Name: Nikolay Valuev "The Russian Giant"
Favorite Book: "War and Peace" Leo Tolstoy "There are other ways of preparing for the fight. Sometimes I go walking, read books and watch a few Russian movies. I like reading Leo Tolstoy." |
Kevin Rooney
Name: Kevin Rooney
Favorite Book: "King of the World: Muhammed Ali and the Rise of an American Hero" by David Remnick "This is one of my all-time favorite books. Although the book is about Ali, it also goes into great depth about some of the other great boxers of that time, like Sonny Liston and Floyd Patterson. This was when boxing was at it's best. It also touches on so many things outside of Ali's life in boxing, and truly shows that he was an 'American Hero'." |
Brian "The Beast" Minto
Name: Brian "The Beast" Minto
Favorite Book: "The Holy Bible" "My favorite book is the Holy Bible. 1 John teaches us not to get caught up with things of this world, like money, cars, and material possesions. It reminds us not to be overly proud or to be boastful! The Bible instructs us to keep our eyes on Christ, to love one another, and don't belong to evil. Anyone who does not love remains in death!" |
Joe DeGuardia
Name: Joe DeGuardia
Favorite Book: "The Aeneid" by Virgil "I have enjoyed so many books over my lifetime. Reading a good book is like eating a great meal...it is so hard to choose one as being 'the best'. I love the classics such as 'The Aeneid", by Virgil--they are very inspiring stories." |
Davey Lee Armstrong
Name: Davey Lee Armstrong
Favorite Book: "A Woman of Substance" by Barbara Taylor Bradford "This book was about 300 pages and I read all of it. With a book, what I do first is read the back cover and if it seems good, I'll read it. That's what I do, read the back cover first. I like stories about a kid from a bad area and then he winds up doing good in life. Those kind of books encouraged me as a young fighter." |
"Irish" Pat McMurtry
Name: "Irish" Pat McMurtry
Favorite Book: "Davey Crockett" by Irwin Shapiro "The first book I read, and completed, was "Davey Crockett" in the 7th grade. I like reading biographies. I read "Truman" and I read General Patton's biography. Thank God Patton was on our side! I also read anything about the Marine Corps. I subscribe to "Leatherneck" magazine every month and I enjoy going through it. I don't like fiction. I like to read about real people's lives." |