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!
Stephen B. Acunto
Name: Stephen B. Acunto
Favorite Book: "A Man Must Fight" by Gene Tunney "Man has fought from the beginning of time--he will fight till the end of time. Tunney's autobiography is as rare as it is wonderful. Only 550 copies were printed in the first edition, but I'll always remember the impact--like a punch--this book has had upon me." |
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Yvonne Tara Caples
Name: Yvonne Tara Caples
Favorite Book: "Their Eyes Were Watching God" by Zora Neale Hurston "This book is a wonderful story of a mulatto woman's amazing journey through life and her personal journey to discover who she is. Any reader can identify with this incredible woman. It's touching, well written, and relates to us all." |
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Reggie Jones
Name: Reggie Jones
Favorite Book: "Ray Charles" by Carin T. Ford "I was 15-years-old when I read this remarkable book about Ray Charles. His personal story really touched me. Ray, before becoming blind, was a kid who loved to run. He ran everywhere, just like any healthy kid. But then he was diagnosed with some physical ailment. His mother said she'd take him to the doctor, but she never did. So he went blind. Poor kid. He was a victim of motherly neglect, poverty and lack of education. Shame. Although he become a success, his life journey was bumpy with heroin addiction and a lot of other rough things." |
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Chuck Walker
Name: Chuck Walker
Favorite Book: "Treasure Island" by Robert Louis Stevenson "This book just caught my fancy. I musta been 7 or 8 years old when I picked it up. Somehow, reading "Treasure Island" might just have stimulated my movie career. Maybe it's all about adventure--being a prizefighter, then a tap dancer, then a movie producer, and then a writer. However, the usual types of book I normally read are autobiographies. People in the arts, successful movie stars. I enjoy learning about other people's adventures. Reading is learning." |
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Vito Antuofermo
Name: Vito Antuofermo
Favorite Book: "Confessions of a Fighter" by Peter Wood "I'm not a reader, but this book was brilliant! It's about The New York Golden Gloves--the best damn tournament going! Wood writes like I used to fight--with blood, guts and courage." |
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Thomas Hauser
Name: Thomas Hauser
Favorite Book: "The Grapes of Wrath" "I’m partial to Mark Twain. But my favorite book is John Steineck’s “The Grapes of Wrath”. It’s beautifully written, captures a range of human emotions, and speaks directly to the social issues of its time in a way that makes it as relevant today as it was in 1939 when it was first published." |
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Muhammad Ali
Name: Muhammad Ali
Favorite Book: "The Koran" "The Koran is my double favorite book...My favorite movie: "Shane"...My favorite song: "I Can't Stand It" by James Brown...My favorite singer: Elvis...My favorite fighter: Jack Johnson...My favorite food: Lamb chops (and bean pie)...My favorite candy: Baby Ruth--& that's the truth!" |
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George Logan
Name: George Logan
Favorite Book: "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" by Mark Twain "I have dylexia so reading was difficult. Back then, no one knew anything about dyslexia, or things like that, so I struggled. But I graduated 'cause I worked hard. My favorite book? Me? Ha!..."Huck Finn". I liked that book. Probably read it back in 5th grade." |
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Scott "The Fighting Frenchman" Ledoux
Name: Scott "The Fighting Frenchman" Ledoux
Favorite Book: "The Call of the Wild" by Jack London "I loved how the author, got me, when I read it in the 5th or 6th grade, into the mind of a wolf! How many times do you get the chance to crawl into the mind of a wild animal? That's a pretty neat trick! Well, London was definately one of our great American writers. This book has always stayed with me. It's classic." |
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Buck "Tombstone" Smith
Name: Buck "Tombstone" Smith
Favorite Book: "Little Platinum Book of CHA-CHING!" by Jeffrey Gitmer "Jeffrey Gitomer's "Little Platinum Book of CHA-CHING!" is full of powerful and clever principles for personal and business success." |
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"Smokin" Joe Frazier
Name: "Smokin" Joe Frazier
Favorite Book: "Tarzan" by Edgar Rice Burroughs "My favorite book was "Tarzan" by Edgar Rice Burroughs! I liked the fact Tarzan was always on the side of the right thing to be done and even when fighting the animals did not kill them." |
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Boone "Boom Boom" Kirkman
Name: Boone "Boom Boom" Kirkman
Favorite Book: "Somebody Up There Likes Me" "I started boxing because of all those medals & the pig-skin leather-sleeved jackets I saw the fighters wearing when my dad brought me to The Golden Gloves. And I was mesmerized by reading the book "Somebody Up There Likes Me" about Rocky Graziano. There was just something special about boxing." |
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George Chuvalo
Name: George Chuvalo
Favorite Book: "The Prophet" by Kahil Gibran "This is a book of poetry. The words are about love, friendship, beauty, honesty, morality and courage. The words are like they're coming out of God's mouth. Sometimes you need to read it twice to fully digest it. I got it from a hooker in 1963--Henry Hanks' lady friend. She was a beautiful woman--gorgeous. I didn't do anything with her. We'd just sit and discuss the book over tea at Glenn's Pharmacy, at the corner of Woodward and Alexeandrian Streets, the main drag in Detroit." |
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Bob Duffy
Name: Bob Duffy
Favorite Book: "Rich Man, Poor Man" by Irwin Shaw "What a fantastic period piece situated after WW2. I read it 30 years ago but still remember it well. It brought me to Greenwich Village to Hollywood and to the Mediterranean. This is a timeless classic." |
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Emanuel Steward
Name: Emanuel Steward
Favorite Book: "The Other Side of Midnight" by Sidney Sheldon "I couldn't put it down. I remember I had to go to the gym, but I just had to finish it--it was that good! It was about two guys--one white, the other black--and how their life's grew closer together despite problems. I enjoyed "Animal Farm" too. There are so many books I've enjoyed, but these days, I'm reading more business contracts than books. I might be reading as many books as I used to, but I do read 3-4 newspapers a day--two Detroit papers, the "USA Today", a New York paper, and a Las Vegas paper. It's my job as a human being to know what's going on in the world." |
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