The author of Flashman presents a rollicking, historically rich novel about a freed slave from New Orleans who becomes a boxing legend in Regency England, thanks in part to the enthusiasm of Captain Buckley "Mad Buck" Flashman. In Black Ajax , George MacDonald Fraser tells the story of a black man from the United States who nearly became England's champion boxer during the early 19th century. This historical novel is based on the true story of Tom Molineaux, a former slave who won his freedom in a boxing match, then traveled to England, refined his skills, and almost became the first black champ. The story is told by over a dozen witnesses to Molineaux's bouts with the reigning champion, Tom Cribb. Molineaux's trainer recalls the fighter's awe-inspiring strength and speed. A butler who asks to remain anonymous divulges information about the fighter's love affair with an English noblewoman. Molineaux's manager, a former slave and retired boxer, speaks bitterly of his disappointment in the youth for failing to prove to the English that a black man could be as capable a fighter as any white man. Nearly all the witnesses to the first match between the two fighters thought Molineaux lost mainly because the judges gave the white opponent an unfair advantage. All the characters in this novel speak in 19th-century dialect, and it's diverting to try to decipher their many odd turns of phrase. For those who cannot determine the meanings of words such as "Spike Hotel," "toco," "winker," and "wistycastor" from context, the author provides a glossary at the end of the book. Unfortunately, almost all of the characters seem overly fond of using racial epithets, which draws attention to the shortcomings of this book. The main one is that Tom Molineaux, who undoubtedly was a complex, fascinating character, comes across as a stereotype here: a hulk with not many brains but a lot of sex drive. Although Fraser fails in that respect, this novel does vividly chronicle an intriguing episode in the history of sport and race relations. --Jill Marquis The author of the popular "Flashman Papers" series, Fraser has established a reputation as a master of historical fiction. His latest effort, based in fact, chronicles the brief career of a black American boxer in Regency England. Tom Molineaux was a freed slave who challenged England's champion, Tom Cribb, twice. Molineaux finds a patron in Captain Buckley "Mad Buck" Flashman (father of the Flashman of Fraser's novels), and he quickly begins to attract attention, gaining notice even from the Prince Regent. Fraser tells the boxer's sad tale through the reports of various witnesses whose lives intersected with that of Molineaux, revealing the attitudes and prejudices of a raucous society not quite ready to have a black man become champion of England. Fans of historical fiction will revel in Fraser's effortless re-creation of the Regency period, and for those unfamiliar with Regency cant, there is a glossary to explain what phrases like "dicked in the nob" and "pattering the flash" mean. Highly recommended where historical fiction and Fraser's works are popular.?Dean James, Murder by the Book, Houston Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. Fraser's gift for mimicry, his facility in composing riffs in early-nineteenth-century parlance, is on full display.... There is much that is lewd, rude, and outright funny here, as well as the substantial research that is typical of all Fraser's novels. It's hard to imagine a fictional account that better conveys the heightened wartime atmosphere of Regency London.... From the best-selling author of the Flashman Papers series comes another book about the brutal sport of bare-knuckle boxing in early 1800s England. In this work, Captain Buckley "Mad Buck" Flashman gets solidly behind a U.S. boxer (a recently freed slave) after witnessing the man catch a fly in midair. The boxer, Tom Molineaux, won his freedom in a boxing match back home and has come to England to take on England's best boxer, the undefeated Tom Cribb. The story is told from several points of view, and the voices heard from include those of Captain Flashman; Bill Richmond, another former slave and now a retired pugilist; and trainer Paddington Jones. Fraser's well-written, interesting, and intelligent boxing saga provides a striking re-creation of Regency England and an exacting portrait of the savagery inherent in bare-knuckle boxing. Kathleen Hughes A rip-roaring fictional retelling of the story of black bare-knuckle prizefighter Tom Molineaux, an American freed slave who challenged England's beloved heavyweight champion Tom Cribb in the early years of the 19th century. The same fractious energy that characterizes Fraser's popular Flashman novels courses throughout this wonderfully flavorful tale, which, following a Prologue set in 1818 (Molineaux's last year), presents the testimony of various ``witnesses'' to the fighters life and career as elicited by an unnamed ``indus