Joe Louis held the heavyweight boxing championship longer than any other fighter and defended it a record 25 times. (In the 1930s and 1940s, the owner of the heavyweight title was the most prominent non-team sports competitor.) In addition, Louis helped bridge the gap of understanding between whites and blacks. During World War II he not only raised money for Army and Navy relief and entertained millions of troops as a morale officer, but became a symbol of American hope and strength. This biography of Louis outlines his rise from poverty in Alabama to become the best-known African American of his time and describes how an uneducated man, simple at his core, became so articulate and ended up on the side of right in the battles he fought, with fist or voice. “retells the story in an efficient fashion...a solid overview of Louis’s life...the power of Louis’s life is undeniable. Recommended”― Choice ; “A surprisingly readable and effective book, and one that would make a very good starting point for anybody who wants to know more about the life and career of one of the truly great heavyweights...This book has two great virtues. Firstly, he knows what he’s talking about; and secondly, he can write. That is to say, he knows how to tell a story clearly, in unflashy, accurate prose... Joe Louis: The Life of a Heavyweight is testimony to some real old-fashioned virtues.”― Boxing Monthly Lew Freedman is a long-time, prize-winning journalist for such newspapers as the Philadelphia Inquirer, Chicago Tribune, Anchorage Daily News, Seymour, Indiana's The Tribune and Wyoming's Cody Enterprise. Specializing in sports and the outdoors, he has written more than 100 books. He lives in Columbus, Indiana. Used Book in Good Condition