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Product Description
Review
“…a marvellous little book. Mee has created a gem”
The Guardian
“…highly recommended”
The Sunday Times
“…a splendid tale of brutality… a fascinating account”
Boxing News
Product Description
‘Bare Fists’ takes a look at the forgotten world of bare-knuckle prize-fighting, from the heyday of pugilism in the 18th century, to its extinction at the end of the 19th, and its re-emergence this century in the form of illegal underground bouts.
James Figg, the notorious prize-fighter, swordsman and bear-baiter, was the first man to help establish fist-fighting as the preferred sport of the masses, who had previously been entertained by such delights as women versus dwarfs and animals fighting in a burning barrel.
From the age of Figg, until the late 19th century, prize-fighting was the dominant sport of the landed classes. All the chief combatants were backed by the rich aristocracy and a succession of kings from George I were keen followers of the sport and often to be found at ringside.
The author charts the progress of the so-called Championship of England and, interspersed with social observation and biographical detail, he paints a vivid picture of the society in which this sport thrived. The reader is introduced to a variety of fighters including Jack Broughton, Jack Slack, Daniel Mendoza, Jim Belcher, Tom Cribb and Tom Sayers. Their hard drinking and prodigous fight achievements almost beggar belief, but they usually took their toll. Most succumbed to an early grave.
The sport all but came to an end with the introduction of the Queensberry Rules in 1867, but that was not the end of the story. Fist-fighting continued underground as an illegal practice, and still does, although it is unrecognisable from its noble heritage.
In the final part of the book, laments the decline of bare-knuckle fighting from the late 19th century. The modern-day version is a sickening and brutal world – the sort inhabited by Lenny McLean and Roy Shaw – where kicking, stamping and illegal weapons are more prevalent than the fist.
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First Sentence
We can never know the absolute truth about history. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
We can never know the absolute truth about history. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Bare Fists is a brilliant social history of prizefighting from the 1700s through to the end of the 19th century. Back then fist fighting was as popular as football is today; it was the sport of the landed gentry, huge bets were wagered and it wasn't unusual to see royalty at ringside. The author paints a vivid picture of the fighting achievements of these men, who used to have only weeks, sometimes days, between fights. But many of them died early due to the poundings they took and their hard-drinking ways. The sport died out in the 20th century,despite the fact that the likes of Lenny McLean and Roy Shaw, who fought in the 1970s, liked to make out they were continuing a proud tradition. The author rubbishes their claims to being bare-knuckle fighters. In truth they were thugs, a world away from the greats of the 18th century. This is a wonderful read for anyone who wants to know about the social history of sport, the origins of boxing, and the truth about The Guvnor, and other late 20th century imitations.
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This book is a very good read and takes you through the thrilling history of bareknuckle boxing. However, Bob Mee is to harsh on modern day bare knuckle boxing. He claims it to be brutal and thuggish. Well, as someone who attended a match while abroad, I found it no more brutal than a normal boxing match. There have been no deaths in bare knuckle boxing matches. Neither are there any mismatches as you get in the big fight game. The fighters are usualy fairly matched. They are also less boring. In fact, I found them faster, very exciting, and because there are no rounds (usually) they are a lot quicker in coming to a finish-usually a knockout.I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Despite that, this is an interesting and well written book.
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This was great. I never realised what a big sport bare knuckle boxing was. The guys who fought all those years ago must be some of the hardest blokes in history. Amazing.
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