A review by mephelan
The Sweet Science by A.J. Liebling

4.0

Voted #1 sports book of all time by Sports Illustrated. Liebling was a boxing writer, and a very good one. This series of essays covers about 15-20 fights in the early 1950s. Beyond the blow-by-blow, Liebling gives the history of the fighters, sets the scene, and tells you the whole story of his attendance at the fight. He often rails against the influence of television on the boxing world.

Even if you're not a boxing fan (I'm not particularly), the essays are well written and often quite funny. That said, there are a number of turns of phrase that modern readers will find problematic, including referring to many black boxers even in their late 30s as "boys".