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Beloved Warrior: The Rise and Fall of Alexis Arguello - Christian Giudice
by Jake Speed Beloved Warrior: The Rise and Fall of Alexis Arguello was written by Christian Giudice and published in 2012. Arguello was one of the greatest boxers of the seventies and eighties and won world titles in three different weight divisions. Nicaragua had never had a world champion before Arguello and when he beat Rubén Olivares to win the ... featherweight championship in 1974 he became an instant hero and icon for his country. It would be difficult to explain just what Arguello meant to Nicaraguans except to say that he was a cherished symbol of national pride, even serving as their flag bearer at the 2008 Olympics. But Arguello was much more than just a boxer and proof that the old saying about nice people always finishing last was plain wrong. He became known as El Caballero del Ring (The Gentleman of the Ring) and was amongst the most loved and respected of boxers, especially by anyone who came into contact with him. No one ever had a bad word to say about Arguello and he famously always became great friends with all of his notable former opponents. A class act both inside the ring and - most importantly - out of it. As former lightweight champion, the popular American boxer Ray ("Boom Boom") Mancini, who lost to Arguello in his first attempt to win the crown, says in the introduction: "I will forever be appreciative of being so closely associated with such a gentleman and champion. I always say that when you look up the word 'champion' in the dictionary and read of its qualities - class, grace, and humility - you will see a picture of Alexis Arguello." Arguello's life outside of the ring was (like many Latin American boxers) complicated by politics and far from easy. It was like a film script you couldn't make up at times. It was impossible for famous Nicaraguans not to get dragged into the complex and murky political vortex of their country and such was the case for Arguello. Supporters of the dictator Anastasio Somoza exploited Arguello's image for their own ends in the seventies and when the Sandinistas took control of the country one of the first things they did was seize the millionaire boxer's financial assets and properties. They declared that he was not welcome anymore and a shocked Arguello promptly took up arms in the jungle and aligned himself to the Contras. Not to mention the fact that around this time he also challenged the brilliant American Aaron Pryor for the junior-welterweight championship in an audacious bid to become the first boxer to win world championships in four different weight divisions. The furious fourteen rounds they shared is widely regarded to constitute the greatest fight of the decade. Arguello had drug and alcohol problems when he retired from boxing but managed to conquer his demons in a rehabilitation centre. To the surprise of many, he eventually met with Sandinista leader Daniel Ortega and agreed to work with him for the "greater good" of Nicaragua. A political career began but in 2009 Arguello was found dead at the age of 57 from a gunshot wound to the chest in his home. An apparent suicide. But he seemed happy and healthy to all who had encountered him in his last weeks. There were whispers that Arguello was increasingly dismayed by his association with Ortega and was about to go public. Was he murdered? I have always been deeply interested in Arguello after reading so much about him in the vintage Ring Magazines I have that stretch back to 1981. He was part of that great pantheon of Latin American boxers of the eighties alongside such hallowed names as Wilfredo Gomez and Salvador Sanchez. Arguello was a darkly handsome somewhat distinguished looking tall spindly man who always seemed to be smiling in photographs taken of him outside the ring. Although politically naive he was intelligent and articulate and one of the hardest punching pound for pound boxers of all time - a trait that led to him being tagged El Flaco Explosivo. The Explosive Thin Man. As Guidice explains, Arguello was not your stereotypical Latin boxer. He had a stand-up European style and was famous for his great patience. Arguello would rarely waste a punch and could be outboxed (for he was never the most fleet of foot) as he calmly stalked his opponents. But when he landed his patented right-cross it usually resulted in a spectacular knock out and there was no dog in Arguello whatsoever. If you beat him you would have to do it the hard way and engage in the battle of your life. One of the extraordinary things about Arguello was that he lost his professional debut yet still became one of the greatest lighter weight boxers of the modern era. By the the time he challenged Pyror in 1983 for his fourth world title his record was something like 80 wins and four defeats. Astonishing. You get world champions today who have only had 20 fights. I think this is a better book than the one Guidice wrote about Roberto Duran called Hands of Stone. Hands of Stone was fine but this feels more comprehensive - as if Guidice has got better in the intervening years. The author says he first met Arguello in 2008 and that the boxer was hard not to love because he was so kind and sincere. Arguello would always greet you with a smile, ask about your family, remember exactly what your last conversation with him was about. He was just great with people. The author spent some time in Nicaragua too to get a feel for the country, its history, geography and atmosphere, and his passages about Arguello's early years are very well done. Arguello grew up in Managua's Barrio Monseñor Lezcano, a place so poor they would sometimes have to hunt Igaunas with slingshots so they had something for dinner. Boxing was Arguello's salvation from this life and he was always grateful for that. The fight accounts in boxing books often seem perfunctory, understandably perhaps as there are usually so many to write about with great boxers. Guidice feels like he does them justice here though and I think Arguello's career is one that is fresher to go through for even sad boxing obsessives. You read a Thomas Hearns or Ali biography and there is not going to be much that is new but many of the Arguello fights are ones that I've only vaguely read about. Guidice takes you right back in time and gives you a real sense of what the mood was, the build-up, the atmosphere on fight night, and has a decent stab at a round by round account. The boxing passages are nicely done and engrossing. Arguello and Rubén Olivares fighting each other to a standstill and both landing left hooks at the same time in the fateful thirteenth round. Arguello's was the one that did the damage. I loved reading about these opponents, names I know from old boxing magazines and bygone ratings. Rafael "Bazooka" Limón, Rolando Navarrete, Alfredo Escalera. Even our own Jim Watt (now a SKY boxing pundit). Watt was a late bloomer and a decent boxer. He became the lightweight champion in his thirties and confounded the odds when he successfully defended the title against super talented US Olympic hero Howard Davis and the hyped white American Sean O'Grady. Arguello went to London and beat Watt over fifteen rounds at Wembley Arena. It was his third title and needless to say Watt became his friend afterwards and always spoke warmly of Arguello. The most fascinating boxing section arrives of course when Arguello moves up to 140 pounds and challenges Pryor in a bid to become the first man to win world championships in four different weight divisions. Arguello was obsessed with making history but met his match in the unstable, erratic and wild Pyror, a human tornado who fought every round as if it was his last. Arguello hit Pryor with punches that would have levelled buildings but the American kept coming and stopped the Nicaraguan icon in the fourteenth round. It became a controversial defeat though when television cameras and microphones picked up an incident late in the fight where Pryor's trainer Panama Lewis (a very dodgy character later banned for removing the padding from one of his fighter's gloves) rejected a water bottle from one of his assistants and asked for "the one I mixed" to give to Pryor instead. What was in the mysterious "black bottle"? We'll never know. Lewis claims it was soda water to settle Pryor's upset stomach but there are many theories about it being something more illegal. One popular theory mentioned here is that Lewis had broken antihistamine pills into the water to give Pryor greater lung capacity. Most interesting to read about is the shattered Arguello's reaction to defeat. After so much success it was a bitter blow to swallow and he was deeply depressed. Arguello felt like he was drowning. A rematch with Pryor and a couple of comebacks followed and the Arguello story remains engrossing beyond the ring, not least because of the mystery surrounding his death. Arguello had become mayor of Managua but rumours were rife that the Sandinistas were going to discredit him. A gunshot wound to the chest is hardly consistent with suicide but it can't be ruled out. "No matter what happened the evening of Arguello's death, something or someone who knew his weaknesses pushed him to the brink, through threats or other intimidation tactics." The most suspicious thing was that the investigation into his death was closed in 24 hours. Whatever the truth, Arguello joined the long list of boxers who died in mysterious circumstances. Beloved Warrior is not Norman Mailer and I wish it had been a bit longer but it is a good read and serves as a tender tribute to Arguello and fitting celebration of his glories inside the ring and his kindness outside of it. At the time of writing this is only available in hardback and will cost you about £10. Read the complete review |
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Paradise and Beyond: The Autobiography - Chris Sutton
by julwhite This review is of the book "Paradise and Beyond : My Autobiography" by the footballer Chris Sutton, with additional writing help from Mark Guidi. Chris Sutton played for a number of football clubs, and was once the most expensive football player in the country when he was bought by Blackburn Rovers from Norwich City. ... He later played for Chelsea, Celtic, Birmingham City and Aston Villa, but he is probably best known for playing for the first three clubs. Sutton explains in the book why he felt the need to write it, saying that, "I'm not writing this to settle any scores or to put anyone down. Likewise, I'm not out to criticise any football club. But I felt strongly about clearing certain things up", and I felt this was an accurate portrayal of the book. It didn't seem overly defensive, and did seem to be more about putting the record straight. One of the areas which Sutton addresses is his limited number of international caps, he played just once for England. There was an argument with Glenn Hoddle, then the England manager, and Sutton refused to play for the England B team, which led to him not being considered in future to represent his country. As Sutton writes, he regrets this decision, and would have very much liked to have played for England. Sutton claims that he wanted Hoddle's version of events to be included in this book, but that Hoddle refused to take part in an interview. Although I understand this, as Hoddle could quite rightly worry about how his words would be used, I felt it was the right thing to offer to include, although a shame that it wasn't possible to get this added dimension into the book. The offer of an interview was actually made to other managers who Sutton played for, and I found the interview with Martin O'Neill, who managed him at Celtic and Aston Villa, to be the most interesting, as it did offer that extra dimension of seeing Sutton from both his own account and from that of others. Sutton also had a difficult time in his personal life, convicted of assault by spitting at a man when out, fearing that the death of his young son and also his fears about his own cancer fight. He writes that football isn't more important than life and death, and it is clear that the near death of his son was one of the most defining events of his life. I felt overall that the book was well-written, and Sutton did have the help of Mark Guidi, who is an experienced sports writer. I found that the interviews with other people, from other managers to Sutton's wife, were interesting although they did break up the flow of the book because of how they are quoted in large sections. I'm not a particularly knowledgeable football fan, so I was pleased that the book was written in an accessible way, otherwise it would have been harder for me to follow and understand. I felt that the book was a little disjointed and didn't always flow naturally, and possibly I didn't feel that the book felt as heart-felt as others I've read. This might possibly be the presence of Mark Guidi, or just because of the large sections which are quotes from others, but I did in general find the book interesting. The hardback version of the book retails for 18.99 pounds, but is currently available from Amazon for 13.29 pounds including UK delivery. As the book was only published in October 2011, there aren't yet many second hand copies available, so these are currently not much better value than buying a new copy. The book's ISBN is 9781845023492 and the publisher is Black and White Publishing. At the time of writing the Kindle version of this book is available from Amazon for just 1.29 pounds, which I feel represents very good value compared to the printed versions of the books. This price may however change, and the list price for the Kindle version is 9.43 pounds. Overall I did find this book interesting and got to the end knowing more about Sutton and the sometimes difficult past which he has had, but also the great football talent which he had. I didn't feel that the book flowed as well as others, and sometimes the interviews with others are a little distracting, but they still offer an interesting insight. I would however recommend this book to football fans, especially as it is an honest look at his life and not just an attack on others. Read the complete review |
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Foreign Babes in Beijing: Behind the Scenes of a New China - Rachel DeWoskin
by koshkha ~Babe Abroad~ They say you shouldn't judge a book by a cover and that's never more true than with a book like 'Foreign Babes in Beijing' by Rachel DeWoskin. My edition differs from the one shown here on Dooyoo and has a stiletto clad, fishnet and mini-skirted cover girl. You could be forgiven for expecting some kind of ... 'Confessions of a Call Girl' type story but you'd be (thankfully) entirely wrong. 'Foreign Babes in Beijing' is not sensationalist or sexy. Instead it's a fascinating and beautifully written account of what it's like to be an American ex-pat living in the capital city of the world's most populous country and it's full of observations and advice about survival amongst Chinese city communities. I used to go to China a few times a year in previous jobs and I never could stand the place, but I remain fascinated to learn more about Chinese society - even if I don't want to spend more time there myself. DeWoskin went to Beijing in 1994, prepared to take any job she could find in order to get to the country she loved. It's important to keep in mind that she was no 'innocent abroad' or stranger to China having spent much of her childhood on family holidays in China with her father who was a Sinology professor (Sinology - study of China, just in case you didn't know). Unlike many people choosing to work in Beijing, she arrived already speaking Chinese which gave her a far greater degree of access to local people than could be achieved by those without her language skills. She accepted a job in a PR company, working for an American woman boss who needed her as an assistant and go-between to help her communicate with the local team. PR, we learn, is a homophone for a local word 'piyar' which is slang for 'a**hole' which is the sort of nugget of information that possibly tells us more about the profession than we need to know. Little gems like that are scattered through the book and made me stop and laugh frequently. One of my favourite insights was when a local taxi driver tells her that Americans have no human rights. When she asks why, he tells her that President Clinton isn't allowed to have a mistress. Familiar Face~ When she's not working on writing briefings for foreign business leaders on how not to offend the locals, or trying to come up with slogans that don't translate into something too bizarre, DeWoskin spends a lot of time hanging out at parties with her cosmopolitan friends, both Chinese and ex-pat. As a result of meeting lots of media folk, DeWoskin gets asked to audition for a Chinese soap opera - the 'Foreign Babes in Beijing' of the title. Playing the part of racy Jiexi, the 'open minded' American (we learn open minded equals slutty), she represents a lot of the clichés that locals believe about western women. The other 'American' girl is played by a German and the two girls' characters fall in love with two local brothers. In Jiexi's case, she gets the married one whilst the other girl's beau is single. Jiexi is supposed to be wicked and a representation of the lax morals of the west, but we soon learn that many of the 600 million regular viewers end up rooting for her to get her man despite the programme highlighting the poor hard-working and put-upon wife, showing her working hard every time Jiexi and her man are getting down and dirty. On the plus side, Jiexi makes DeWoskin into an instantly recognisable face, someone who is loved by many of the public. On the downside, it can be hard to convince people that you're not the same as the character you play. Playing Jiexi means that every Chinese thinks they know her and what she's like, sometimes in negative but often in surprisingly positive ways. ~Delightfully Down-to-earth~ This is not a sensationalist book though admittedly the first chapter does start by telling us how to ask someone to drop their trousers in Mandarin and we do learn a lot about what Jiexi's character can and can't get away with in the TV series and how the programme makers can circumvent the rules of the censors by including moralistic story lines. What I found even more interesting than that tales of life on the film-set were her stories about her friends. There's local girl Anna who was disgraced in her home city for falling in love with a Muslim from the middle east, American Kate who has thrown in her lot with western men and only goes out with Chinese, and Zhou Wen, DeWoskin's Americanised Chinese-born boyfriend who worked hard to eradicate his Chinese accent and become more American than the Americans. I learned a lot about the behaviour of Chinese people in a business setting, much of which I recognised or which make me think 'Aha, so that's what that was about'. Her observations about life in the office are fascinating - the conflict between trying to be 'one of the girls' and having to boss around people who are older and more experienced than her, the things people will tell you straight and the things they'll never say to your face. I loved the way the office ladies reacted when she arrived - "She can't be American, she'd too thin" - through to their analysis of her first night's appearance in the show "You film fat!" There are many handy and intriguing observations about how the Chinese language works - for example she explains that nobody asks direct questions like 'Are you hungry?', preferring to offer alternatives 'Have you eaten or not eaten?' The origins of many words and terms are explained in a way I found fascinating and enlightening whereas I'm often a bit resistant to being 'taught' in the course of an autobiography. ~What it's not~ Admittedly 99% of the book is about Beijing so you won't find out anything significant about rural life or life in other cities. Those looking for a 21st century account of life in the twenty-teens may be disappointed that the period covered is 1994 to 1999, and some will criticise that a lot of what she reports might be a little outdated in a country evolving and changing as fast as China. They have a point but a writer can only write about what they know and the period of her time in China is still an important one. It's the not long post-Tianamen era, in the relatively early days of economic (if not political) emancipation. Much may have changed but I'm willing to bet that much is just as it was at the time she lived there. Don't buy this if you're looking for a 'how to' book about living in Beijing or if you're looking for a step by step survival guide because it's neither of those things. But what it is instead is a well-written, fascinating account of DeWoskin's life in Beijing and equally importantly the lives of many of her friends. DeWoskin's story is not an 'everywoman' tale because she's not a typical expat. This isn't one of those patronising books that treat the locals like a zoo animals, giving a 'Hey look at how funny the locals are' approach to the writing. Her language skills open doors that are slammed to most, and her role as Jiexi earned her a place in the hearts and minds of not just millions but hundreds of millions of people. She's thus both and observer of and a participant in Chinese culture in a way that few people could manage. Most importantly, she's also - and I thank goodness for this as I read so many awful travel memoirs - an absolutely excellent writer. I am reminded of another of my favourite writers, Tama Janowitz, who has a similar type of self-deprecating humour - something we Brits are hot on but not typically an American trait - and great sense of observation. DeWoskin writes so well that it almost doesn't matter what she's writing about, I am fascinated by what she has to say. ~Recommendation~ If I were to recommend this book it would be to people like me who enjoy reading about other cultures as seen through the eyes of 'people like us', to those who have an interest in China or who need to spend time in China for work and could use some basic insights into what the heck is going on. However, I think most visitors and tourists will struggle to have even a tiny fraction as much fun as DeWoskin and her friends. 'Foreign Babes in Beijing' is a cracking good read but don't judge this book by its cover. ~Details~ Foreign Babes in Beijing, Rachel DeWoskin ISBN 1-86207-816-5 332 pp Published by Granta Read the complete review |
Biography |
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1 review Genre: Biography / Author: Hanan Al-Shaykh / Paperback / 320 Pages / Book is published 2010-04-05 by Bloomsbury Publishing PLC |
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1 review Genre: Biography / Author: Max Bygraves / Edition: First Edition / Hardcover / 256 Pages / Book is published 1997-08 by Breedon Books Publishing Co Ltd |
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1 review Genre: Biography / Author: Steven Parissien / Edition: New edition / Paperback / 462 Pages / Book is published 2002-09-26 by John Murray Publishers Ltd |
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72 reviews Genre: Biography / Author: Dave Pelzer / Paperback / 352 Pages / Book is published 2006-01-11 by Orion - Sequel to a Child Called It. |
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7 reviews Genre: Biography / Author: Roald Dahl / Edition: New Ed / Paperback / 176 Pages / Book is published 2001-04-05 by Puffin Books - A memoir of Roald Dahl's childhood containing some hilariously true stories, such as the great mouse plot of 1924, when an eight-year-old Dahl and his gobstopper... |
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45 reviews Genre: Biography / Author: John Grogan / Hardcover / 304 Pages / Book is published 2006-06-29 by Hodder & Stoughton |
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13 reviews Genre: Biography / Author: Warren Fellows / Edition: New Ed / Paperback / 192 Pages / Book is published 1999-10-07 by Mainstream Publishing - In 1978 Warren Fellows was convicted of heroin trafficking between Thailand and Australia. He was sentenced to life imprisonment in the notorious Ba... |
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Paperback: 128 pages / Biography / Publisher: Sutton Publishing Ltd / Published: 19 Nov 1998 |
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Paperback: 324 pages / Biography / Publisher: Pan / Pub1ished: 7 Feb 2006 |
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Paperback: 304 pages / Biography / Publisher: Arrow / Published: 10 Sep 2009 |
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