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Beyond Glory: Joe Louis vs. Max Schmeling, and a World on the Brink | 
 enlarge | Author: David Margolick
Publisher: Vintage
Category: Book
List Price: $15.95
Buy New: $7.99
You Save: $7.96 (50%)
New (21) Used (22) from $3.99
Rating:  21 reviews
Sales Rank: 146427
Media: Paperback
Pages: 464
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.9
Dimensions (in): 8 x 4.9 x 1
ISBN: 0375726195
Dewey Decimal Number: 796
EAN: 9780375726194
ASIN: 0375726195
Publication Date: October 10, 2006
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
Nothing in the annals of sports has aroused more passion than the heavyweight fights in New York in 1936 and 1938 between Joe Louis and Max Schmeling — bouts that symbolized the hopes, hatreds, and fears of a world moving toward total war. Acclaimed journalist David Margolick takes us into the careers of both men — a black American and a Nazi German hero — and depicts the extraordinary buildup to their legendary 1938 rematch. Vividly capturing the outpouring of emotion that the two fighters brought forth, Margolick brilliantly illuminates the cultural and social divisions that they came to represent.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 16 more reviews...
 Two Men And The History They Share January 29, 2007
C. W. Emblom (Ishpeming, Michigan USA)
I have owned this book for over one year, but have put off reading it in favor of others because I can not claim to be a boxing fan. I finally reluctantly started to read it, and found it to be so interesting I finished it in three days. The book's main focus, of course, is on the two fights between Joe Louis and Max Schmeling. Although Louis won the heavyweight title in defeating Jack Sharkey he knew he wouldn't be recognized as the true title holdler until he avenged a previous loss to Schmeling. Author David Margolick provides ample and interesting prefight hype and postfight reaction for both contests in addition to sports and movie celebrities' interest. Margolick skillfully weaves the attitudes of African Americans and Jews along with the racist attitudes of the American South in regard to the matches. Comments from several newspapers citing the stereotypes popular at the time are also provided. Finally Louis's and Schmeling's role during World War II and post war life is also provided. I felt this book provided me with a taste of what life was like between America and Germany during this time period. Boxing fan or not, I feel you are sure to enjoy the book.
Illuminating as Sportswriting ... Insightful as History ... Exceptional January 21, 2007
Reader (New York City)
An in depth look at the convergence of the boxing careers of Joe Louis and Max Schmeling. Exhaustively researched and fully indexed, BEYOND THE GLORY provides not just an analysis of one the most heralded sporting events of all times, but also gives the reader an extremely intelligent, insightful view of the cultural, social, and political forces at work in America and Germany in the mid 1930s that produced this monumental sporting event. Numerous photos add greatly to the impact of this excellent book. A beautifully written, amazing document ... equally valuable as a history text and as a chronicle of a heavyweight championship fight.
Joe fights many fronts October 1, 2006
William D. Tompkins (New York, New York USA)
There's an interesting twist to this book that I didn't expect. American Jews identified with Joe Lewis because he was fighting Max Shmelling, who was identified with Nazi Germany. When Joe won, jews and blacks hugged and cheered together. There is debate as to whther or not Shmelling was really a Nazo or not. Most likely he was caught in the middle of a political spiral that he had no contraol over. The author expertly crafts the behind the scenes of setting up fights, the fight itself and the aftermath of the winners and losers.
 Social history At Its Best! September 26, 2006
Bill Faith
Get a taste of the 1930's with this winning review of Louis /Smelling & much more.The author can write and certainly did lots and lots and lots of research. More important than Jackie Robinsons'baseball triumph, Louis'Lose and later victory brought America to an important point in bettering race relations.There is quite a bit of star studded name droping at ringside, most of whom the 20th Century historically deficient reader may not recognize.The author sometimes assumes the reader is familiar with a hundred phrases, terms and names such as Neville Chamberlin,Etheopias plight,CCC,Leni Reifenstal, and "brownshirts",though He briefly clarifies some of these at least once.Well worth reading.!
EXCELLENT READ FOR SEVERAL REASONS June 16, 2006
D. Blankenship (The Ozarks)
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
Beyond Gory was a true surprise. I must first admit to not being much of a boxing fan, never have been, but this work is much more that just about this particular sport. First, we have a wonderful social history of a very strange and a very hard time this country went through. Secondly, the social commentary of both the author and of hundreds of writers before him are well documented here and thirdly, this is a very, very good sports book. As an autobiography on either of these fighters, the work is not all that strong, but then that really was not the purpose of this work. We do get a good working knowledge of both fighter's careers and where their motivation came from, but more importantly we get a great look at the social conditions which existed at that time. This in turn gives of a great measuring tool to see how far we have come (or, if you will, how far we have to go). The author has used wonderful excerpts from past publications of both black and white commentators of the time in this country and the rest of the world along with the commentaries of Nazi Germany. We get a glimpse of why our world was like it was at that time. This work is well written, well researched and is just filled with bits of obscure information that is absolutely a delight and certainly gives us thoughts to ponder. I must admit to have been fascinated from cover to cover with this work and do recommend it highly.
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