Fighter From Whitechapel: The Story of Daniel Mendoza

Pocket intact FPD, else content appears as unread and unblemished fine, light gray, decorated, cloth covered boards displaying minimal surface/edge wear.

Daniel Mendoza, a Jewish youth from the impoverished White Chapel section of London, came to fistic prominence in the 18th century. His writings (primarily on the science of boxing) form the beginning of a corpus of knowledge and artistry that has been added to by everyone from "Gentlemen" Jim Corbett, to Gene "the Fighting Marine" Tunney, and the "Greatest" himself, Muhammad Ali. All those who placed a high premium on balletic footwork and ring generalship-men who didn't bridle at being considered Fancy Dans as opposed to brawlers- owe some kind of debt to the original genius of the squared circle.

The book is written in an informal, brisk, and unadorned style that makes it ideal reading for youngsters as well as old heads who just appreciate lean, clean prose. Some stark ink drawings accompany the text, depicting everything from life in the East End around Petticoat Lane to the ancient Mendoza sitting in a shadowy drawing room and penning his memoirs (which are still available, and in print, today). This book, while no doubt taking some narrative liberties, stands as a worthy piece of English history, boxing lore, and Judaica. The road the author shows Mendoza travelling is a perilous one, filled with setbacks, betrayals, death, and financial woe, but the fact that this life from the distant past so uncannily mirrors the same struggles fighters continue to face today is part of what makes its appeal so universal, and its story so timeless. Highest recommendation.

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