Overview

Battling Siki (1887-1925) was once one of the four or five most recognizable black men in the world, and was written about in detail by such figures as Ring Lardner and his son John, Damon Runyon, and Westbrook Pegler...On the evening of December 15, 1925, at the age of twenty-eight, he was shot and killed in Hell's Kitchen in what some claimed was a gangland execution.

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9781557288165

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"""Provides compelling information about a little known yet extremely important fighter, and furnishes an insightful analysis of the impact of racism on both whites and blacks in the early twentieth century. . . . Benson's research is as impressive as his writing."" -- David K. Wiggins, author of Sport and the Color Line ""Siki's story is quite a remarkable one, and Benson has done a fine job of digging out that story. . . . [It] sheds considerable light not only on boxing and American sport in the twentieth century, but also on the issue of race, and those shifting boundaries of nations and colonies."" -- Elliott Gorn, author of The Manly Art: Bare-Knuckle Prize Fighting in America ""Setting the record straight for a fighter as misunderstood, misinterpreted, and just plain mysterious as Battling Siki is a daunting task. But Peter Benson does it--and much more. At times he seems to put you into the skin of the age, permitting you to see Siki as his friends and enemies saw him and to sense the anger, frustration, and fear Siki engendered. As much as Dempsey and Ruth, Siki was a man of the 1920s."" Randy Roberts, author of Papa Jack: Jack Johnson and the Era of White Hope and Jack Dempsey, the Manassa Mauler ""The contemporaneous reporting on Battling Siki's life was often unreliable. But Peter Benson has done what he can to synthesize the truth and fashion a valuable addition to the historical record. 'Battling Siki' has all the elements of a Shakespearean tragedy set in the Roaring Twenties."" Thomas Hauser, author of Muhammad Ali: His Life and Times and The Black Lights"

Provides compelling information about a little known yet extremely important fighter, and furnishes an insightful analysis of the impact of racism on both whites and blacks in the early twentieth century. . . . Benson's research is as impressive as his writing. -- David K. Wiggins, author of Sport and the Color Line Siki's story is quite a remarkable one, and Benson has done a fine job of digging out that story. . . . [It] sheds considerable light not only on boxing and American sport in the twentieth century, but also on the issue of race, and those shifting boundaries of nations and colonies. -- Elliott Gorn, author of The Manly Art: Bare-Knuckle Prize Fighting in America Setting the record straight for a fighter as misunderstood, misinterpreted, and just plain mysterious as Battling Siki is a daunting task. But Peter Benson does it--and much more. At times he seems to put you into the skin of the age, permitting you to see Siki as his friends and enemies saw him and to sense the anger, frustration, and fear Siki engendered. As much as Dempsey and Ruth, Siki was a man of the 1920s. Randy Roberts, author of Papa Jack: Jack Johnson and the Era of White Hope and Jack Dempsey, the Manassa Mauler The contemporaneous reporting on Battling Siki's life was often unreliable. But Peter Benson has done what he can to synthesize the truth and fashion a valuable addition to the historical record. 'Battling Siki' has all the elements of a Shakespearean tragedy set in the Roaring Twenties. Thomas Hauser, author of Muhammad Ali: His Life and Times and The Black Lights

Provides compelling information about a little known yet extremely important fighter, and furnishes an insightful analysis of the impact of racism on both whites and blacks in the early twentieth century. . . . Benson's research is as impressive as his writing. -- David K. Wiggins, author of Sport and the Color Line Siki's story is quite a remarkable one, and Benson has done a fine job of digging out that story. . . . [It] sheds considerable light not only on boxing and American sport in the twentieth century, but also on the issue of race, and those shifting boundaries of nations and colonies. -- Elliott Gorn, author of The Manly Art: Bare-Knuckle Prize Fighting in America Setting the record straight for a fighter as misunderstood, misinterpreted, and just plain mysterious as Battling Siki is a daunting task. But Peter Benson does it--and much more. At times he seems to put you into the skin of the age, permitting you to see Siki as his friends and enemies saw him and to sense the anger, frustration, and fear Siki engendered. As much as Dempsey and Ruth, Siki was a man of the 1920s. Randy Roberts, author of Papa Jack: Jack Johnson and the Era of White Hope and Jack Dempsey, the Manassa Mauler The contemporaneous reporting on Battling Siki's life was often unreliable. But Peter Benson has done what he can to synthesize the truth and fashion a valuable addition to the historical record. 'Battling Siki' has all the elements of a Shakespearean tragedy set in the Roaring Twenties. Thomas Hauser, author of Muhammad Ali: His Life and Times and The Black Lights

Author Information

Peter Benson is associate professor of English at Fairleigh Dickinson University and the author of Black Orpheus, Transition, and Modern Cultural Awakening in Africa. He has been a Visiting Fulbright Professor at the University of Dakar, University of Nairobi, and Kenyatta University.

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