Overview

Their names are legendary: Sugar Ray Leonard, Marvelous Marvin Hagler, Thomas Hit Man Hearns, and Roberto Duran. They were exceptional boxers with unique combinations of power and speed. In another era, with few rivals of equal caliber, each might have held championship belts for years on end. But as it was, they matured together in the 1980s and fought each other as middleweights. With unforgettable courage and skill, they ruled the ring and ushered in the last Golden Age of boxing. George Kimball takes an authoritative look at the rivalries that fueled this great era in sports history. Veteran sports journalist Kimball reported on every one of the Four Kings nine internecine fights. Here his eye-witness coverage is enhanced by recent interviews with each of the boxers and other seasoned analysts. The result is a fast-paced, blow-by-blow account of four extraordinary adversaries and a remarkable boxing epoch.

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9781590131626

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Reviews

Boxing's last Golden Age gets the book it deserves. Kimball's breezy, detail-packed book . . . provides vivid, knowledgeable accounts of the action. He also draws clear colorful portraits of [the] four fighters. --Sports Illustrated

Four Kings is a thriller and George Kimball a prince among sportswriters . . . an epic poem of a book, a book that lifts the heart. Frank McCourt, author, Angela's Ashes, 'Tis, and Teacher Man A a terrific book. Kimball was there and never missed a moment of it. His account of the fighters, the fights and the colorful supporting players is rich with insights and details. Vincent Patrick, author, The Pope of Greenwich Village and Family Business George Kimball is one of America's best-loved sportswriters and Four Kings shows why. With skill, grace, and humor, he brings to life a remarkable era and four uniquely gifted athletes. Jeremy Schaap, ESPN reporter and author, Cinderella Man: James J. Braddock, Max Baer and the Greatest Upset in Boxing History Kimball writes with insight and humor.The bigger the fight, the better he tells it. Thomas Hauser, author, Muhammad Ali: His Life and Times Kimball's accounts of the fights are riveting blow-by-blows, the 'big event' context is palpably rendered, and each of the fighters reemerges from the mists of memory as colorful and compelling as ever. Boxing fans . . . will savor Kimball's work. Booklist Very accurate and well-researched . . . a phenomenon . . . well-written. I couldn't put it down. I loaned it to a friend and he won't give it back Emanuel Steward, World Champion Boxing trainer Chosenfor Booklist Online's 10 Top Sports Books of 2009 Kimball writes with insight and humor. The bigger the fight, the better he tells it. --Thomas Hauser, author, Muhammad Ali: His Life and Times Chosen for Booklist Online's 10 Top Sports Books of 2009 Boxing's last Golden Age gets the book it deserves. Kimball's breezy, detail-packed book . . . provides vivid, knowledgeable accounts of the action. He also draws clear colorful portraits of [the] four fighters. --Sports Illustrated Bottom line: Check out the book. --Don Steinberg, ESPN.com George Kimball's excellent and accurate account of the grandeur--indeed the majesty--of the confrontations among Hagler, Hearns, Leonard, and Duran is an exciting read. I highly recommend it. -- Bob Arum, CEO, Top Rank, Inc. Boxing's last Golden Age gets the book it deserves.Kimball's breezy, detail-packed book . . . provides vivid, knowledgeable accounts of the action. He also draws clear colorful portraits of [the] four fighters. Sports Illustrated

George Kimball's excellent and accurate account of the grandeur--indeed the majesty--of the confrontations among Hagler, Hearns, Leonard, and Duran is an exciting read. I highly recommend it. -- Bob Arum, CEO, Top Rank, Inc. Bottom line: Check out the book. --Don Steinberg, ESPN.com Boxing's last Golden Age gets the book it deserves. Kimball's breezy, detail-packed book . . . provides vivid, knowledgeable accounts of the action. He also draws clear colorful portraits of [the] four fighters. --Sports Illustrated Chosen for Booklist Online's 10 Top Sports Books of 2009 Kimball writes with insight and humor. The bigger the fight, the better he tells it. --Thomas Hauser, author, Muhammad Ali: His Life and Times Kimball's accounts of the fights are riveting blow-by-blows, the 'big event' context is palpably rendered, and each of the fighters reemerges from the mists of memory as colorful and compelling as ever. Boxing fans . . . will savor Kimball's work. Booklist Kimball writes with insight and humor.The bigger the fight, the better he tells it. Thomas Hauser, author, Muhammad Ali: His Life and Times A a terrific book. Kimball was there and never missed a moment of it. His account of the fighters, the fights and the colorful supporting players is rich with insights and details. Vincent Patrick, author, The Pope of Greenwich Village and Family Business Chosenfor Booklist Online's 10 Top Sports Books of 2009 George Kimball is one of America's best-loved sportswriters and Four Kings shows why. With skill, grace, and humor, he brings to life a remarkable era and four uniquely gifted athletes. Jeremy Schaap, ESPN reporter and author, Cinderella Man: James J. Braddock, Max Baer and the Greatest Upset in Boxing History Four Kings is a thriller and George Kimball a prince among sportswriters . . . an epic poem of a book, a book that lifts the heart. Frank McCourt, author, Angela's Ashes, 'Tis, and Teacher Man Very accurate and well-researched . . . a phenomenon . . . well-written. I couldn't put it down. I loaned it to a friend and he won't give it back Emanuel Steward, World Champion Boxing trainer Boxing's last Golden Age gets the book it deserves.Kimball's breezy, detail-packed book . . . provides vivid, knowledgeable accounts of the action. He also draws clear colorful portraits of [the] four fighters. Sports Illustrated

Very accurate and well-researched . . . a phenomenon . . . well-written. I couldn't put it down. I loaned it to a friend and he won't give it back Emanuel Steward, World Champion Boxing trainer

<p> Boxing's last Golden Age gets the book it deserves. Kimball's breezy, detail-packed book . . . provides vivid, knowledgeable accounts of the action. He also draws clear colorful portraits of [the] four fighters. --Sports Illustrated

Author Information

George Kimball spent a quarter-century as a sports columnist for the Boston Herald. In 1985 he was awarded the Nat Fleischer Award for Excellence in Boxing Journalism from the Boxing Writers Association of America. He was an eyewitness to all nine of the bouts between the Four Kings and has covered nearly 400 world title fights in a four-decade sports writing career.

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