Robinson, Sugar Ray and Anderson, Dave – Sugar Ray

Description

Robinson, Sugar Ray and Anderson, Dave ‘Sugar Ray’ 1970 1st ed. 376 pages. VG with VG complete non-price clipped dust jacket with the original $6.95 price.

The 1970 true first edition hardcover of Sugar Ray, written by boxing icon Sugar Ray Robinson in collaboration with sports journalist Dave Anderson, was published by The Viking Press in New York. Spanning viii, 376 pages, this American printing stands as the definitive, globally recognized debut of what is widely considered one of the finest autobiographies in sports literature.

Book Synopsis & Editorial Focus:
The memoir captures the unparalleled career, unapologetic lifestyle, and ultimate financial ruin of Walker Smith Jr. (globally revered as Sugar Ray Robinson, 1921–1989), whom peers like Muhammad Ali dubbed the greatest pound-for-pound boxer of all time. Robinson rejects standard, protective public relations tropes to detail his complex realities:
• The Rise & Financial Fall: Tracking his path from Depression-era ghettos in Detroit and New York to securing titles as the world welterweight champion (1946) and the first five-time middleweight champion (1951–1958). He explicitly tracks how he earned and bled through a massive $4 million fortune due to a craving for the high life, flashy cars, and an enormous entourage.
• Black Power & Pride: Showcasing how he stood as a mid-century icon of self-determination. In an era when Black public figures were pressured to be submissive, Robinson demanded top dollar, controlled his own contracts, and joined forces with Joe Louis in the U.S. Army to directly combat institutional military discrimination.
• The Doyle Tragedy: A candid, haunting chapter recounting a vivid nightmare Robinson suffered where he dreamed he killed an opponent in the ring. The dream manifested tragically the next evening when challenger Jimmy Doyle succumbed to injuries sustained during their welterweight bout.

Physical Design & First Edition Features:
• Dust Jacket Art: The true first edition is highly recognizable for its vibrant, custom illustrated paper dust jacket featuring striking expressionistic cover art created by legendary sports artist LeRoy Neiman. The original jacket carries a printed retail price of $6.95 on the front flap.
• Top Stain: The top edge of the text block features a colored top stain applied by the publisher to complement the exterior binding palette.
• Pagination: Comprises exactly viii preliminary pages followed by 376 pages of main text, printed on premium trade woven paper stock.
• First Edition Identification: Published in early 1970, true first printings carry the explicit copyright statement “First published in 1970” on the copyright page with no subsequent printings or book club indicators listed. It carries the ISBN-10: 0670681415 (ISBN-13: 9780670681419).