Schmeling , Max – 8-9-Aus

Description

Schmeling, Max ‘8-9-Aus’ 1956 1st ed. 222-pages. Written in GERMAN. SIGNED by the former world heavyweight champion on a bookplate inside the front cover. No dust jacket. Good+ condition.

8-9-Aus! (styled on the cover as -8-9-aus!) is a 222-to-223-page memoir written by the legendary German heavyweight boxing champion Max Schmeling. Published in 1956 by the Munich-based Copress-Verlag, this German-language book serves as Schmeling’s second work of autobiography—following his initial 1930 release Mein Leben – Meine Kämpfe—and provides a critical mid-century reflection on his life during and after his active boxing career.
The title itself draws directly from the German boxing referee’s knockout countdown (“eight, nine, out!”).

Book Summary & Key Contents:
Unlike his later 1977 sweeping autobiography (Erinnerungen), this 1956 mid-career memoir focuses heavily on navigating life in post-Weimar Germany and his ultimate transition into retirement. Key narrative focal points include:
• The Nazi Era (From 1933 Onward): Schmeling addresses the immensely complex years starting from 1933, details his experience balancing elite international sports stardom with the growing pressures of the Nazi regime, and recounts his draft as a paratrooper (Fallschirmjäger) during World War II.
• The Joe Louis Dynamic: The text features extensive thoughts on his historic ring rivalry with American icon Joe Louis. It covers the immense global political symbolism attached to their 1936 and 1938 bouts, moving past the bitter warfare eras, and culminates with a heartwarming account of his 1954 post-war reunion with Joe Louis, transforming former rivals into lifelong friends.
• Post-War Survival & Rebuilding: Details his final professional fights in the late 1940s, undertaken primarily to secure funds to survive in a decimated post-war Germany, and his transition into becoming a successful businessman (notably securing the regional Coca-Cola bottling license).
• Rich Photo Plates: The text is heavily accompanied by 32 to 41 halftone photographic plates showcasing historical imagery of his high-profile bouts, training camps, and personal life.

Collector & First Edition Specifications:
• Publisher: Copress-Verlag (München / Munich)
• Publication Year: 1956
• Language: German (Deutsch)
• Format: Octavo hardcover (8vo) with a pictorial Dust Jacket
• Binding: Original light-blue cloth casing, featuring gilt lettering across the spine and Schmeling’s facsimile signature stamped in gilt directly on the front board.
• Page Count: 222 to 223 pages
• Weight: Approximately 350 to 450 grams
(Note for collectors: Because this book was published during the height of Schmeling’s post-war popularity in West Germany, he signed many copies at public appearances. True first printings featuring authentic signature bookplates pasted onto the front flyleaf command a distinct premium on the secondary antiquarian book market).