Mee, Bob – Bare Fists. The History of Bare-Knuckle Prize Fighting – INSCRIBED true first edition.

Description

Mee, Bob ‘Bare Fists. The History of Bare-Knuckle Prize Fighting’ 1998 1st ed. 230-pages. Published by Lodge-Farm Books, Warwikshire CV37. VG+/VG. INSCRIBED “For Jim Regards Bob Mee”

Core Premise and Scope:
Mee, who covered boxing for over two decades for The Daily Telegraph and Boxing News, meticulously maps out the evolution of bare-knuckle fighting. The book tracks the sport’s development across the 18th and 19th centuries, highlighting:
• The Rule Transitions: The narrative spans from the early, lawless days of unregulated brawls dominated by English champions like James Figg, through the implementation of the Broughton and London Prize Ring Rules, to the sport’s ultimate decline under the Marquess of Queensberry Rules (which mandated gloves, introduced timed rounds, and banned wrestling holds).
• Legendary Bouts: Mee relies extensively on primary historical sources to reconstruct the era’s most punishing and legendary marathons. This includes the transnational matchups of American icon John L. Sullivan and lesser-known historical ring masters.
• Modern Parallels: The book concludes by bringing the subculture full circle, exploring how bare-knuckle fighting went underground following its late 19th-century outlawing and continues to persist in modern illicit circuits.

Collector’s Notes:
The 1998 Lodge Farm Books edition is the true first edition, first printing of Bare Fists. It was a small-scale, private publication printed directly by the author and his wife (Bob & Janet Mee) in Warwickshire before the book was picked up, revised, and widely distributed to the mass market by trade publishers like CollinsWillow in 2000 and Overlook Press in 2001.

Because this is a true first edition from a small regional press, its value is significantly higher than the mass-market editions:
• Estimated Market Value: A fine or near-fine copy of the 1998 Lodge Farm Books edition typically commands $60 to $100.
• The Inscription Premium: Because it features a personal inscription by Bob Mee himself, that value elevates closer to $120 to $150 to the right combat sports collector, as it highlights the deeply personal nature of this initial self-published run.