Schapp, Dick – Jack Johnson is a Dandy, An Autobiography with Pictures

Description

Schapp, Dick ‘Jack Johnson is a Dandy, An Autobiography with Pictures’ 1969 1st ed. Chelsea House Publishers, New York. 262-pages VG in good non-price clipped dust jacket (7) $15 each

Jack Johnson is a Dandy: An Autobiography with Pictures, published in 1969 by Chelsea House Publishers, New York, is a significant retrospective publication of the authentic memoirs written by Jack Johnson, the first African American world heavyweight boxing champion.
While compiled and edited with an extensive introductory essay by renowned sports journalist and author Dick Schaap (alongside “The Lampman”), the core narrative is Johnson’s own prose.

Book Summary & Key Content:
The book acts as a primary historical source and a piece of Black Americana, charting the extraordinary life of an athlete who subverted the rigid, hostile racial boundaries of early 20th-century America:
• The Autobiography: The text reproduces Jack Johnson’s non-ghostwritten reflections on his 27-year career in the ring. Writing as an introspective and sensitive man, Johnson details his rise to global fame, his tactical approach to boxing, and the intense social hostility he faced as a Black champion ruling over a segregated sport.
• Life Beyond the Ring: True to its title, the book captures Johnson’s persona as a “dandy”—a larger-than-life public figure with a penchant for high fashion, fast race cars, and international travel. It chronicles his turbulent life outside of boxing, including his exile in Europe, his controversial interracial relationships, and his eventual imprisonment at Leavenworth under the politically motivated Mann Act.
• The Pictures: This 1969 volume is celebrated for its layout as an “Autobiography with Pictures.” It is packed with dozens of historic, high-quality black-and-white archival photographs. These include intimate portraits of Johnson in tailored suits, snapshots from his training camps, and dramatic ring-action sequences from his defining legacy fights (such as his famous victory over Jim Jeffries).
• Editorial Framing: An extensive, analytical introductory essay by Dick Schaap contextualizes Johnson’s cultural and political weight in the timeline of civil rights and 20th-century sports history. The book also features an emotional epilogue from Johnson’s wife, Irene Pineau Johnson.

Book Specifications:
• Author: Jack Johnson (with introductions by Dick Schaap and The Lampman)
• Publisher: Chelsea House Publishers, New York
• Publication Year: 1969 (First Edition)
• Format: Hardcover with Dust Jacket
• Page Count: 262 pages
• Dimensions: Approx. 11.25 x 7.5 inches (Oversized 4to format)
• Binding: Bound in premium black cloth boards with gold-stamped spine and cover lettering