Schmeling, Max – Max Schmeling, an Autobiography

Description

Schmeling, Max ‘Max Schmeling, an Autobiography’; 1998 1st ed. Bonus Books, Inc., Chicago. 217 pages. VG in a VG non-price clipped dust jacket. It has the handwritten name and book stamp of longtime South African boxing collector/historian, J. Karel de Vries on the frontispiece.

Max Schmeling: An Autobiography is the riveting personal memoir of the legendary German heavyweight champion, translated and edited by George B. von der Lippe and published as a first U.S. edition hardcover by Bonus Books, Inc. (Chicago) in October 1998.

Book Summary & Description:
While originally published in Germany in 1977, this 1998 volume marked the very first time Schmeling’s autobiography was translated into English. Released to coincide with the 60th anniversary of his historic 1938 rematch against Joe Louis, the book offers an extraordinary first-person perspective from one of the most politically weaponized figures in sports history. Notably, Schmeling provided an updated epilogue for this edition at the age of 93.
The text spans his humble origins and documents an incredible, complex life journey:
• The Golden Twenties: His rise from obscurity to fame amidst the artistic and social glitter of Weimar-era Berlin’s “Golden Twenties”, where he was painted by George Grosz and married Czech movie star Anny Ondra.
• The Heavyweight Pinnacle: His journey to America to capture the World Heavyweight Championship (1930–1932), mingling with cultural and historical giants like Jack Dempsey, Gene Tunney, and Al Capone.
• The Nazi Propaganda Machine: Schmeling addresses his highly scrutinized relationship with Adolf Hitler and the Third Reich. He provides a candid look at the immense political pressure he faced—including demands by the Nazi regime to drop his Jewish manager, Joe Jacobs—and discusses the hysterically politicized narrative surrounding his epic bouts with Joe Louis.
• From Paratrooper to Post-War Success: He details his punishment by the Nazi regime once his athletic value declined—being drafted into the Luftwaffe as a paratrooper at age 35 and dropped into combat over Crete—and his ultimate post-war reinvention as a highly successful executive and philanthropist.

Physical & Publication Details:
• Author: Max Schmeling
• Translator/Editor: George B. von der Lippe
• Publisher: Bonus Books, Inc. (Chicago, IL)
• Publication Date: October 1998
• Format: Hardcover (typically bound in black cloth) with a protective dust jacket. It is a large octavo/quarto format.
• Length: 217 pages (often cited as 313 pages when including the extensive photographic sections and indexes).
• Back Matter Features: Includes a professional ring record ledger, a comprehensive index, a glossary, and sections of black-and-white plates.
• ISBN-10: 1566251087
• ISBN-13: 978156625108