Description
Skehan, Everett M. ‘Rocky Marciano. Biography of a First Son’ 1977 1st ed. 369-pages. Former owners book stamp & signature on blank frontispiece, else VG/VG.
Rocky Marciano: Biography of a First Son is widely regarded as a definitive biography of the undefeated heavyweight champion, written by Everett M. Skehan with direct family assistance from Marciano’s siblings (Peter, Louis, and Mary Anne). It was published as a first edition hardcover by Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston in 1977.
Book Summary & Description:
Unlike purely celebratory accounts, Skehan’s work stands out because it was meticulously researched with unprecedented access to the Marciano family archive and inner circle. The text chronicles the entire trajectory of Rocco Marchegiano’s life—from his humble upbringing as the oldest son in a massive, working-class Italian immigrant household in Brockton, Massachusetts, to his tragic and untimely death in a 1969 private plane crash.
The biography explores:
• The “Face Fighter” to Legend: His grueling physical transformation from a short, clumsy, uncoordinated amateur into an unstoppable, finely conditioned professional machine who retired with a flawless 49-0 record.
• The Sordid Subculture of Boxing: Skehan does not shy away from exposing the underbelly of 1950s prize-fighting. It documents how Marciano was exploited and shortchanged by his notoriously aggressive manager, Al Weill, who regularly skimmed promotional profits from Marciano’s hard-fought purses.
• The Post-Championship Isolation: The book provides rare insight into Marciano’s later years, tracing his obsession with cold cash, his involvement with underworld figures, and his struggle to find meaning outside the arena that defined him.
Physical & Publication Details:
• Author: Everett M. Skehan
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Company (Boston)
• Publication Date: 1977
• Format: Hardcover bound in colored cloth/boards with a portrait dust jacket
• Length: 369 pages (plus career data appendices at the back)
• Original Cover Price: $10.95 USD
• ISBN-10: 039525356X
• ISBN-13: 9780395253564
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.