Description
Toperoff, Sam ‘Sugar Ray Leonard, And Other Noble Warriors’ 1987 1st British edition. Sports Pages, London. VG/VG (2) $15 each.
Sugar Ray Leonard and Other Noble Warriors is an eloquent, deeply perceptive collection of essays and profiles defending the artistry, psychology, and harsh realities of boxing. Written by novelist and Hofstra University English professor Sam Toperoff, the book elevates sports journalism into literary non-fiction. While primarily published in the US by McGraw-Hill, the true UK first edition hardcover was published by the legendary sports imprint Simon & Schuster / Sports Pages in London in 1987.
Book Description:
Toperoff uses his lifelong passion for the “Sweet Science” to construct a nuanced apology for a brutal sport, centering his observations around the iconic career of Sugar Ray Leonard.
• The Core Narrative: The text utilizes Sugar Ray Leonard as the ultimate embodiment of boxing’s highest ideals: an incredibly disciplined, charismatic, and brilliant tactician who mastered both the physical and financial aspects of the sport.
• The “Other Noble Warriors”: Beyond Leonard, Toperoff offers vignettes and razor-sharp profiles of other legendary prize-fighters, spanning figures like Muhammad Ali, Roberto Durán, Marvin Hagler, and Joe Louis.
• The Theme: Rather than glorifying violence, Toperoff focuses on the profound courage, loneliness, and dignity of fighters inside the ring. He examines the tragic contrast between their poetic mastery during a fight and the exploitation or psychological decline they often face outside of it.
First UK Edition Specifications:
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster, Limited / Sports Pages (London)
• Publication Date: 1987
• Binding: Hardcover with cloth-bound boards and gilt spine lettering.
• Dust Jacket: Features striking mid-80s boxing typography and imagery, distinctly branded under the “Sports Pages” imprint banner.
• Page Count: 212 pages.
• ISBN-10: 0671655159 / ISBN-13: 9780671655150.
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