Van Every, Edward – Joe Louis. Man and Super-Fighter

Description

Van Every, Edward ‘Joe Louis. Man and Super-Fighter’ 1936 1st edition. Frederick A. Stokes Company, New York. 183-pages. Scarce. Front inner hinge loosening but intact, otherwise good condition. has a book stamp on the inside of the front cover that reads: “HAROLD R. FISHER. 3938 – 5TH ST. N.E., COL. HEIGHTS, MINN.”

The 1936 first edition hardcover of Joe Louis: Man and Super-Fighter by Edward Van Every is a 183-page early biography published in New York by the Frederick A. Stokes Company. Written by a prominent New York Sun sportswriter, this volume is historically significant as one of the very first full-length biographies published on Louis, capturing his meteoric rise in real-time before he had even captured the world heavyweight title.

Book Details:
• Author: Edward Van Every
• Publisher: Frederick A. Stokes Company, New York
• Publication Year: 1936 (Stated First Edition)
• Format: Hardcover octavo (8vo), bound in original brown cloth with yellow/gilt title lettering stamped on the spine and front board. It was originally issued with a pictorial dust jacket retailing for $1.00.
• Length: 183 pages.

Content & Overview:
• The Making of a Sensation: Written when Louis was still considered a rising contender, the book chronicles his rapid transformation from an unknown Ford automotive plant worker in Detroit into what the media dubbed the “greatest human fighting machine”.
• Early Record & Strategy: Van Every meticulously deconstructs Louis’s early amateur bouts and his first professional matches. The narrative provides ring-side atmospheres, training camp insights, and an analysis of his calm composure and fighting strategy.
• Social Context: Beyond the sports statistics, the text is highly regarded by historians for explicitly addressing the racial barriers of the 1930s, portraying how Louis navigated systemic prejudice and his unique role as a representative of his race.
• Illustrations: The book is complete with a sharp, black-and-white photographic frontispiece showing a full-body action picture of a young Joe Louis.