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“At a time when criticsare expected to be publicists, and anything famous is ‘classic’ or ‘iconic,’Carlos Acevedo has managed to hold the line. The Devil Inside is asharp, hard-nosed aesthetic and cultural investigation into what everybody wasthrowing up about fifty years ago. It succeeds as criticism, history, andsocial analysis.”—Charles Taylor, film critic at Esquire, and authorof Opening Wednesday at a Theater or Drive-In Near You: The Shadow Cinema ofthe American ’70sIn 1973, The Exorcistleft moviegoers gripping their rosary beads, vomiting in their popcorn buckets,and fainting in the sticky aisles. Cynically marketed as a cursed productionbased on a “true story,” The Exorcist quickly became one of the mostcontroversial films ever released. With its groundbreaking special effects,relentless pace, and terrifying finale, the film revolutionized the horrorgenre and paved the way for future blockbusters.In The Devil Inside,Carlos Acevedo goes beyond the myths to examine the national uproar TheExorcist caused, as well as the dark, real-world effects it had on ajittery audience. Until now, books about The Exorcist have largelyperpetuated its legends while overlooking its cultural background. The DevilInside places the film in its cinematic and social context—as a product ofthe New Hollywood, when maverick directors hijacked the film industry, and aspart of the supernatural trends of the times, when the occult permeated music,books, and movies. From the originalpossession case that inspired the novel to the troubled production to theconflicts on the set to the uptick in demands for actual exorcisms, TheDevil Inside sheds new light on a shocking phenomenon that has remained apop-culture touchstone for fifty years.

"Toft adeptly shows this to be the legacy Ron Lyle left behind, one that stands shoulder-to-shoulder with a boxing legacy that is nothing short of remarkable."—Rafael Garcia, The Fight City"[Ron Lyle's] life was a remarkable one and the story of it worth re-telling, which makes the book’s new edition thoroughly welcome. Off The Ropes is absolutely recommended reading."—Gary Lucken, Boxing Monthly "Nobody ever hit me that hard. No question. I’ll remember that punch on my deathbed. A great puncher, a great guy."—Earnie ShaversIn a life as tough as his battles in the ring, Ron Lyle had already served hard time for second-degree murder before he started his amateur boxing career at the age of twenty-nine. After he turned pro, fans knew him as the man who had Muhammad Ali beat on the scorecards for ten rounds in a fight for the heavyweight title; as the man who fought George Foreman in a legendary brawl with four knockdowns that nearly saw Foreman knocked cold; and as the man who was arrested for murder a second time.Off the Ropes: The Ron Lyle Story is not your typical boxing biography, exploring not only the greatest era of heavyweights in boxing history, but also telling an equally compelling personal tale. Ron Lyle grew up in the Denver projects, one of nineteen children in a tight-knit, religious family. At twenty, he was convicted for a disputed gang killing and served seven and a half years at the Colorado State Penitentiary at Cañon City, where at one point he was nearly shanked to death, and where he learned to box before he was paroled in 1969.After a meteoric amateur career, he turned pro in 1971, and over the next six years established an outstanding professional record, which, in addition to the near misses against Ali and Foreman, included a brutal knockout win over one of the era's most feared fighters, big-punching Earnie Shavers.Then, in 1978, Lyle was indicted for murder a second time and, even though he was acquitted, his career was effectively over. The years that followed were filled with struggle, a captivating love story, and eventual redemption. Today, a youth center in Denver that he ran still bears his name.Off the Ropes: The Ron Lyle Story is the poignant, uplifting biography of a singular man.

No boxing book collection is complete without the classic, award-winning, Dark Trade: Lost in Boxing. With this updated edition, brought to the United States for the first time, the original cover art by fine artist Amanda Kelley, depicting James "Lights Out" Toney, a central figure in the book's gripping narrative, makes this a gorgeous and essential addition to any boxing fan's collection. "McRae brings to the highly charged, obsessive world of professional boxing a novelist's eye and ear for revealing detail and convincingly recalled dialogue. This is an impassioned book."--Joyce Carol Oates, LA Times "At the heart of this engaging and eloquent work...is McRae and his intriguing attempts to explain his 'seemingly illogical but enduring love' of boxing."--Kirkus Reviews Dark Trade: Lost in Boxing, by Donald McRae, award-winning author of twelve non-fiction books and staff writer for The Guardian, is widely considered of one of the best boxing books all time. This is a new edition, released in the United States for the first time, that includes a new chapter by the author, plus a stunning cover that features a painting of boxer James Toney by noted boxing artist Amanda Kelley. There is no other sport like boxing. Over twenty years ago, Donald McRae set out across the United States and his adopted home, Britain, to find deeper meaning in the brutal trade that had transfixed him since he was a young man. The result is a stunning chronicle that captures not only McRae's compelling personal journey through the world of professional prizefighting, but also the stories of some of its biggest names in boxing--James Toney, Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield, Oscar De La Hoya, Naseem Hamed, Roy Jones, Jr., and others. Singular in his ability to uncover the emotional forces that drive men to get into the ring, McRae brilliantly exposes the hopes and fears and obsessions of these legendary fighters, while revealing some of his own along the way. What he shares with them most, he comes to realize, is that he is hopelessly, and willingly, lost in boxing. Table of Contents Introduction 1 The Baddest Man 2 The Force 3 This Is Boxing, Baby 4 Oscar's Night 5 The King and the Prince 6 Guns and Fathers 7 Looking on Darkness 8 Death and the Man 9 The Cinderella Men 10 The Soldier Boy 11 Nothing Is Forever 12 The Beacon 13 The Bite 14 Fading Away 15 Still Lost in Boxing Acknowledgments

"Excellent."—Times Literary SupplementThe battle between Marvelous Marvin Hagler and Thomas Hearns is remembered as one of the greatest fights of all time. But in the months before the two finally collided on April 15, 1985, there was a feeling in the air that boxing was in trouble. The biggest name in the business, Sugar Ray Leonard, was retired with no logical replacement in sight, while the American Medical Association was calling for a ban on the sport.With Hagler–Hearns looking like boxing's last hurrah, promoter Bob Arum embarked on one the most audacious publicity campaigns in history, hyping the bout until the entire country was captivated. Arum's task was difficult. He'd spent years trying and failing to make Hagler a star, while Hearns was a gifted but inconsistent performer. Could Arum possibly get a memorable fight out of these two moody, unpredictable warriors?The Hagler–Hearns fight is now part of history, but The War by Don Stradley explores the many factors behind the event, and how it helped establish what many feel was boxing's greatest era. No book, not even George Kimball’s classic, Four Kings, has focused solely on this legendary fight involving two of those "Four Kings" that boxing fans have revered for their skills and willingness to take on challenges that many fighters do not take in today's boxing landscape.With additional commentary from many who were there, Stradley shows the unlikely path taken by two fighters searching for greatness. They didn't care how many punches they endured, as long as it led to stardom. When the fight was over, however, each learned that fame inflicted its own kind of damage.

"The masterful art of chess, Kung-fu sword play, and the sweet science of boxing are all hip-hop expressions that connect us universally. Beatboxing tells the story. It's razor sharp."—Masta Killa, Wu-Tang Clan“I love how Todd Snyder's brain works. Like him, I love hip hop, and I love boxing. But I've never seen someone tie them together so well, detailing their shared history, the way each impacted the other and the personalities involved. Beatboxing is written with such tethering, with that kind of impact and insight. It might be my favorite sports book—since the last one Snyder wrote.” —Greg Bishop, Sports IllustratedStep into a world of rap moguls turned fight promoters, boxers turned rappers, and rappers turned boxers. From Mike Tyson to Tupac, from Roy Jones Jr. to J Prince, explore how a cultural collision forever altered the relationship between music, race, sports, and politics.Daryl McDonald of Run-DMC once said that the rhyme Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee! The hands can’t hit what the eyes can’t see! was hip-hop’s most famous lyric. Muhammad Ali’s poetic brilliance and swagger—ignited by hype man Bundini Brown—gave hip-hop artists the template from which they forged their identities and performed their art. Hip-hop’s impact on boxing, on the other hand, has not been explored. Until now.In Beatboxing, Todd Snyder uncovers the unique connection between hip-hop and the sweet science, tracing a grassroots cultural movement from its origins in the South Bronx to its explosion across the globe and ultimately into the charged environment of the prize ring. Featuring interviews with champion fighters and music legends, this is the definitive book about an enduring phenomenon and is a must-read for boxing and hip-hop fans alike.

“Ferranti continues to amaze us with the most infamousOGs and their unfathomable street life.”—The Source“Seth Ferranti is one of the most prolific true-crime writers of our era. He knows the street game inside and out. From the streets to the penitentiary, nobody rates better.”—“White Boy Rick” WersheFrom the penitentiary to the streets, it’s on and popping. Thug life is more than spitting rhymes or hustling on the corner.Thugs live and die on the streets or end up in the “belly of the beast.” Rappers name-drop guns by model number and call out drug dealers by name. Gangsta rap is crack-era nostalgia taken to the extreme. It’s a world where rappers emulate their favorite hood stars in videos, celebrate their names in verse, and make ghetto heroes out of gangsters. But what happens when hip-hop and organized crime collide?From the blocks in Queens where Supreme and Murder Inc. held court to the neighborhoods of Los Angeles where Harry-O and Death Row made their names to Rap-A-Lot Records and J Prince in Houston, whenever rap moguls rose the street legends weren’t far behind. From Bad Boy Records and Anthony “Wolf” Jones in New York to Gucci Mane and the Black Mafia Family in Atlanta to Too Short and Daryl Reed in the Bay Area, thug life wasn’t glamorous. The shit on the street was real. In the game there was a common struggle to get out of the gutter. Cats were trying to get their piece of the American Dream by any means necessary. Drug game equals rap game equals hip-hop hustler.In Thug Life, Seth Ferranti takes you on a journey to a world where gangsterism mixes with hip-hop, a journey of pimps, stick-up kids, numbers men, drug dealers, thugs, players, gangstas, hustlers, and of course the rappers who live dual lives in entertainment and crime. The common denominator? Money, power, and respect.

Shortlisted for the 2021 William Hill Sports Book of The Year award.“This is the book that boxing has always needed...It is shattering yet moving, informative yet tender...An essential read for anyone who cares about boxing and its courageous, damaged fighters.”—Donald McRae, The Guardian“Anyone who loves boxing—even the sport's most die-hard supporters—must take a longer and more serious look at the issues that Tris Dixon writes about with such nuance and humanity in Damage...”—Greg Bishop, Senior Writer, Sports IllustratedIt’s an old story—a fighter gains fame, drives fast cars, makes piles of cash, and dates beautiful women. Then comes the fall—booze, drugs, depression, poverty, illness. This dark narrative has been playing out for a hundred years.Doctors first identified “Punch Drunk Syndrome” in 1928. It later became known as “Dementia Pugilistica.” Today, we call it CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy). The secret history of this disease in boxing has never been fully told— until now.In Damage, Tris Dixon uncovers the difficult truths of boxing and CTE and chronicles the lives of fighters affected by it. He interviews some of the sport’s biggest names, some lesser-known journeymen, and highly respected trainers and other figures to try to understand why no one wants to discuss CTE or take responsibility for it. Ultimately, Dixon takes aim at what boxing can do to help the warriors who sacrifice their health seeking glory in the ring. Will this book finally drive the sport to address the issue and help fighters get the help they deserve?

“Smart, engaging...”—PopMatters“Fascinating, informative, extraordinary, and essential reading for the legions of Jim Morrison fans.”—Midwest Book ReviewShrouded in mystery and the swirling psychedelic sounds of the Sixties, the Doors have captivated listeners across seven decades. Jim Morrison—haunted, beautiful, and ultimately doomed—transformed from rock god to American icon. With each successive generation of fans, the Doors become more popular and transcendent. Yet the band’s full significance is buried beneath layers of mythology and folklore.In Roadhouse Blues, Bob Batchelor presents an epic tale of one of rock’s (and America’s) most significant periods, as the Age of Aquarius gave way to a new age of mayhem, presidential misdeeds, and murder. Batchelor combines cultural history, musical and lyrical analysis, and a broad stroke of pop-culture mythos to give fresh perspective on a pivotal time.Candid, authoritative, and utterly absorbing, Roadhouse Blues is a biography of a man, a band, and an era that set the tone for the contemporary world. Beyond the mythology, the hype, and the mystique around Morrison’s untimely death, this book takes readers on a roller-coaster ride, examining the impact the band had on America as the nation veered from decadence to debauchery.“We’re gonna have a real good time!”

"Excellent."—Times Literary Supplement The battle between Marvelous Marvin Hagler and Thomas Hearns is remembered as one of the greatest fights of all time. But in the months before the two finally collided on April 15, 1985, there was a feeling in the air that boxing was in trouble. The biggest name in the business, Sugar Ray Leonard, was retired with no logical replacement in sight, while the American Medical Association was calling for a ban on the sport.With Hagler–Hearns looking like boxing's last hurrah, promoter Bob Arum embarked on one the most audacious publicity campaigns in history, hyping the bout until the entire country was captivated. Arum's task was difficult. He'd spent years trying and failing to make Hagler a star, while Hearns was a gifted but inconsistent performer. Could Arum possibly get a memorable fight out of these two moody, unpredictable warriors?The Hagler–Hearns fight is now part of history, but The War by Don Stradley explores the many factors behind the event, and how it helped establish what many feel was boxing's greatest era. No book, not even George Kimball’s classic, Four Kings, has focused solely on this legendary fight involving two of those "Four Kings" that boxing fans have revered for their skills and willingness to take on challenges that many fighters do not take in today's boxing landscape.With additional commentary from many who were there, Stradley shows the unlikely path taken by two fighters searching for greatness. They didn't care how many punches they endured, as long as it led to stardom. When the fight was over, however, each learned that fame inflicted its own kind of damage.

“Sweeney's forensic research shines through an entertaining book that is athoroughly delicious slice of Irish-Americana.”—Irish Times "What makes the story of Murphy’s professional wrestling career so fascinating is the way Sweeney sets the scene for many of his matches...From the booming voice of “Whitey” Kaunfer welcoming cold patrons to the Old Mechanics Building to the sweaty, bloody, and crowded confines of the Boston Arena dressing room, Sweeney does an exceptional job... If you are considering this book for its wrestling content, you will certainly enjoy what you find."—Slam WrestlingNewspaperscalled him the “the man with the cast-iron toes,” “the best drop-kicker inwrestling,” and “one of the mat game's biggest box office attractions.” But Dr.John “Dropkick” Murphy's legacy extends far beyond the wrestling ring. Decadesbefore the Betty Ford Center became a household name — and long before the bandthe Dropkick Murphys named themselves in his honor — the phrase going toDropkick’s meant a person struggling with addiction needed help and would soonget some.This book chronicles for the first time the unbelievable life of Dropkick Murphy, a professionalwrestler who put himself through medical school during the Great Depression andthen opened Bellows Farm, a one-of-a-kind institution that served as both a facilitywhere elite athletes could train as well as a secluded place wheredown-on-their-luck alcoholics could go to sober up discreetly.Thecelebrities who frequented Dropkick Murphy’s farm were many, and numerous professionalathletes would go there to focus on their training and work out in hisstate-of-the-art gymnasium. As a result, Bellows Farm featured an unrivaled andrevolving cast of colorful characters who brought it to life. Drawing on yearsof research and interviews, author Emily Sweeney goes behind the scenes toreveal the untold story of Murphy’s life, his farm, and the legendary eventsthat unfolded there.

“Since the inception of the Marquess of Queensberry rules boxing has understood the need to be safer. While there have been some rule changes through the years, many have been like applying an ‘enswell’ to reduce swelling. In his latest book, When in Doubt Stop the Bout, Mike Silver asks the hard questions and offers serious and innovative solutions that will make the sport safer without diluting its primal appeal. Anyone who cares about boxing and the fighters who put themselves at risk should read this book.”—Teddy Atlas, Hall of Fame trainer and boxing analystIn When in Doubt, Stop the Bout, renowned boxing historian Mike Silver presents a shocking exposé of the sordid underbelly of professional boxing, and uncovers the sport’s criminally flawed infrastructure and those responsible for it.From compromised referees to poorly trained ringside physicians to an insidious cartel of “sanctioning organizations” approving dangerous mismatches, Silver lays bare the corruption, the negligence, and the incompetence that has made a dangerous sport even more dangerous.But aside from unmasking the chaotic mess that afflicts boxing, this book for the first time proposes groundbreaking practical solutions that will mitigate the danger and save lives. Penetrating and persuasive, When in Doubt, Stop the Bout will change forever how you see the sport of boxing.

“Blood& Hate reads like a thriller: a raw, unflinching saga of survival,betrayal, and the kind of obsession that turns underdogs into kings. Wedgedelivers Hagler’s story like a haymaker to the jaw—brutal, brilliant, andimpossible to forget.”—Ben Mezrich, New York Times bestsellingauthor of The Accidental Billionaires, Bringing Down theHouse and Dumb Money. Mostknow Marvelous Marvin Hagler from his epic battles against Thomas Hearnsand John Mugabi and his controversial split-decision loss to Sugar Ray Leonard.But it is his escape from riot-torn Newark in the late 1960s, the unbreakablebond he built with the Petronelli brothers, and his 1980 title fight againstBritain’s Alan Minter—with its deep racial animus—that captures the real storyof Hagler.In Blood& Hate, New York Times bestselling author Dave Wedgetells the riveting and inspirational tale of how Hagler overcame incredibleodds, joined with Goody and Pat Petronelli to rise through the rigged ranks,and morphed from a fatherless teenager in Brockton, Massachusetts, intoMarvelous Marvin Hagler, one of the best boxers ever and arguably the greatestmiddleweight in history.Throughexclusive interviews with Bob Arum, the Petronelli and Hagler families, and awho's who of the boxing world, Blood & Hate revealsfascinating details about Hagler's early life as well as the legendary Minterfight, and once and for all delivers the definitive chronicle of MarvelousMarvin Hagler.

"It's a riotous, raucous story, and Wightman is particularly adept at bringing the people around her to life . . . An often exhilarating ride."—Kirkus ReviewsHow did a debutante from LakeForest, Illinois, end up in Boston's notorious “Combat Zone” and become itsmost famous stripper? What led her to convert to Islam and get engaged to CatStevens? And how did she end up traveling and performing with Andy Kaufman and hosting a radioshow for the sexually bewildered opposite Dr. Ruth?In 1977, an eighteen-year-old LucyJohnson stripped out of her bellbottoms and Birkenstocks and was crowned thefeature attraction at the Naked i Cabaret. Local and national media took noteof her toney background and, for the next eleven years, she strutted her wayinto Beantown history as the "Socialite Stripper."In Princess Cheyenne, LucyWightman recounts her wild, Zeligesque life both in and out of the Naked i. Smart and uproarious, this is the untold story of a legendary performer whose stage name is synonymous with “The Zone,” Boston's most mythical district, and a fount of nostalgia and wonder tothis day.

"It's a riotous, raucous story, and Wightman is particularly adept at bringing the people around her to life . . . An often exhilarating ride."—Kirkus ReviewsHow did a debutante from LakeForest, Illinois, end up in Boston's notorious “Combat Zone” and become itsmost famous stripper? What led her to convert to Islam and get engaged to CatStevens? And how did she end up traveling and performing with Andy Kaufman and hosting a radioshow for the sexually bewildered opposite Dr. Ruth?In 1977, an eighteen-year-old LucyJohnson stripped out of her bellbottoms and Birkenstocks and was crowned thefeature attraction at the Naked i Cabaret. Local and national media took noteof her toney background and, for the next eleven years, she strutted her wayinto Beantown history as the "Socialite Stripper."In Princess Cheyenne, LucyWightman recounts her wild, Zeligesque life both in and out of the Naked i. Smart and uproarious, this is the untold story of a legendary performer whose stage name is synonymous with “The Zone,” Boston's most mythical district, and a fount of nostalgia and wonder tothis day.