Product Description

Born and raised in Wales, Freddie Welsh became World Champion a fortnight before the outbreak of the Great War. His was an outstanding record and, with his sharp business sense,Welsh was one of the first boxers to turn drama in the ring into cash outside it. He made his home in New York where he became a celebrity, dining with actors, playwrights, and gangsters. It was a way of life that was difficult even for wealthy men to sustain, and as Freddie's ring career faded away, so did his money. This fascinating biography explores not only Welsh's life but also the world of boxing in the early twentieth century, where being a champion could meet a defence every fortnight, in the grimiest and most brutal fashion. It also offers insights into American society of the period, where popular culture in all its forms entwined so that, for instance, Welsh would spar with F Scott Fitzgerald. With tough fights, big money, seedy associates, Welsh's story is the prototype of that of twentieth century boxing.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #544378 in Books
• Published on: 2006-11-30
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 380 pages

About the Author
Andrew Galimore is an independent television producer. His programmes include Celtic Fists, a series on boxing; a series for Channel 4 on war crimes, and, forthcoming, an exploration of the Book of Revelations.

Customer Reviews

Story of a Forgotten Great
Freddie Welsh is the forgotten great of British boxing, and Andrew Gallimore's long-overdue first biography of the Welsh wizard goes some way to explaining why, and to restoring him to his true place in the pantheon.
Welsh (real name Fred Thomas) reigned as world lightweight champion at a time when Europe was consumed by the Great War. He also plied his trade largely in the USA, and so didn't receive the recognition he deserved back in Britain, where he had a fractious relationship with the press and public. Most of all, however, he was an extremely complex, highly intelligent and somewhat eccentric character, not at all typical of the pugilist of the day. His original and unorthodox ideas on diet, training, fighting and just about every other topic must have puzzled many in the traditionalist fight fraternity. He travelled as a hobo, beat the best in the world, made and then squandered a fortune, turned to drink and died tragically young.
Gallimore has access to a wealth of fantastic material on Welsh, most of it I suspect drawn from the boxer's own collection of cuttings and diaries recently bequeathed to the National Library in Wales. His writing is not perhaps as vivid as his subject deserves, particularly when painting pictures of Welsh's opponents, but there is much to commend this book and the wealth of anecdote alone makes it a must for any boxing historian. Well done Seren Books for publishing it, though there's little excuse for the lousy title and jacket design and the atrocious quality of the photos.