The rocks in God's highway: The Sobek middle Zambezi expedition and its antecendents (Occasional study / Zambia Geograhical Association)
Average customer rating: Not rated
    The rocks in God's highway: The Sobek middle Zambezi expedition and its antecendents (Occasional study / Zambia Geograhical Association)
    J. Dennis Huckabay
    Manufacturer: Zambia Geographical Association
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Unknown Binding

    AfricaAfrica | History | Subjects | Books | African Studies | Algeria | Angola | Benin | Botswana | Central Africa | Comoros | Democratic Republic of Congo | Djibouti | East Africa | Egypt | Equatorial Guinea | Eritrea | Ethiopia | Gabon | Gambia | General | Ghana | Guinea | Guinea Bissau | Ivory Coast | Kenya | Lesotho | Liberia | Libya | Madagascar | Malawi | Mali | Mauritania | Morocco | Mozambique | Namibia | Niger | Nigeria | North Africa | Rwanda | Sao Tome and Principe | Senegal | Sierra Leone | Somalia | South Africa | Southern Africa | Sudan | Swaziland | Tanzania | Togo | Tunisia | Uganda | West Africa | Western Sahara | Zambia | Zimbabwe
    RaftingRafting | Water Sports | Sports | Subjects | Books
    ASIN: 9982800027
    The Zambezi: River of the Gods
    Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    • A Lush Coffee Table Book About The Legendary River
    The Zambezi: River of the Gods
    Jan Teede , and Fiona Teede
    Manufacturer: Andre Deutsch Ltd
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Hardcover

    Collections, Catalogues & ExhibitionsCollections, Catalogues & Exhibitions | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
    AfricaAfrica | Travel | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
    AfricaAfrica | History | Subjects | Books | African Studies | Algeria | Angola | Benin | Botswana | Central Africa | Comoros | Democratic Republic of Congo | Djibouti | East Africa | Egypt | Equatorial Guinea | Eritrea | Ethiopia | Gabon | Gambia | General | Ghana | Guinea | Guinea Bissau | Ivory Coast | Kenya | Lesotho | Liberia | Libya | Madagascar | Malawi | Mali | Mauritania | Morocco | Mozambique | Namibia | Niger | Nigeria | North Africa | Rwanda | Sao Tome and Principe | Senegal | Sierra Leone | Somalia | South Africa | Southern Africa | Sudan | Swaziland | Tanzania | Togo | Tunisia | Uganda | West Africa | Western Sahara | Zambia | Zimbabwe
    GeneralGeneral | Nature & Ecology | Science | Subjects | Books
    GeneralGeneral | Africa | Travel | Subjects | Books
    GeneralGeneral | Travel | Subjects | Books
    ASIN: 0233985921

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars A Lush Coffee Table Book About The Legendary River.......2005-07-23

    I loved it. I'm going on safari to the river soon and I wanted something that would give me history and beautiful photographs to help me prepare. This book is all that and, includes some beautiful drawings of the wildlife.

    This book belongs in the collection of any Africaphile.

    Golf's 100 Toughest Holes
    Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
    • Timeless Book
    • No Layout
    Golf's 100 Toughest Holes
    Chris Millard
    Manufacturer: "Harry N. Abrams, Inc."
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Hardcover

    GeneralGeneral | Golf | Sports | Subjects | Books
    CoursesCourses | Golf | Sports | Subjects | Books
    GeneralGeneral | Sports | Subjects | Books
    Similar Items:
    1. Fifty Places to Play Golf Before You Die: Golf Experts Share the World's Greatest Destinations Fifty Places to Play Golf Before You Die: Golf Experts Share the World's Greatest Destinations
    2. Golf Courses of the World: 365 Days Golf Courses of the World: 365 Days
    3. Lost Balls: Great Holes, Tough Shots, and Bad Lies Lost Balls: Great Holes, Tough Shots, and Bad Lies
    4. Extreme Golf: The World's Most Unusual, Fantastic And Bizarre Courses Extreme Golf: The World's Most Unusual, Fantastic And Bizarre Courses
    5. Golf's Best New Destinations Golf's Best New Destinations

    ASIN: 0810950103

    Book Description

    Each year during the Players Championship spectators gather at the 17th hole of the TPC at Sawgrass to see who will sink or swim. With water awaiting a miss in any direction, the tee shot is indeed a scary one-especially if the wind is blowing.

    The 17th at the Old Course at St. Andrews may be the only hole in the world that requires players to drive over a building in order to reach the fairway. Terror awaits at the green in the form of a devilish bunker from which even the best players may need several strokes to escape.

    These and 98 other confounding, challenging holes-selected by noted golf writer Chris Millard as the toughest in the world-are the subject of this engaging, informative golf book. First-rate photography brings out the beauty to be found in these beasts. In putting together this authoritative list and explaining what makes each hole so difficult, Millard draws upon his own knowledge as well as statistical data and consultations with other experts. His choices will be spur discussion and debate among avid golfers for years to come.

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars Timeless Book.......2006-03-14

    This book definitely shows some really tough, famous holes. However, there are definitely some tougher holes on not so famaus golf courses. Nevertheless, the pictures are very well-done and this book takes a permanent place in my home library.

    If you are looking for great golf instruction, I definitely would get "The Ultimate Golf Instruction Guide:Key Techniques for Becoming a Zero Handicap Golfer or Better", isbn#1933023090. This book was a life-saver because now I can actually hit more fairways and greeens because of it.

    4 out of 5 stars No Layout.......2005-12-22

    The book is highly enjoyable and contains great photography. The description of the holes is superb. I would prefer it if it contained a diagram or layout of the hole, to be able to better visualize the descriptions. Not knowing the courses, it is hard to ascertain, from the photographs, where the tee is located. Otherwise, an excellent book. Good buy.
    Fifty Places to Play Golf Before You Die/Golf's 100 Toughest Holes Two-Pack: A Special Set for Amazon.com Shoppers
    Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
    • A great set!
    • Very nice book.
    Fifty Places to Play Golf Before You Die/Golf's 100 Toughest Holes Two-Pack: A Special Set for Amazon.com Shoppers
    Chris Santella , and Chris Millard
    Manufacturer: Harry N. Abrams, Inc.
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Hardcover

    AmazonAmazon | Brazil | South America | Latin America | Travel | Subjects | Books
    GeneralGeneral | Golf | Sports | Subjects | Books
    Look Inside Sports BooksLook Inside Sports Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
    Look Inside Travel BooksLook Inside Travel Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
    All DealsAll Deals | Blowout Books | Stores | Books
    TravelTravel | Blowout Books | Stores | Books
    Similar Items:
    1. Golf Courses of the World: 365 Days Golf Courses of the World: 365 Days
    2. Golf's Best New Destinations Golf's Best New Destinations
    3. Golf's 100 Toughest Holes Golf's 100 Toughest Holes
    4. Fifty Places to Fly Fish Before You Die Fifty Places to Fly Fish Before You Die
    5. How I Learned to Cook: Culinary Educations from the World's Greatest Chefs How I Learned to Cook: Culinary Educations from the World's Greatest Chefs

    ASIN: 081098833X

    Book Description

    A special two-book set exclusively available to Amazon.com customers: two great golf travel titles to keep or to give as a gift.

    For both passionate golfers and armchair travelers, this gorgeous full-color book presents the world's greatest golf venues, the personal favorites of renowned players, course architects, and other experts in the sport. From Ballyliffin, Ireland's northernmost course, whose rumpled fairways wander along the North Sea in the shadows of Glashedy Rock, to New Zealand's Cape Kidnappers, perched atop dramatic cliffs some 500 feet above the ocean, the book's beautiful photographs capture the architecture, noteworthy holes, location, and ambiance that make these courses standouts for ardent golfers. A brief history of each course, an experiential account-filled with local color-from the person recommending the venue, and trip-planning advice provide adventurous readers with all the information they need to chip and putt their way around the globe.

    A close-up look at golf's top courses around the world, recommended by such experts as Nick Faldo and Christie Kerr (pro golfers), Pete Dye and Tom Doak (course architects), Brian McCallen (editor and author), and Donald Trump. With breathtaking color photographs of each site, this is a great gift for avid golfers and armchair travelers alike.

    Each year during the Players Championship spectators gather at the 17th hole of the TPC at Sawgrass to see who will sink or swim. With water awaiting a miss in any direction, the tee shot is indeed a scary one-especially if the wind is blowing.

    The 17th at the Old Course at St. Andrews may be the only hole in the world that requires players to drive over a building in order to reach the fairway. Terror awaits at the green in the form of a devilish bunker from which even the best players may need several strokes to escape.

    These and 98 other confounding, challenging holes-selected by noted golf writer Chris Millard as the toughest in the world-are the subject of this engaging, informative golf book. First-rate photography brings out the beauty to be found in these beasts. In putting together this authoritative list and explaining what makes each hole so difficult, Millard draws upon his own knowledge as well as statistical data and consultations with other experts. His choices will spur discussion and debate among avid golfers for years to come.

    Customer Reviews:

    4 out of 5 stars A great set!.......2007-07-29

    This would be a great fathers day gift -that is, if your father plays golf. I actually bought this for myself and while there isnt a whole lot of reading in either book the photographs alone make this purchase worth it. There are truly come breathtaking shots in these books.

    5 out of 5 stars Very nice book........2007-06-20

    Looks beautiful on my husband's office, and he absolutely loves it. A perfect gift for any golfer.
    Golf's 100 Toughest Holes
    Average customer rating: Not rated
      Golf's 100 Toughest Holes

      Manufacturer: Easton Press
      ProductGroup: Book
      Binding: Leather Bound

      GeneralGeneral | Golf | Sports | Subjects | Books
      ASIN: B000FVW2IM

      Product Description

      This leatherbound book is accented in 22kt gold!
      Golf's 100 Toughest Holes
      Average customer rating: Not rated
        Golf's 100 Toughest Holes

        Manufacturer: Easton Press
        ProductGroup: Book
        Binding: Leather Bound
        ASIN: B000FUMC42

        Israel on Your Own (Passports Runaway Travel Guides)
        Average customer rating: Not rated
          Israel on Your Own (Passports Runaway Travel Guides)
          Harriet Greenberg
          Manufacturer: Passport Books
          ProductGroup: Book
          Binding: Paperback

          AsiaAsia | History | Subjects | Books | Afghanistan | Armenia | Bangladesh | Belarus | Bhutan | Brunei | Cambodia | Central Asia | China | Far East | General | Georgia | Hong Kong | India | Indonesia | Japan | Korea | Laos | Malaysia | Maldives | Mauritius | Mongolia | Myanmar | Nepal | Pakistan | Philippines | Russia | Seychelles | Singapore | South Asia | Southeast Asia | Sri Lanka | Taiwan | Thailand | Tibet | Turkey | Vietnam
          GeneralGeneral | Asia | Travel | Subjects | Books
          GuidebooksGuidebooks | Reference & Tips | Travel | Subjects | Books
          Passport TravelPassport Travel | Guidebook Series | Travel | Subjects | Books
          GeneralGeneral | Israel | Middle East | Travel | Subjects | Books
          GeneralGeneral | Travel | Subjects | Books
          Look Inside Travel BooksLook Inside Travel Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
          Similar Items:
          1. Frommer's Israel Frommer's Israel
          2. Streetwise Jerusalem (Streetwise) Streetwise Jerusalem (Streetwise)

          ASIN: 0844296430
          At the Side of David: A Multiple-Ending Bible Adventure (Multiple-Ending Bible Adventures)
          Average customer rating: Not rated
            At the Side of David: A Multiple-Ending Bible Adventure (Multiple-Ending Bible Adventures)
            Eric Pakulak
            Manufacturer: Pauline Books & Media
            ProductGroup: Book
            Binding: Paperback

            ChristianChristian | Fiction | Religions | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
            OtherOther | Fiction | Religions | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
            Ages 9-12Ages 9-12 | Christianity | Religions | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
            GeneralGeneral | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
            ASIN: 0819807680
            The Giant Killer and the Jealous King (Decide Your Own Adventure, 2)
            Average customer rating: Not rated
              The Giant Killer and the Jealous King (Decide Your Own Adventure, 2)
              Susan E. Hilliard
              Manufacturer: Standard Pub
              ProductGroup: Book
              Binding: Paperback

              GeneralGeneral | Bible | Christianity | Religions | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
              GeneralGeneral | Religions | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
              GeneralGeneral | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
              GeneralGeneral | Baby-3 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
              JewishJewish | Ethnic & National | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
              ASIN: 0874035821

              Shadow Boxers: Sweat, Sacrifice & the Will to Survive in American Boxing Gyms
              Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
              • Good Choice for Boxing Fans
              • Balanced writing, brilliant photographs--unignorable!
              • A unique insight into the world of professional gyms
              Shadow Boxers: Sweat, Sacrifice & the Will to Survive in American Boxing Gyms

              Manufacturer: Stone Creek Publications
              ProductGroup: Book
              Binding: Hardcover

              Photo EssaysPhoto Essays | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
              BoxingBoxing | Individual Sports | Sports | Subjects | Books
              GeneralGeneral | Sports | Subjects | Books
              Look Inside Sports BooksLook Inside Sports Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
              All TitlesAll Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
              Similar Items:
              1. White Collar Boxing: One Man's Journey from the Office to the Ring White Collar Boxing: One Man's Journey from the Office to the Ring
              2. The Greatest Boxing Stories Ever Told: Thirty-Six Incredible Tales from the Ring (Greatest) The Greatest Boxing Stories Ever Told: Thirty-Six Incredible Tales from the Ring (Greatest)
              3. The Hardest Game : McIlvanney on Boxing The Hardest Game : McIlvanney on Boxing
              4. Cut Time: An Education at the Fights Cut Time: An Education at the Fights
              5. "In This Corner-- !": Forty-Two World Champions Tell Their Stories "In This Corner-- !": Forty-Two World Champions Tell Their Stories

              ASIN: 0965633829

              Book Description

              Boxing gyms are uncovered in all of their glorious grunge in these photographs and essays that reveal both the stark reality of success and the possibility of promise in the sport of boxing. This intimate look at the fighters, trainers, and hangers-on who inhabit these gyms brings to life the tough—and surprisingly tender—world of American boxing. Evocative images reveal the pain, sacrifice, and discipline of the "sweet science" as well as the triumphs, tragedies, and big dreams of the men and women who practice it. A dozen essays by veteran boxing writers such as Katherine Dunn, Carlo Rotella, Kate Sekules, F. X. Toole, Lucius Shepard, Robert Anasi, Loic Wacquant, Joe Rein, and Ralph Wiley explore the community and culture of boxing gyms, an endangered American institution that serves not only as the training ground for the next generation of great fighters, but as a sanctuary in tough neighborhoods, a lifeline for troubled kids, and a repository of a centuries-old tradition of pugilistic knowledge.

              Customer Reviews:

              5 out of 5 stars Good Choice for Boxing Fans.......2006-08-04

              This book is filled with inspiring photographs as well as many interesting, educational, and thoughtful texts to go along. I love to watch boxing and admire the heart of the sport. This book encaptures that vulnerable side of the sweet science. I highly reccommend this to all boxing fans.

              5 out of 5 stars Balanced writing, brilliant photographs--unignorable!.......2005-06-06

              Shadow Boxers is a miracle of a Father's Day gift. Not without a fight, however, will pop hold onto the book--not while his wife and children are around to read it and, of course, look at it.

              The universal appeal of Shadow Boxers owes much to its balanced tone, primal subject, and powerful contributors. Here are writers contending in their own prize rings--Esquire, The New Yorker, National Geographic, Time Magazine, Harper's--for trophies as big as the National Book Award and The Best American Sports Writing. Katherine Dunn, especially, packs a mean punch; again and again she finds your solar plexus before you've finished her first paragraph. (A sample: "One day many years ago, I rode my press credential into a busy boxing gym and was shocked to see a hard-punching monster known as Frankie `The Preacher Man' doing push-ups in the ring with his year-old son sprawled on his back. Amid the din of ringing bells, drumming speed bags, and smacking leather, the baby slept, his long lashes fanned across the chubby cheeks, rocking in the smooth rise and fall of his father's powerful shoulders.")

              The photographs alone are worth the cost of admission. Jim Lommasson approaches his subject with the hard-hitting nostalgia of Annie Leibovitz, alongside whose photos of bluesmen, rockers, and gospel singers these fighter shots necessarily belong. Indeed, Pottery Barn has yet to make the coffee table worthy of holding Lommasson and Liebovitz's rock-solid studies of two deep-dyed national passions: Shadow Boxers and American Music (Random House, 2003).

              Shadow Boxers opens with a foreword by heavyweight champ Joe Frazier (sole inspiration of the beef-punching scene in Rocky) and features a brief but vivid history of boxing gyms.

              The ensuing essays abound with keenly observed ironies about the noble science (e.g., "The game is brutal, but its core is strangely gentle"; "It's dawned on me over the years that there is less macho posturing in boxing gyms than in the average corporate boardroom"), and with crisp details (e.g., the memorable description of Larry Holmes' "jump jab," and the sketch of a city gym in Portland, Oregon, where "a speed bag hung several feet above a wooden pallet, which was used to help children reach the leather punching bag"). So, too, do the essays abound with sharp personal accounts (e.g., a Golden Glove champ who "never weighed more than 140 pounds" and who first entered the gym owing to his girlfriend's parting shot: "you're not man enough"), and with touching accounts of young hoods meeting the coaches who might not only change their lives but save them.

              To read Shadow Boxers is to feel the strange warmth, the beckoning glow of boxing gyms, those shabby sanctuaries where individuals can still find a devoted mentor, a group of brothers and sisters, a path toward redemption.

              5 out of 5 stars A unique insight into the world of professional gyms.......2005-06-06

              Enhanced with a foreword by the renowned world heavyweight champion Joe Frazier, Shadow Boxers: Sweat, Sacrifice & The Will To Survive is compiled and edited by photographer Jim Lommasson, who has been documenting boxing gyms from more than a decade. Informed and informative essays are contributed by boxing enthusiasts Katherine Dunn, Carlo Rotella, Kate Sekules, Lucius Shepard, Robert Anasi, Ralph Wiley, F. X. Toole, Loic Wacquant, Joe Rein, Rene Denfeld, Larry Seurynck, Timothy Taylor, and Mark Kram, Jr. With the inclusion of 110 duotone and 65 color photographs, this 176-page, strongly recommended compendium provides a unique pictorial insight into the world of professional gyms and what those men and women who aspire to excel in their chosen sport/profession and is of especial interest to dedicated fans of boxing, as well as students of American popular sports culture.
              The Shadows of Boxing: Prince Naseem Hamed and Those He Left Behind
              Average customer rating: Not rated
                The Shadows of Boxing: Prince Naseem Hamed and Those He Left Behind
                Geoffrey Beattie
                Manufacturer: Orion Books Limited
                ProductGroup: Book
                Binding: Paperback

                GeneralGeneral | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
                GeneralGeneral | Biographies | Sports | Subjects | Books
                BoxingBoxing | Individual Sports | Sports | Subjects | Books
                GeneralGeneral | Sports | Subjects | Books
                Look Inside Sports BooksLook Inside Sports Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
                ASIN: 0752849794

                Book Description

                Prince Naseem is the one of most charismatic boxers the sport has ever seen. From his early days at Brendan Ingle's gym in Wincobank, Sheffield, he fought his way to his first world title in 1995, and is now a household name. The Shadows of Boxing visits Prince Naseem's roots, chronicles the contrasting fortunes of the hard men of Ingle's gym, and looks at how the Hamed family have coped with the incredible pressures of fame. It also features the first major interview with Naz since his defeat at the hands of Marco Antonio Barrera.
                Shadow Boxer: A Billy Nichols Novel
                Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
                • A Good Little Noir Book
                • A strong sense of place
                • Mr. Boxing has the knockout punch
                • Like the story, not the derivative style
                Shadow Boxer: A Billy Nichols Novel
                Eddie Muller
                Manufacturer: Scribner
                ProductGroup: Book
                Binding: Hardcover

                United StatesUnited States | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books | 18th Century | 19th Century | 20th Century | African American | Asian American | Classics | Collections & Readers | Drama | General | Hispanic | History & Criticism | Humor | Jewish American | Letters & Correspondence | Native American | Poetry | Short Stories | Women Writers
                GeneralGeneral | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
                Hard-BoiledHard-Boiled | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
                HistoricalHistorical | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
                GeneralGeneral | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
                Similar Items:
                1. The Distance: A Crime Novel Introducing Billy Nichols The Distance: A Crime Novel Introducing Billy Nichols
                2. The Distance (Billy Nichols Series) The Distance (Billy Nichols Series)
                3. Dark City: The Lost World of Film Noir Dark City: The Lost World of Film Noir
                4. Die a Little: A Novel Die a Little: A Novel
                5. The Song Is You: A Novel The Song Is You: A Novel

                ASIN: 0743214447

                Amazon.com

                San Francisco boxing columnist Billy Nichols figured he'd covered all the angles and pinned the blame where it belonged for the pair of killings that lay at the racing heart of Eddie Muller's first noirish crime novel, The Distance. But he didn't know the half of it. Now, in Shadow Boxer, the loose ends that Nichols left hanging entangle him in a conspiracy involving coerced testimony, a multi-million-dollar bunco racket, and stolen evidence that the reporter fears could liberate the man accused of murdering his lover, Claire Escalante.

                It's late 1948, only months after Claire's death, and Nichols (aka "Mr. Boxing") would rather see her killer "rot in a prison cell, for life," than help him prove that he's being sacrificed to cover up a more extensive criminal operation. Yet when the defendant's former secretary--hiding out to protect her life--shares with Nichols a file of dubious trust documents linking her ex-boss to a prominent but freshly deceased lawyer, the newspaperman smells a story--a stink, really--that carries all the way up from San Francisco's ringside seats, through a backroom abortion clinic, and into the city's top law-enforcement offices. Nichols, shaped by both the newsroom and the sometimes larcenous sport he loves, is an appropriately flawed protagonist, engagingly employed by Muller, a film-noir authority (The Art of Noir) and the son of a renowned Bay Area boxing writer. Shadow Boxer spends regrettably less time in seedy arenas and sweaty locker rooms than its predecessor, and its convoluted plot may knock some readers for a loop. However, Muller's hard-muscled prose and fast-count pacing still make his second novel a main attraction. --J. Kingston Pierce

                Book Description

                In his celebrated debut novel, The Distance, author Eddie Muller created a world of "gritty authenticity" (Booklist), plunging readers into the atmospheric and electrifying boxing culture of the 1940s, as seen through the eyes of morally complex and charismatic boxing columnist Billy Nichols.

                Now, in Shadow Boxer, Billy is back on the beat for the San Francisco Inquirer. But his problems are hardly behind him. A man's in jail, accused of murder. But did he do it? By aiding a beguiling woman, Billy stumbles on evidence that could exonerate the defendant, who only months before was one of the town's top fight promoters. One big problem -- the victim was Billy's secret lover, and he has no desire to help set her killer free.

                But once his reporter's instincts kick in, Billy can't let go of a twisting trail of suspense that stretches from Tenderloin fight clubs to Marina district mansions, from mountain retreats to the Hall of Justice. He squares off with an intriguing cast of characters: a bombastic novelties promoter, a former colleague turned muckraking lawyer, a society doyenne on the skids, a crooked booze distributor, a shifty deputy DA, an opera-crooning pugilist, a homespun abortionist, a crafty and celebrated defense attorney, a murderous stalker -- and the unfathomable Virginia Wagner, a leggy legal secretary with many more secrets than just the gun in her handbag.

                Clues are unveiled, allegiances formed, friendships betrayed. Billy wonders if he's nothing more than a shadow boxer futilely sparring with phantoms. And if he discovers the truth about the murder and the shocking facts behind it, will his conscience force him to come forward -- or to bury the evidence?

                In Shadow Boxer, Eddie Muller takes risks unusual in crime fiction, making clear that when it comes to pitch-perfect noir inflection and top-shelf suspense, nobody does it better.

                Customer Reviews:

                4 out of 5 stars A Good Little Noir Book.......2005-04-30

                2nd book in the Billy Nichols series; Historical Mystery.

                Eddie Muller is the son of a newspaper reporter, and that background really helped him create a very well described late 1940s California scene (at least I thought he was, though his official website does not note this fact in his biography). Muller's first book in the series, The Distance, has won the Shamus Award, the Mystery Ink Gumshoe Award for Best first Novel and was nominated for the Anthony, Macavity, and Barry awards. A non-fiction work that Muller apparently worked on between the Nichols books was nominated for the Edgar and Macavity awards (The Art of Noir). Unfortunately, his second Billy Nichols book is seemingly lacking in nominations or awards (and none of his other books has so far been nominated for anything).

                The first book was deeply involved in Nichols working as "Mr. Boxing," the premier boxing journalist in California. The second book, on the other hand, while including some boxing activity, has Nichols submerge himself into the world of financial/business journalism. The man who Nichols helped put in jail was apparently involved in a financial fraud/scam in California, involving some high ranking people (or at least highly regarded people). Nichols, though reluctant to help Burney Sanders, decides to examine the situation and acquires help along the way from one of the best financial journalist of the era (though he is now working outside journalism). Along the way Nichols ends up trying to help Sanders former secretary, who apparently had fled the scene when the trouble started in the first book.

                A very detailed, imaginative historical noir book that is not as good as the first book in the series (the first book was given 4.60 stars out of 5; the second barely makes it over 4 stars).

                3 out of 5 stars A strong sense of place.......2004-03-02

                San Francisco Inquirer boxing journalist Billy Nichols is back. This book picks up exactly where THE DISTANCE leaves off. Burney Sanders, the man accused of killing Billy's mistress and wife of boxer Hack Escalante is in jail requesting Billy's presence. He claims he was framed by some of the city's top officials. He convinces Billy to help him or else he will let all know of Billy's infidelity. As Billy searches for the truth, the reader is treated to a panoramic view of San Francisco of the 1940s.
                SHADOW BOXER by following so carefully on the events of THE DISTANCE actually requires the reader to read both books in order. What is most notable about this particular work is the extremely strong sense of place-- San Francisco of 1948. Events are even created to highlight certain areas of the city such as a scene at an amusement park no longer in existence. There is a dark edged noir atmosphere throughout the book. Characters are gritty and violence quite common. However, the plot is extremely difficult to navigate. Nonetheless, characters and setting easily make up for the convoluted story line. I'm not sure I will come back for more but certainly didn't regret what time I spent with Billy Nichols.

                5 out of 5 stars Mr. Boxing has the knockout punch.......2003-12-17

                If you want the old golden era of Hollywood in a book then look no further. Shadow Boxer is a wonderfully plotted, atmospheric book of the forties. The mood and style is captured vividly in the lead protaganist, Billy Nichols. Billy is the boxing columnist for the San Francisco Inquirer and he gets deeply embedded in mayhem, murder and femme fatales.

                In his Through the Ropes Column Billy writes:

                Life is fixed. That's why I offer simple advice to any amateur turning pro; Kid don't leave it up to the judges. Get yourself a knockout punch.

                Shadow Boxer has a punch that takes your breath away. This is one entertaining read. Don't miss out.

                3 out of 5 stars Like the story, not the derivative style.......2003-07-25

                Let me start by saying I didn't read the first Muller book, and since so much of that is backstory for the second (in which Claire's muder is "re-solved!") it might not be worth my time or money. That said -- I happen to like convoluted plots that aren't easily unraveled by the reader if they are well laid out, and a good "paper trail" mystery can really hold my attention -- this one is and did. If this makes sense: I liked the people but not all of the characters, and the problem is the writing.
                I see by his other work that he has written extensive non-fiction about film noir, and unfortunately he makes the mistake (as many who tackle this oh-so-difficult genre do) of trying to be Raymond Chandler. As was pointed out in the excellent PBS American Cinema series episode devoted to noir, Chandler was a unique voice in American literature; no one wrote like him before he came along, and no one has since. Copying Chandler hasn't worked in the past, doesn't work now, and won't work in the future. For this reason, I am only giving the book 3 stars. The story is better than that, but the derivative style detracted a lot for me. When I find myself laughing out loud on page 1 because it is so overloaded with Chandler-wannabe similes, this is not a good sign. Far better is Pelecanos' "The Big Blowdown" -- he doesn't try to write in anyone's voice but his own and this makes "Blowdown" the hands-down winner as a noir novel. I'm hoping Muller tones down the over-writing and develops his own voice as well. There's a future (for me as a reader) if he does.
                Shadow Boxer
                Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
                • Boxing and Growing Up
                • Shadow Boxer
                • Awesome story about courage and wisdom.
                • Shadow Boxer -- a mystical student from Westchester
                • Sad, and tragic
                Shadow Boxer
                Chris Lynch
                Manufacturer: HarperTeen
                ProductGroup: Book
                Binding: Paperback

                GeneralGeneral | Family Life | People & Places | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
                GeneralGeneral | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
                GeneralGeneral | Issues | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
                GeneralGeneral | Literature & Fiction | Teens | Subjects | Books
                Lynch, ChrisLynch, Chris | ( L ) | Authors, A-Z | Teens | Subjects | Books
                Look Inside Teen BooksLook Inside Teen Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
                ASIN: 0064471128

                Book Description

                I was nine years old the first time I hit my father and made him bleed. He was proud.

                It's now five years after his father's death, and fourteen-year-old George is the man of the family. He knows all too well how brutal the life of a fighter can be. Didn't it kill his father?

                But Monty, George's younger brother, has a completely different attitude. Boxing comes naturally to him. It's in his blood. He thinks of it as his father's legacy.

                Unless George figures out a way to stop it, will boxing kill Monty, too?

                Customer Reviews:

                3 out of 5 stars Boxing and Growing Up.......2007-07-04

                When he was nine and his brother Monty was seven, George's father died from a brain hemorrhage due to years of boxing. Before he died, he spent a lot of time with George, teaching him life lessons, lessons about fighting and about learning the right way not to have to fight. George took these lessons seriously, and after his father died he vowed to watch out for Monty and to make sure these same lessons were passed along.

                Everything was easy when Monty was little and looked up to George. But now that he is eleven, he is beginning to think for himself and to question his big brother's words. The most problematic issue is that Monty seems to be far too interested in boxing for George's or their mother's taste. He doesn't remember how his father's mind went in the end and what boxing did to him; he only thinks of his father as some sort of hero. George is terrified that his little brother will turn out like their father did. But how can he make Monty see the truth about boxing without making their father look bad?

                I liked that this novel was told in short stories, most of them not about boxing, but all of which gave a well-rounded picture of what the relationship was between George and Monty. I also liked that this was a novel about discovery and growing up, instead of just being about boxing as I had expected.

                I thought that George was a bit mean and overbearing, though. I can understand that he was trying to protect his brother, but if I were Monty, I would not have stood for his telling me what to do for as long as Monty did.

                4 out of 5 stars Shadow Boxer.......2003-05-21

                Shadow Boxer by Chris Lynch was a great book for the younger teenage audience. This heartfelt story is about an older brother trying to guide and show his younger brother the way because their father is not around to do it. Their father died several years before from boxing and Monty, the youngest of the two brothers had caught the boxing bug. George, his mother, and the boys uncle Archy do everything they can to get Monty out of the ring. In the end they expose him to the truth to bring him back to reality.
                The story takes place in inner city New York and deals with many of the hardships that inner city youth face. The boys are introduced to a ýbig brotherý because there mom fears it may be the only way to save Monty and that it may do the boys some good. George takes this offensively because it makes him feel as though he has screwed up on raising his younger brother who assumes responsibility for.
                I would recommend reading this book because it is an easy read for the high school level and it is a really great book. From the beginning you connect with the characters and really get an understanding for why they are the way they are. As an older brother I really enjoyed seeing how George felt the responsibility for his younger brother and always wanted to protect him.

                5 out of 5 stars Awesome story about courage and wisdom........2002-12-15

                This book is about a courageous boy named George, who goes through many hardships in his life. When he was just a little boy, he knocked his father, and made him drip blood. But his father wasn't mad, he was happy. This is an excellent story to move your heart. When hardships and friendships intervene with each other. Monty, Geoge's little brother is a young little man, who want to be just like his father was. A great boxing hero. But George doesn't want Monty to die a tradgic death like his father. But the spirit of Monty is too strong. Will George stop Monty? Or will the past repeat itself?

                5 out of 5 stars Shadow Boxer -- a mystical student from Westchester.......2002-10-07

                Shadow Boxer is a book in my opinion with mixed emotions. I feel that it is mostly a tragic story. It has humor every now and then about little things like an elephant man. In this book, the characters are misled about their father. The kids grow up thinking that their father is one of the best boxers there ever was, but later in the story they find out that he isn't that great of a boxer. I also think that George (one of the main characters) loses a large, important, part of his life growing up being considered as the man of the house. I feel that it was a large weight put on his shoulder at the young age that he has. To me this book is very realistic. The author realy makes the characters come alive, and you can really feel the emotins that author discribes.

                5 out of 5 stars Sad, and tragic.......2002-09-10

                This book, really hit the spot. As I read it to my...brother, he even cried. Although, he didn't understand a thing. Chris Lynch made is so sad, funny and everything else a person can want. A boys life, as boxing makes it go down, and all the other side stories
                The Shadow Boxer
                Average customer rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
                • Turbulent and old-fashioned, in a good way
                • love,sex,desire and memories
                • Best book I read in years
                • Yawn
                • A great adventure story
                The Shadow Boxer
                Steven Heighton
                Manufacturer: Mariner Books
                ProductGroup: Book
                Binding: Paperback

                BritishBritish | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books | 18th Century | 19th Century | 20th Century | Classics | Contemporary | General | Historical | Humor | Letters & Correspondence | Middle | Old | Poetry | Renaissance | Shakespeare | Short Stories
                ContemporaryContemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
                LiteraryLiterary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
                Heighton, StevenHeighton, Steven | ( H ) | Authors, A-Z | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
                Similar Items:
                1. Afterlands Afterlands

                ASIN: 0618139338

                Book Description

                This is the story of Sevigne Torrins, poet and boxer, who sets out to make it in the world but whose sexual and professional misadventures take him from a demanding, muscular boyhood on the shores of Lake Superior to the trendy, bohemian life of Toronto and even to Egypt. In the tradition of such classics as LOOK HOMEWARD, ANGEL and JUDE THE OBSCURE, THE SHADOW BOXER is that rarest of contemporary performances, an ambitious, unabashedly romantic story about an exposed soul determined to live life to the hilt. Only a writer of Steven Heighton's extraordinary gifts could pull it off with such unsentimental passion and literary grace.

                Customer Reviews:

                4 out of 5 stars Turbulent and old-fashioned, in a good way.......2004-06-03

                Steven Heighton's book is like something written in the 1940s, with all the passion, turmoil and poetry of that era. It's hard to recconcile this overwhelming impression with the chronology of the storyline that places the action in a different era. I wish Otto Preminger were still around, it would take a film-maker of his magnitude, unafraid of the corny and the obvious, to tackle this novel and whip it into a sprawling film. Heighton is loaded with talent and the relationship between Sevigne Torrins and his father is magnificently drawn. Like Michael Ondaatje, Heighton is a Canadian poet of repute but the parallels stop there. I liked "The Shadow Boxer" a lot and I wonder why it wasn't more of a success in the USA. Indeed I wonder how it did in Canada, where it might be considered a book sort of in the vein of Leonard Cohen's turbulent novel "Beautiful Losers" from the 1960s.

                4 out of 5 stars love,sex,desire and memories.......2003-10-28

                I've read all of Heightons work and found SHADOW BOXER to be the 'can't put down book' of the year. The book is full of emotion a real man vs nature / man vs himself reflection. Men of all ages should read this book it makes you think and then makes you pause and evaluate where and what your battles may be.

                5 out of 5 stars Best book I read in years.......2002-10-23

                Great impression I got since first pages of this surprising and eminent work of Steven Highton an author still unknown for me. The history, the atmosphere, the rithm and superb quality of writing has touched and troubled me. I found in this book the remote and always powerful world of images, sounds and architecture I received when I met the great authors of universal literature of all the times. I even was obliged to stop some times the reading because of the excessive charge of emotion and toughts the book comunicates with the strenght of an immense river. The Shadow Boxer has been a capital experience I wouln't hope to meet again in a young author og these days and I recommend this book to everyone is looking to find in books the supreme and rare deed of beauty and truth. Hoping Steven Highton will come to Italy and meet his italian readers.

                2 out of 5 stars Yawn.......2002-04-12

                I bought this book because the title intrigued me and the opening paragraphs were well written. I wish I hadn't bothered. A novel that showed promise quickly degenerated into a self absorbed whine of the I'm-such-a-poor-misunderstood-artist type. My advise -- skip this one.

                5 out of 5 stars A great adventure story.......2002-04-05

                THE SHADOW BOXER is a great coming of age story that becomes a love story, adventure story, and, at the end, a meditation on what really matters in life. I've not read any of Heighton's other books, but his romantic style and deeply feeling narrative make me want to -- I'd recommend this book to anyone looking for something to curl up with on a rainy day.
                MANHUNT - Volume 2, number 2 - February Feb 1954: I'm a Stranger Here Myself; Shadow Boxer; Runaway; Deadlier Than the Mail; Heels Are for Hating; The Rope Game; The Onlooker; The Disaster; Comeback; Mr Chesley; The Man Who Found the Money
                Average customer rating: Not rated
                  MANHUNT - Volume 2, number 2 - February Feb 1954: I'm a Stranger Here Myself; Shadow Boxer; Runaway; Deadlier Than the Mail; Heels Are for Hating; The Rope Game; The Onlooker; The Disaster; Comeback; Mr Chesley; The Man Who Found the Money
                  John (editor) (Craig Rice; Richard Ellington; Richard Marsten; Evan Hunter; Fletcher Flora; Bryce Walton; Robert Turner; Emmanuel Winters; R. Van Taylor; Robert Zachs; James E. Cronin) McCloud
                  Manufacturer: Flying Eagle Publications
                  ProductGroup: Book
                  Binding: Paperback
                  ASIN: B000LUWT5S
                  Shadow Boxer
                  Average customer rating: Not rated
                    Shadow Boxer
                    Steven Heighton
                    Manufacturer: GRANTA BOOKS
                    ProductGroup: Book
                    Binding: Hardcover
                    ASIN: B000OJJPYO
                    The Shadow Boxer
                    Average customer rating: Not rated
                      The Shadow Boxer
                      Noel Behn
                      Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster,
                      ProductGroup: Book
                      Binding: Hardcover
                      ASIN: B000K08B06
                      The Shadow Boxer: A Novel
                      Average customer rating: Not rated
                        The Shadow Boxer: A Novel
                        Steven Heighton
                        Manufacturer: Knopf Canada
                        ProductGroup: Book
                        Binding: Hardcover
                        ASIN: B000NUZBRY
                        The shadow boxers
                        Average customer rating: Not rated
                          The shadow boxers
                          Edith Heal
                          Manufacturer: Scribner
                          ProductGroup: Book
                          Binding: Unknown Binding
                          ASIN: B0006AUJV4

                          Books:

                          1. The Shadow of Kilimanjaro
                          2. The Trouble With Physics: The Rise of String Theory, the Fall of a Science, and What Comes Next
                          3. The Wholeness of Nature : Goethe's Way Toward a Science of Conscious Participation in Nature
                          4. The Works of Charles Darwin: The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex, Volume 22 Part 2
                          5. These American Lands: Parks, Wilderness, and the Public Lands
                          6. Through the Looking Glass: A Field Guide to Aquatic Plants
                          7. Walk With Y'Shua Through the Jewish Year
                          8. Water: Local-Level Management (In Focus)
                          9. Weather & Its Secrets: (The Earth, Its Wonders, Its Secrets) (Earth, Its Wonders, Its Secrets)
                          10. What's Wrong with My Mouse?: Behavioral Phenotyping of Trangenic and Knockout Mice

                          Books Index

                          Books Home

                          Recommended Books

                          1. Understanding Emerging Markets: Building Business Bric by Brick
                          2. The Complete Book of Foaling: An Illustrated Guide for the Foaling Attendant
                          3. The Architecture of All Abundance: Seven Foundations to Prosperity
                          4. The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11
                          5. The Complete Book of Rhymes, Songs, Poems, Fingerplays and Chants: Over 700 Selections
                          6. The Ruby in the Smoke
                          7. The Outdoor Traveler's Guide: The Alps
                          8. Hotel Chart of Accounts
                          9. Resident Evil 3 Nemesis: Prima's Official Strategy Guide
                          10. Everyman's