Billy Miske: The St. Paul Thunderbolt is Clay Moyle's second biography and a worthy successor to his critically acclaimed tome concerning the life and career of Sam Langford. Hall of Fame boxer Billy Miske was arguably the most courageous and inspirational figure in boxing history, and his story is long overdue. During a career that was impeded and cut short as a result of his ongoing battle with a terminal illness, Billy fought a number of the greatest fighters who ever lived, including the likes of Jack Dillon, Harry Greb and Jack Dempsey. The thrilling details and stories surrounding those fights and those of many other ring legends are all here, brought back to life for the reader to enjoy. This book goes far beyond simply chronicling Miske's career, but provides the reader with an in-depth view of a number of the sport's greatest contests and one of the more remarkable periods in boxing's history. Miske's courage and perseverance in the face of his impending death, and his personal sacrifice to provide his family with one last Christmas to remember him by, will tug at your heartstrings and leave you with an indelible image of the man. The book is comprised of 206 pages, including 61 photographs, and includes Miske's record, footnotes and an index. Clay Moyle is a member of the International Boxing Research Organization (IBRO) and the author of Sam Langford, Boxing's Greatest Uncrowned Champion. He lives in Edgewood, Washington.

Billy Miske: The St. Paul Thunderbolt

Moyle, Clay

Biographies & Memoirs

WIN BY KO Publications

In the 1940s, two-time world middleweight champion Tony Zale seemingly had it all. Battling colorful Rocky Graziano in The Ring magazine's Fights of the Year in 1946 and 1947, "The Man of Steel" from Gary, Indiana, convincingly defeated him in their third and final contest in 1948. These bouts are acknowledged as among the most exciting trilogies in boxing history. Tony had hosts of adoring fans and supportive family, was married to a beautiful and talented woman, and had two little girls whom he adored. Becoming world champion was an amazing feat for this son of Polish immigrants. Feeling responsible for the accident which killed his father when Tony was two years old, he became a shy and withdrawn young boy. As a result of the boxing influence of his older brothers, however, he discovered a way out of his introversion and shyness by proving himself in the ring. Once his professional boxing career had ended, Tony wound up financially with very little to show for all his pain and sacrifice endured in the ring. He suffered through a bitter divorce where he repeatedly attempted to gain custody of his daughters. This battle, along with a botched financial investment, devoured his life's savings and took him to an unexpected level of poverty. While all this drained him both mentally and physically, Tony never lost the Spirit within. Thus, when everything seemed stacked against him, Tony dug himself out with the same kind of will, faith, and determination that had led him to become a world champion. Along the way, he touched the lives of countless young people, both as the head coach of the Chicago Catholic Youth Organization and Chicago Parks Department boxing programs. As a result, this soft-spoken champion became nearly as well-known and admired for his contributions to the lives of others as he had been for the remarkable courage and fortitude he exhibited during his boxing career. Tony Zale, The Man of Steel includes over 400 photos depicting his amazing life. AUTHORS ---- This is Tony's nephew Thad 'Ted' Zale's first publication. Co-author and boxing historian Clay Moyle has published two other works about early boxers Sam Langford and Billy Miske. A portion of this biography's proceeds will fund a scholarship in the name of Tony Zale through the Polish National Alliance in Chicago, Illinois.

Tony Zale: The Man of Steel

Zale, Thad

Standing no more than five-feet, seven-inches; tall, Sam Langford was one of the 20th century's greatest fighters. In this biography, his life story is told in great and entertaining detail. Over 100 photographs are included. Sam was a great black prizefighter in an era when the color line was easily cited by white opponents wanting to avoid meeting him in the ring. Ring magazine editor Nat Fleischer ranked Langford among his favorites, stating, 'Sam was endowed with everything. He possessed strength, agility, cleverness, hitting power, a good thinking cap and an abundance of courage. He feared no one. But he had the fatal gift of being too good, and that's why he often had to give away weight in early days and make agreements with opponents. Many of those who agreed to fight him, especially of his own race, wanted an assurance that he would be merciful or insisted on a bout of not more than six rounds.' This biography brings to light Sam Langford's remarkable talents and life.

Sam Langford: Boxing's Greatest Uncrowned Champion

Community & Culture

Bennett & Hastings Pub

Standing no more than 5' 7" tall, Sam Langford was one of the 20th century's greatest fighters. In 1951, the great featherweight champion Abe Attell was asked if Sugar Ray Robinson was the best of all time, either as a welterweight or middleweight. He named Stanley Ketchel as the greatest welterweight he'd ever seen and said that, as for the middleweights, he'd take Sam Langford, "the greatest of them all at that poundage." Remarkably, the man Attell felt was the greatest middleweight fighter in history fought and defeated many of the leading heavyweight contenders of his day. Over time, he matured physically and grew into a light heavyweight, then began fighting heavyweights on a regular basis, but he was almost always the much smaller of the two combatants. Nat Fleischer, founding editor of The Ring magazine, called Sam one of the hardest punchers of all time, and ranked the little man seventh among his personal all-time favorites "Sam was endowed with everything. He possessed strength, agility, cleverness, hitting power, a good thinking cap, and an abundance of courage He feared no one. But he had the fatal gift of being too good, and that's why he often had to give away weight in early days and make agreements with opponents. Many of those who agreed to fight him, especially of his own race, wanted an assurance that he would be merciful or insisted on a bout of not more than six rounds." Other leading sportswriters of that era had even higher opinions of Sam. Hype Igoe, well known boxing writer for the New York Journal, proclaimed Sam the greatest fighter, pound-for-pound, who ever lived. Joe Williams, respected sports columnist of the New York World Telegram wrote that Langford was probably the best the ring ever saw, and the great Grantland Rice described Sam as "about the best fighting man I've ever watched." At the time of Sam's induction into the Boxing Hall of Fame (October 1955) he was the only non-champion accorded the honor. Many ring experts considered Sam the greatest pound-for-pound fighter in the history of boxing Under different circumstances he might have been a champion at five different weights: lightweight; welterweight, middleweight; light heavyweight; and heavyweight. Blind and penniless at the end of his life, Sam lived quietly in a private nursing home But when one visitor expressed sympathy for his circumstances, Sam replied, "Don't nobody need to feel sorry for old Sam. I had plenty of good times. I been all over the world. I fought maybe 600 fights, and every one was a pleasure!" With 98 photographs and illustrations, primarily from private collections.

Bennett & Hastings Publishing

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Moyle, Clay. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Moyle, Clay

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Moyle, Clay. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Billy Miske: The St. Paul Thunderbolt

Tony Zale: The Man of Steel

Sam Langford: Boxing's Greatest Uncrowned Champion

Sam Langford: Boxing's Greatest Uncrowned Champion