Cinderella Man cover art

Cinderella Man

James J. Braddock, Max Baer and the Greatest Upset in Boxing History

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Cinderella Man

By: Jeremy Schaap
Narrated by: Grover Gardner
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About this listen

 James J. Braddock, dubbed “Cinderella Man” by Damon Runyon, was a once promising light heavyweight for whom a string of losses in the ring and a broken right hand happened to coincide with the Great Crash. With one good hand, Braddock was forced to labor on the docks of Hoboken. Only his manager, Joe Gould, still believed in him, finding fights for Braddock to help feed his wife and children. In less than twelve months Braddock went from the relief rolls to face heavyweight champion Max Baer, the Livermore Butcher Boy, renowned for having allegedly killed two men in the ring. A ten-to-one underdog, Braddock carried the hopes and dreams of the working class on his shoulders. And when boxing was the biggest sport in the world, when the heavyweight champion was the biggest star in the world, his unlikely upset made Braddock the most popular champion boxing has ever seen.

Against the gritty backdrop of the Depression, Cinderella Man brings this dramatic all-American story to life, evoking a time when the sport of boxing resonated with a country trying desperately to get back on its feet. Rich in anecdote and color, steeped in history, and full of human interest, Cinderella Man is a classic David and Goliath tale that transcends the sport.©2005 Jeremy Schaap; (P)2005 Books on Tape, Inc. Americas Boxing Combat Sports & Self-Defense Sports Sports History United States

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Most relevant
the story of Braddock has been told many times in boxing films and novels, a 'washed up' fighter down on his luck makes a comeback and lifts himself out of poverty.

what makes this book interesting is the descriptions of life outside the ring during the 30's and the state of boxing in general after it's huge popularity throughout the roaring 20's with stars such as jack Dempsey.

Fantastic listen/read.

Fantastic underdog story

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I enjoyed this book, not necessarily because of the main story but the surrounding stories that link into James Braddock's life. Max Baer, Jack Dempsey, Primo Carnera, Joe Louis are all present here and we hear lots of snippets and back stories which ensure that the overall presentation of the Cinderella Man is enjoyable. I love this period in time and the stories and characters that have presented themselves so I'm a little biased, but of you like boxing and this time period, then this is a must listen.

Its the Heavyweights!

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I knew the story of Jim Braddock from my childhood (my grandfather told me all about him) and some years ago really enjoyed the excellent film, so have been meaning to listen to this audio-book for ages now. I thought it would be good but it was so much better than I imagined. A great story that is well read. Not only the story of Jim Braddock but also the Charismatic Max Baer too.

A Knockout1

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I read this book blind having not seen the film and I was blown away.

The author does an excellent job of painting pictures of all the relevant people: James J Braddock, his family, his manager Joe Gould and the fighters who were around at that time, giving the story context rather than just telling it chronologically. He also does a great job of describing America and New York as it was in that time too and where Braddock's story fits in.

The narrator gives it a very old school sound too with his tone but still has excellent sound quality too, it sounds like it was recorded in both 1920 and 2020 😄

a must listen for all boxing fans, 10/10!

Best Boxing Book On Audible

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brilliant listen, captured the era perfectly, such a fantastic story, well worth the purchase, a must listen

brilliant

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