The Sweet Science

A.J. Liebling´s classic "New Yorker" pieces on the "sweet science of bruising" bring vividly to life the boxing world as it once was. It depicts the great events of boxing´s American heyday: Sugar Ray Robinson´s dramatic comeback, Rocky Marciano´s rise to prominence, Joe Louis´s unfortunate decline. Liebling never fails to find the human story behind the fight, and he evokes the atmosphere in the arena as distinctly as he does the goings-on in the ring--a combination that prompted "Sports Illustrated "to name "The Sweet Science" the best American sports book of all time.