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TheProfessional

byW.C.Heinz

Originallypublishedin1958,TheProfessionalisthestoryofboxerEddieBrown'squestforthemiddleweightchampionshipoftheworld.Butitissomuchmore.W.C.Heinznotonlyservesuparealisticdepictionofthecircuslikeatmospherearoundboxingwithitsassortedhangerson,crookedpromoters,andjadedjournalists,buthegivesustwomemorablecharactersinE...more

Paperback,352pagesPublishedSeptember3rd2001byDaCapoPress(firstpublished1958)

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JosephBrunoratedit

Beingaboxingwritermyselfformanyyears,IcannowtotallyappreciateitwhenpeopletoldmeforyearsthatTheProfessionalbyW.C.Heinzwasthebestboxingbookeverwrittenandoneofthegreatestnovelsofalltime.There'sevenanintroductionbyiconicElmoreLeonard,wherehecreditsHeinzasbeingoneofhismentors.

Thebook,writtenin1958,isbasicallythelifeinthetrainingcampofafighternamedEddieBrown,whoafteralongboxingcareer,isfinallygettingashotataw...more

6likesLikeseereview

RichardrateditShelves:2014

EchoinganAmazonreviewer:don'treadtheforwarduntilyou'vereadthebook.Thoughit'sgoodandinformative,it'stooinformative.ElmoreLeonardgivestheendingaway.Cheeze!

Fivestars,accordingtoGoodreads,means,"Itwasamazing,"andamazingitwasonanumberoflevels.It'salookatlifeinachampionshipbouttrainingcamp,everycharacteriscomplete,eventhoseforwhomweonlygetsketches,andthethreeleads(Eddiethecontenderwith9yearsinthering,90fightsand87wi...more

2likesLikeseereview

Paulratedit

AfewweeksagoIreadanobituaryintheNYTimesforW.C.Heinz,anauthor.I'dneverheardofhim.

HewasasportswriterforaNYCdaily,andduringWWIIwasawarcorrespondent.Forsomereason,Iresonatedtotheguy'slifeandattitudetowardliving.NYTimesobitsaregoodatconveyingthepersonandnotmerelythedryfactabouthisorherlife.

Inadditiontowarwritingandsportscoverage,Heinzwrotethreenovelsandwasa"with"writerofanautobiography.Theautobiowas"RunforDa...more

2likesLikeseereview

Lostinanovelratedit

Thisreviewhasbeenhiddenbecauseitcontainsspoilers.Toviewit,clickhere.

2likesLikeseereview

Braydenratedit

Ididn'tlikethisbookasmuchasIthoughtIwould.It'sabookabouttrainingboxerstoldfromthepointofviewofasportswriter.Heinzwouldknowalotaboutthissincehewasasportswritercoveringtheboxingbeat.Thebestpartsofthenovelincludethedetailedaccountsoftheworkthatgoesintotraining,thegruelofthedailylifeofaboxer.Ithadsomegreatmomentsthatwillstickwithyou.Thewritingispreciseandlean.ButinthesamewaythatI'veneverbeenahugefanofHe...more

1likeLikeseereview

JoeLeviratedit

ThisisTheBestBookthatwaseverwritten!

Thisbookmusclesyouinsideatoughtrainingcampwith29yearoldprofessionalboxer

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andhis1shotatthetitle.Therearenoshotcutsthere,andtheauthorhasafamoussportswriteroncamptoverifythat.Alsooncampisthisfighter'steamofmanagerandoneJohnnyanda"mob"of"friends"and/orotherboxers/trainers/friendstheretohelpmakethisguyreadyforthefight.Andeverybodytheremakesyoubelievethisguyisgoingto"lick"thec...more

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Mikeratedit

Surprisinglyrealistic,abouttheboxingbusinessandtraining,andtherelationshipbetweenboxersandtheirmanagers.

Notes:CametothisfromLeighMontville'sMarch2015WSJreviewof"TheTopOfHisGame",acollectionofHeinz'ssportsstories.

41...boxerwouldeatgarlicbeforeafight[Carneracartoon]47...runningtogether61...Ididn'twantthatplastering(struggling)likemyoldman88...typewritersandtelegraphs89...Isawenoughpeopleforonenight101..tapout(boxingtoo)leather...more

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Jamesratedit

Everyonegoesonaboutthisbeingthebestboxingstorywrittenandtheymightberight.IwouldsubmitRopeBurns:StoriesFromTheCornerbyF.X.Tooleasbeingacontender,though,althoughit'shardtocompareanovelwithaseriesofboxingtales.Also,whileTheProfessionalhappenstobeaboutboxing,characterdevelopmentisthemaineventhereand,whileimportant,theactualboutcomesoffalmostasanafterthought.InRopeBurns,theboutisthepointandeverythingelseissubordinate...more

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Lovett.nicholasratedit

OneofthebestsportsbooksI'veeverread,andtheonlyonesincechildhoodMattChristopherbooksthatwasfiction.

ThebookfollowsEddie,thecontender,andDoc,histrainerthroughtrainingcampenroutetotheMiddleweightChampionshipfightinMadisonSquareGarden.Thethirdcharacter,FrankHughesisajournalistfromEsquirewhoiswritinganarticleonthetrainingcampandsubsequentfight.ThebookisprimarilyaboutEddieandDoc,thejournalistisanobserverwhoislargelyremove...more

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Jeremiahratedit

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Peterratedit

HeinzisacontemporaryofNelsonAlgren's(bothwerehighlyregardedbyHemingway),andthisbook'sthemesarevaguelyreminiscentofAlgren:aboxerpullshimselfoutofsociety'slowerclass,getsatitleshotandloseseverythingononetiny,impulsivemistake.Thenarrativeportionsofthisnovelareextremelywellwritten,butultimatelythebookbogsdownfromunnecessaryormisplaceddialogue.

1likeLikeseereview

Karsonratedit

Oldschoolboxingismynewthing.Ididsomeresearchandfoundthisbadboy.AnovelaboutaBronxfighterinthe50'sor60's.IthinkthereissomuchpotentialinthesubjectmatterforvividsettingsandinterestingcharactersandIjustdon'tthinkthisbookdeliveredatall.Itmademewishthatthematerialfounditswayintothehandsofa

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seasonednovelist.

1likeLikeseereview

MichaelMcGrinderrateditShelves:elmoreleonard,novel,boxing

IwasonabuswhenIwasreadingthelastfewchaptersofTheProfessionalmanymoonsago,andreachedmystopafewpagesbeforetheending.Iwenthomequickly,satdownwithoutremovingmyovercoat,andreadtherestofthebook.Itwasthatgood.ItwasoutofprintalongtimeandisnowavailableinpaperbackandonKindle.HemingwaycalleditthebestfightnovelheeverreadPeteHamillconsidersitoneofthefivebestsportsnovelseverwrittenandElmoreLeonard,whowroteafore...more

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ConorMacleodratedit

Absolutelylovedit!Thefirst100orsopagesdraggedyouinandreallyallowedyoutoknowthecharacterswellduetotherelentlessdialogue.Ithoughtthatwasgoingtogoonforthewholebook,whichIwouldnthaveminded,butgraduallymorenarrativeenteredandbecauseyouknewthecharactersbetter,youwerereallyinvolvedwiththestorytelling.

Stillgotonechaptertogo,butIhavefigurednowthatwhicheverwaytheboutgoes(ifweevengettothebout),Iamahappyreader.

Forasp...more

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Markratedit

Thisreviewhasbeenhiddenbecauseitcontainsspoilers.Toviewit,clickhere.

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MikeQuinnratedit

Inentertainmentsmedia,boxingisusuallypresentedwithlargerthanlifecharactersperformingextraordinaryfeatsofathleticismandcourageagainstthelongestofodds.Theprotagonist,typicallyanunderdogwhohastoovercomeobstaclessuchasdifficultiesinhisprivatelife,aderailedcareerpath,orlackoftalent/luck(Thesehurdlesareoftenovercomethroughamontage,whichistypicallyawesome).

Inanyevent,thecharactersandtheboxingitselfisportrayedasclimactic,explosive,...more

Likeseereview

RBrateditShelves:inmypermanentcollection

Idon'trememberexactlywhereIgotthisbook.IhavehaditforsomeyearsmaybeitwassnaggedfromtheshelvesofBillMacabe'scollection,ormaybeitwasinthebasement(orsidewalk?)ofTheBookHouse,ormaybeIcameuponitsomeotherway.IamprettysureIpickeditupbecauseoftheErnestHemingwayquoteonthecover,whichclaimsthatit'sthebestboxingnovelheeverread,orsomethinglikethat.Itisprettycoolhowitgoesintodetailoftheremotetraining"camp"attendedb...more

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Benratedit

Agoodman'smanbookaboutboxingandthequestforglory.Iwouldn'tclassifyitasagreatnovelinitsownright,butthenitseemedtomethatthereweretoolongstretchesofdialogueandbanterwithlittlepoint.It's300pagesoftrainingand15pagesoffight(whichIwon'tspoilforyou,butthefightitselfdoesnotexactlystackuptoRockyvs.Apollo).

Likeseereview

Steveratedit

Abeautifulcharacterstudywrittenintheclear,conciseproseofanewspaperman.Thisbookisalovelettertoboxingasittransitionsintothetelevisionage.Itiswonderfullydone.

Jul14,2014

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Sep01,2014

Thegradualbuildupoftensionasthefightnearsishandleddeftly,andHeinzdragsouttheplotinthesamewayasthecampdragsout.Thenarratorandthestructuresomirrorreallifethatyouhavetoremindyourselfit'sfiction.

Andthedialogueisjustperfect.Brilliantconversationswithfullycharacteriz...more

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Clintratedit

Beautifulandbrilliant.Abookthatleadsyoutoatragicendyouknowisonthewaywithenoughemotionandlyricalbeautythatyoucan'tstopyourselffromrunningtoitfullsteam.

Likeseereview

MicahMcCartyrateditShelves:esquires80bookseverymanshould

ThisisanotherofEsquiremagazine's80bookseverymanmustread.I'mnottypicallyafanofboxingbutthisbookmighthaveturnedmeintoone.It'sasimplestoryofamagazinewriterfollowingayoungfighterashetrainsforthemiddleweightchampionshipfight.Hefollowshimthroughtrainingcampandallthewaytothebigdayinordertorightacoverstoryforanationalmagazine.Filledwithincrediblyinterestingcharactersandwrittenwithasparseyetprecisevoice.ElmoreLeonard(...more

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Whitleyratedit

Slow,butwithsomereallygoodlessonsandmemorablecharacters.AttimesIfeltlikeIshouldbebored,buteveryotherpagehadalineorparagraphworthhighlightingorwritingdown.Theword"Poignant"comestomindandisprobablythemostappropriate.

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Keithratedit reviewofanothereditionShelves:fiction

"TheProfessional"isagoodboxingnovelIreadinthelate1960's.Thebookhasasadending.Ireadadifferentcopy.

Likeseereview

Jungaeratedit

Youcanlikeagookfordifferentreasons.Thecharacters,storyorstyle.Thisoneisararegemthathasitall.

Likeseereview

JohnGorskirateditShelves:firstedition,sports,fiction

Wow!Whatabook.Immersesyouintheworldofchampionshipboxingandthecharactersinvolved.Justgreat!

Likeseereview

AbbyrateditShelves:favorites

Itwasdevastating,butbrilliant.ItwasthemosthonestworkaboutboxingthatI'veeverread.

Likeseereview

DanYingstrateditShelves:fiction

Simplygreat.

IthinkLiebling'sSweetSciencewouldmakeagreatcompanionread.

Likeseereview

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DManratedit

Oneofthegreatestsportsrelatednovelseverwritten,fullstop.

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BradNunnratedit

Iamasuckerforboxing...andabookaboutthistopic,inthisera,wastailormadeforme.Lovedit.

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Mattratedit

I'mnotaboxingfan,butthisbookblewmeaway.It'saboutthepeople,andisjustagreatread.

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