Customer Reviews

Cinderella Man: The James J. Braddock Story

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I knew a little bit about Jim Braddock before I read this book - as a boxing fan I'd heard of the Cinderella Man but never regarded him to be as interesting as the greats of the division like Jack Dempsey and Joe Louis. But this book made me realise what a fantastic character he was - and what a life he led.
There was no bull about Braddock; what you saw was what you got. He had an iron jaw and was a very good boxer but it was his heart that made him a champion; he never knew when to quit.
Michael Delisa has really done his homework, going back to orignal sources rather than regurgitating stuff from press agents and over-exaggerating boxing writers. He captures the man, the era and the fights. The cover notes say he was the historical consultant on the movie - and if you buy this book, you'll want to see the film. Great read.

Book is a good read, but sometimes a little to much detail of the fights and opponents broddock faced. If you've seen the movie, you'll be surprized at how close the book is to the movie. It's an inspirational story of a true American hero. A man dedicated to the welfare of his family. Most of the book is foucused on his fights. But there is enough of the personal life of James J. Braddock to keep those happy who are seeking a personal account of his life.

I'm not a boxing fan, but became interested in James Braddock's story after watching the Movie Cinderella Man. My ultimate goal was to find our more about this man that staged an incredible comeback against staggering odds, to win the world heavy weight championship from Max Baer. Delisa's book attempts to deliver to the reader something more of Braddock's life; however, the information is mostly acecdotle and second hand, and fails to shed much more light on what Braddock was like. The fact of the matter is, there is likely little information about Braddock's life other then what Delisa tells, or he would have likely told it, given he mentions previous bios of the former champ that were written during Braddock lifetime. The upside to the book is that Delisa gives the reader an excellent view of the cast of characters that made up the world of boxing in the 20's and 30's, weaving Braddock into the picture when appropriate, which is often. Delisa also gives the reader a strong account of how the Great Depression affected Braddock, Boxing, and the nation, which embraced Braddock as one of their own, because he was down as far as anyone at the time and brought himself back from the edge of oblivion to save himself and his family.

This book devoted way too much time to insignificant details not related to Jim Braddock's story. Why was so much time spent describing the life and fighting history of guys like Primo Carnera...guys that Braddock never fought? This book is a superficial account of boxing in the 1920's and 30's. Braddock's story is an inspirational one, however this book doesn't give the reader any insight into the man. Very disappointing account of the Braddock story.

I fear that this well written and richly detailed book has gotten lost in the shuffle of all of the Braddock biographies that have been published in the wake of the success of the film "Cinderella Man" Even though it's far from the best of the group, it deserves a better fate than that.

Most of the Braddock volumes on the market have focused almost exclusively on the ring exploits of Braddock and his contemporaries, Delisa takes a slightly different approach in his narrative, incorporating more of Braddock's personal life into the story, and going into greater detail about events in his early childhood than other books have, to give the reader a more complete portrait of this American sports icon.

In my humble opinion, Cinderella Man: James J. Braddock, Max Baer, and the Greatest Upset in Boxing History by Jeremy Schaap is still the best book written on the subject, and I'll continue to recommend it, but Delisa's volume comes in a close second.

While the concept of Braddock's hardships and the level on which he competed are interesting, DeLisa puts too much emphasis on small details and characters. It was easy to get lost in his sauce of players, boxers, spectators, managers, this guy, and that guy. What about Braddock? What about his relationship with his kids, neighbors, family, in relation to boxing? Why not simply state the various build ups to different fights, as opposed to Primo Carnera's birthplace and the size of his underpants? This story does not get fully underway until more than half way through the book. It ends quickly without much information of Braddock's former years and how he lived after boxing. More about the concept of Cinderella and how other people were also fighting at the time--fighting to live. Wordy and simplistic, skip to the middle of the book. Don't waste time assuming the photos at the beginning of the chapters have much to do with the actual text and storyline.

you learn more about the real jimmy braddock and his mob connected manager. you learn how jimmy had a few businesses on the side besides being a boxer. its a good story.

Delisa sends an uppercut to the boxing elite, disputing myths and writing with the staccato of an Ali jab, a crisp clarity rarely captured in the movie itself. Fuggetabout Russel Crowe (and his Golden Glove wannabe issues with NYC telephones) Delisa is the real thing.