PacMan: Behind the Scenes with Manny Pacquiao--the Greatest Pound-for-Pound Fighter in the World [Hardcover]

Gary Andrew Poole (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 2, 2010

Manny Pacquiao, 31, was recently named “Fighter of the Decade” by the Boxing Writers’ Association and is the only fighter ever to capture seven championship belts in seven different weight classes. But few could have imagined that Pacquiao would have ever reached the pinnacle of his sport, considering his background. He ran away from home—a cardboard shack in General Santos City in the Philippines—at age fourteen. After making his way to Manila, and eventually the United States, Pacquiao hooked up with trainer Freddie Roach in 2001, and, from there, his fighting career took off.

Named one of Time magazine’s “100 Most Influential People in the World” last year, the aptly nicknamed Pac-Man is a fascinating figure who will go down as one of the greatest boxers in history.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Scoop Malinowski, Boxing Insider (BoxingInsider.com)

“Manny Pacquiao’s rise to superstardom is one of the world’s most unlikely stories…Poole takes you on a journey to Planet Pacquiao and it couldn’t have been a better read.  I loved the book from beginning to end, it’s a fantastic, entertaining and informative read.…You will simply be awed by insider perspectives on Pacquiao’s generosity, modesty, kindness, inspirational powers and just how much he is loved by Filippinos all over the world…“PacMan” is a must-read for all sports fanatics.”

Daily Telegraph (UK)

“a fine biography”

Queensbury Rules

“a wonderful read, marked by genuine insights”

 

SportsIllustrated.com, 11/2/10

“[An] excellent biography…Absolutely worth the read."

Boxinginsider.com, 11/2/10

 “It couldn't have been a better read...Fantastic, entertaining and informative...As good as any boxing biography my hands have ever touched."

Newsday, 11/4/10

“[An] amazing behind-the-scenes look into the life of Manny Pacquiao…A one-of-a-kind ride.”

Daily Telegraph blog, 11/5/10

“[A] fine biography.”

 

Los Angeles Daily News, 11/12/10

“The most thorough piece of work done to date on Pacquiao.”

Sports Illustrated, 11/2/10

“Gary Andrew Poole’s excellent biography of boxing’s pound-for-pound kingpin is absolutely worth the read.”

New York Newsday, 11/4/10

“It is an amazing behind-the-scenes look into the life of Manny Pacquiao. Poole had tremendous access while he traveled the world reporting and observing the fighter. The effort has paid off for the readers because the book is brutally honest. Poole takes you on a one-of-a-kind ride into the one-of-a-kind life of Manny Pacquiao.”

BoxingInsider.com, 11/1/10

“Poole takes you on a journey to Planet Pacquiao and it couldn’t have been a better read…I loved the book from beginning to end, it’s a fantastic, entertaining and informative read…and I consider it to be as good as any boxing biography my hands have ever touched.”

Rick Gosselin, Dallas Morning News, 11/10/10

“The book is an amazing tale of how a reed-thin Filipino, who left his home in the poorest pocket of the Philippines (“The City of Dust”) at the age of 15 to become a boxer, became one of the most recognizable names and faces in the world. I recommend it.”

Steve Bunce, BBC, 11/4/10

“This is good, one for the ages. It’s not a work of a ridiculous fan boy. It’s quality. If you listen to me enough, you know I don’t endorse books that are garbage.”

Gareth A. Davies, Daily Telegraph, 11/2/10

“PacMan tells the rags to riches story of this remarkable boxer who has begun a journey which will see him transcend the sport. It is a fine biography.”

Tim Starks, Queensbury Rules, 10/29/10

“If you don’t know Pacquiao’s amazing story, Poole will open your eyes. If you know Pacquiao already, Poole will help you know him more deeply. And with a masterful guide like Poole leading you down the path, you’ll enjoy the experience immensely.”

The Daily Mail, 11/9/10

“Offers fascinating insight into the PacMan’s crowded life.”

The Ring, 11/9/10

“Well written and provides fresh in-sight into the life of the world’s most-popular boxer.”

Wall Street Journal website, 11/14/10
“A great read.”

Daily Beast, 11/15/10

“A lively biography.”

The Examiner, 11/18/10
“A gem…Just like its hero, the book manages to touch our hearts. I highly recommend it.”\

 

Recah Trinidad, The Philippine Inquirer, 11/19/10
"Genius deserves genius and Poole has produced a brilliant book on the Pacquiao legend...A masterpiece...insightful, thrilling prose in the tradition of Truman Capote."

 

The Guardian (UK), 12/18/10

“Gary Andrew Poole’s PacMan, has something of both the breathless urgency of Pacquiao in the ring and the extraordinary chaos that accompanies him outside.”

The Observer (UK), 12/18/10

“[Pacquiao’s] fascinating tale is recounted by Gary Andrew Poole in PacMan…Poole offers brilliant background on his coach, Freddie Roach…and talks about his defiant rise in national politics.”

New York Daily News, 12/19/10

“A nice read.”

 

Wall Street Journal, online, 5/7/11

“Superb.”

 

Al Bernstein, ShowTime Sports announcer, 5/7/11

“This book is fascinating...I highly recommend it because there are stories in PacMan--about Manny as a man and as a fighter--that will fascinate you. It's an intriguing and balanced look at Manny Pacquiao.” 

About the Author

Gary Andrew Poole is the author of The Galloping Ghost. He has written for the New York Times, Time, and The Atlantic. He lives in Los Angeles.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 280 pages
• Publisher: Da Capo Press (November 2, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 030681949X
• ISBN-13: 978-0306819490
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #694,010 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Gary Andrew Poole has written for TIME, Esquire, The Atlantic and The New York Times.

Praise for PacMan:

"Gary Andrew Poole's excellent biography of boxing's pound-for-pound kingpin is absolutely worth the read."--Sports Illustrated

"It is an amazing behind-the-scenes look into the life of Manny Pacquiao. Poole had tremendous access while he traveled the world reporting and observing the fighter. The effort has paid off for the readers because the book is brutally honest. Poole takes you on a one-of-a-kind ride into the one-of-a-kind life of Manny Pacquiao."--New York Newsday

"Poole takes you on a journey to Planet Pacquiao and it couldn't have been a better read...I loved the book from beginning to end, it's a fantastic, entertaining and informative read...and I consider it to be as good as any boxing biography my hands have ever touched."--Boxing Insider

"The book is an amazing tale of how a reed-thin Filipino, who left his home in the poorest pocket of the Philippines ("The City of Dust") at the age of 15 to become a boxer, became one of the most recognizable names and faces in the world. I recommend it."--Rick Gosselin, Dallas Morning News

"This is good, one for the ages. It's a fantastic book. It's not the work of a ridiculous fan boy. It's quality. If you listen to me enough, you know I don't endorse books that are garbage."--Steve Bunce, BBC

"PacMan tells the rags to riches story of this remarkable boxer who has begun a journey which will see him transcend the sport. It is a fine biography."--Gareth A. Davies, The Daily Telegraph

"If you don't know Pacquiao's amazing story, Poole will open your eyes. If you know Pacquiao already, Poole will help you know him more deeply. And with a masterful guide like Poole leading you down the path, you'll enjoy the experience immensely."--Tim Starks, The Queensberry Rules

"Offers fascinating insight into the PacMan's crowded life."--The Daily Mail

"The American writer Gary Andrew Poole describes a man of complex and fierce beliefs."--The Guardian (UK)

"Well written and provides fresh in-sight into the life of the world's most-
popular boxer."--The Ring


Praise for The Galloping Ghost: Red Grange, an American Football Legend:

"You can almost feel the hits Grange took from defensive players and nearly taste the mud... This book is ideal for any football fan. I had chills reading [it]."--(Chicago) Sun-Times News Group

"Football's first superstar played with a ballerina's grace and a bull's power, but as Gary Andrew Poole shows in The Galloping Ghost, there was more. 21st-century fans will benefit from his reburnishing of the legend."--Sports Illustrated

"The book is a terrific read."-- Rick Gosselin, Dallas Morning News

"Red Grange may have been the best football player of all time, but hardly anyone talks about him the way baseball fans talk about Grange's contemporary, Babe Ruth. Gary Andrew Poole's new biography fills in the blanks of the life of a football legend."--Bob Edwards, The Bob Edwards Show

"[Poole] traveled the country for two years to meticulously research Grange's life. The book is a quick, lively, unpretentious read that captures Grange's greatness as well as his day, and clearly details his role in the growth of the game. I would recommend this to football fans, as much as I recommended Michael Lewis' 'The Blind Side.'"--Ethan Skolnick, South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Below expectation, December 8, 2010

By 

Pacfan - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: PacMan: Behind the Scenes with Manny Pacquiao--the Greatest Pound-for-Pound Fighter in the World (Hardcover)

This book and Pacquiao's autobiography came out around the same time. I ordered this one first because I thought that a Time correspondent like Mr. Poole would be a better writer than Pacquiao himself. I was wrong. This book is somewhat entertaining but I enjoyed the autobiography more. This book seems rushed. I can cite 3 inaccuracies: First, he stated that Pacquiao picture is in Philippine Peso currency. This is wrong and it was lazy for Mr. Poole not to have researched this. Second, he stated that Pacquiao won the OPBF title at the age of 20 - wrong again. Pacquiao was a teenage world champion (won WBC flyweight title at 19 y/o) and one of the youngest Philippine Boxing Champions. Third, mistook Manny Villar for Chavit Singson (This was probably from the 24/7 series that he had watched.)

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Total page turner!, October 29, 2010

By 

Edward Saxon "Earl Hammer" (los angeles, ca) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: PacMan: Behind the Scenes with Manny Pacquiao--the Greatest Pound-for-Pound Fighter in the World (Hardcover)

Not a big fight book guy, but this story is amazing A great read.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Inspirational., December 1, 2010

By 

Peter (Melbourne Australia) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: PacMan: Behind the Scenes with Manny Pacquiao--the Greatest Pound-for-Pound Fighter in the World (Hardcover)

The story of Manny "PacMan" Pacquiao is simply a tremendous one.

He was born into absolute poverty in the slums of Manila and left school at the age of 10. Through his great skill in fighting, he was able to rise above the poverty and reach the USA with a respectable professional boxing record.

This is where one of the most unique relationships in boxing history took place when he met the famed trainer Freddie Roach. Roach took PacMan from being a left-handed KO artist with limited all-round skills to being maybe the most feared pound for pound fighter today and possibly ever.

This book gives us a fairly comprehensive look at the great man and allows us to witness what he went through. What a life he has led and continues to lead.

Acknowledging that PacMan's career is far from over, we are treated to his life story up until the preparations for the fight with Antonio Margarito.

A good book for the boxing library.