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

Gary Andrew Poole (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2011

With his shellacking of Antonio Margarito in November 2010, Manny “PacMan” Pacquiao became the only boxer ever to win eight world championships in eight different weight classes. Proclaimed the “fighter of the decade” by ESPN and recently elected Congressman in the Philippines, he is an inspiration to his countrymen. But to many, he remains an enigma.

 

In PacMan—named one of the best sports books of 2010 by the Guardian—Gary Andrew Poole pulls back the curtain in an “amazing tale of how a reed-thin Filipino, who left his home in the poorest pocket of the Philippines (“TheCity of Dust”) at the age of 15…became one of the most recognizable names and faces in the world.”—Dallas Morning News

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.” 

 

BoxingInsider.com, 10/2/11

“This was one of the best boxing books I’ve ever read. Highly recommend it. Very interesting insightful and inspiring. I still remember being stunned to read that young Manny as a kid had to share a bowl of rice with his five siblings for their one meal a day. The family lived in a cardboard shack. A great gift for ANY sports fan.”

About the Author

Gary Andrew Poole has written for the New York Times, GQ, Wired, USA Today, Time, and The Atlantic. He lives in Los Angeles.

 

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Da Capo Press; First Trade Paper Edition, domestic trade paper edition edition (November 1, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0306820455
• ISBN-13: 978-0306820458
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 1 x 8.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,795,685 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

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Below expectation December 8, 2010

By Pacfan

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

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

Format: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

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

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.