Meticulously researched... Sullivan reminds us that the preternaturally powerful Marciano was one of the sweetest of the sweet scientists to ever practice the art of bruising... [Sullivan] offers many illuminating glances into the world around the ring... Sullivan' s book is not just a perfect paean to a pugilistic hero but also to a history of mid-century America as glimpsed from the corner window of what was then America's second most popular sport, professional boxing. -- Gordon Marino, Los Angelos Times Strangely, Rocky Marciano -- the only heavyweight champion with a perfect record, 49-0 with 43 knockouts -- is often forgotten. In [this volume] the story of the undefeated heavyweight champion of a half-century ago has been resurrected... More than anything else, the book assesses Marciano in the context of his times, the early 1950's, when his career reflected America's serene years before the marches of the civil rights movement, when boxing ranked second to baseball as America's favorite sport. -- Dave Anderson, New York Times Book Review Cursed with two left feet and no ring speed, Marciano never looked like a great heavyweight champion. But he sure won like one, riding his knee-buckling right hand all the way to history as the only heavy-weight champ to retire undefeated... Fans of the Rock will appreciate the book's broad scope and savor every last detail... The definitive Marciano biography. -- Booklist There is, to judge from Sullivan's revealing new biography ... more -- and sometimes a little less -- to the man Rocky Marciano... Sullivan's solidly written and researched book will refresh those of a certain age about a boxing legend and initiate others into the full, entertaining story. -- William W. Starr, Chicago Tribune [Sullivan] offers a fascinating glimpse of boxing at midcentury and boxing buffs will be glad to have this overdue biography. -- Publishers Weekly [Sullivan] fought 49 pro fights and never lost, retiring as champion in 1956. In this biography, Sullivan, ... examines Marciano the fighter and Marciano the person, a man who symbolized his era as much as Ali did his. Along the way, Sullivan also offers excellent portraits of Marciano's nemeses - Ezzard Charles, Jersey Joe Walcott, Archie Moore, and others - and gives a sense of big-time boxing in the late 1940's and early 1950's, when the sport trailed only in baseball in popularity. Essential for all boxing collections. - Library Journal A captivating and complex portrait of an American sport legend. Sullivan confirms Rocky Marciano's place as a symbol and cultural icon of his era. As much as he embodied the wholesome, rags-to-riches patriotism of a true American hero, Marciano also reflected the racial and ethnic tensions festering beneath the country's benevolent facade. -- Boxing Digest Sullivan's book is not just a perfect paean to a pugilistic hero but also a history of mid-century America as glimpsed from the corner window of what was then America's second most popular sport, professional boxing. -- Gordon Marino, Los Angeles Times In Rocky Marciano, a captivating and complex portrait of the American sports legend, Russell Sullivan confirms Rocky Marciano's place as a symbol and cultural icon of his era. ... It is the best research job ever on Marciano, is written in a straightforward manner, and doesn't pull any punches. --Italian Tribune
