James J Braddock's nickname - the Cinderella Man - was an understatment. His rise from hard-luck, bottom-rung local slugger to heavyweight champion of the world is still regarded as one of the greatest true-life triumphs in the histpry of sport. Published to coincide with the release of Ron Howard's film 'Cinderella Man' starring Russell Crowe, Renee Zellweger, Paul Giamatti and Paddy Considine, Jim Hague's captivating memoir is the story of a man who saw that the odds were against him - so he stepped into the ring and beat them. From his rise through the ranks as a promising young pro and his heartbreaking decision defeat at the hands of champion Tommy Loughran to the hard times after the stock market crash when he could barely afford to support his family, Braddock's life is a moving underdog story of a legendary athlete that inspired depression-era America. Carrying on the shoulders the hopes and dreams of the disenfranchised masses, Braddock went on to triumph over Max Baer, his toughest challenger renowned for having killed two men in the ring. Jim Hague tell's Braddock's story, blending the history of a sport and an era with the biography of a champion in the ring and in life.