Max Baer and Barney Ross: Jewish Heroes of Boxing

by Jeffrey Sussman

Overview

In the 1920s and 30s, anti-Semitism was rife in the United States and Europe. Jews needed symbols of strength and demonstrations of courage against their enemies, and they found both in two champions of boxing: Max Baer and Barney Ross. Baer was the only Jewish heavyweight champion in the twentieth century, while Ross was considered one of the greatest welterweight and lightweight champions of the era. Although their careers never crossed paths, their boxing triumphs played a common role in lifting the spirits of persecuted Jews.

In Max Baer and Barney Ross: Jewish Heroes of Boxing, Jeffrey Sussman chronicles the lives of two men whose successful bouts inside the ring served as inspiration for Jewish fans across the country and around the world. Though they came from very different backgrounds—Baer grew up on his family’s ranch in California, while Ross roamed the tough streets of Chicago and was a runner for Al Capone—both would bask in the limelight as boxing champions. Their stories include legendary encounters with such opponents as Jimmy McLarnin (known as the Jew Killer), Max Schmeling (Hitler’s favorite athlete), and Primo Carnera (a sad giant controlled and mistreated by gangsters).

While recounting the exploits of these two men, the author also paints an evocative picture of boxing and the crucial role it played in an era of anti-Semitism. A vivid and engaging look at these two heroes and the difficult era in which they lived, Max Baer and Barney Ross will appeal to boxing fans, sports historians, and anyone interested in Jewish history.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781442269330
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	11/03/2016
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	224
File size:	27 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Jeffrey Sussman is the author of ten non-fiction books, as well as numerous articles and short stories about boxing. He is a regular writer for the premier boxing website www.boxing.com. Sussman is the president of a public relations and marketing firm based in New York City (www.powerpublicity.com).

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments
Introduction

Chapter 1: The Prototypes: Benny Leonard and Abe Attell
Chapter 2: The Great Depression, Boxing, and Mike Jacobs
Chapter 3: Tough Kid
Chapter 4: Fists of Fury
Chapter 5: Hero and Drug Addict
Chapter 6: From Ranch Hand to Powerful Right Hand
Chapter 7: Jew versus Nazi
Chapter 8: The Man in the Movies
Chapter 9: After the Last Bell
Conclusion: The Empty Ring

Appendix A: Barney Ross’s Boxing Record
Appendix B: Max Baer’s Boxing Record
Notes
Bibliography
Index
About the Author

Editorial Reviews

Jewish boxers? Somehow, Jews as boxers sounds like a contradiction of terms. Yet Jeffrey Sussman’s meticulous research and insightful portraits of Max Baer and Barney Ross—two great Jewish champions—dispel that myth. This book is a fascinating glimpse of the first half of the 20th century—the Golden Age of Jewish boxing. Max Baer and Barney Ross: Jewish Heroes ofBoxing is a gem of a story, packed with fascinating revelations and amusing anecdotes. Yet the subject here is far greater than boxing or the ferocity and valor of Baer and Ross. It is an intelligent and gripping glimpse back at The Depression, the mob, Hollywood, and World War Two—the forces and influences that led to a time when boxing was, indeed, a Jewish sport.

Peter Wood

As a boxing promoter for more than 46 years and a Jew my entire life, reading Max Baer and Barney Ross: Jewish Heroes of Boxing was an easy assignment. While I consider myself a boxing historian, there were stories and anecdotes in this book I never before had heard. Baer may not have been considered Jewish in the strictest sense of the Orthodox, but I understood what his achievements meant—while wearing the Star of David on his trunks—to the Jewish people at a time when they desperately needed heroes.

J Russell Peltz

In recounting the exploits of these two fighters, the pages of Jewish Heroes of Boxing are full of fascinating cameo appearances by Al Capone, Jack Ruby, Greta Garbo, Jean Harlow, Myrna Loy, Benny Leonard, Abe Attell, Adolf Hitler, Damon Runyon, and Budd Schulberg.

Heritage Florida Jewish News

Jews were a vital part of the ascendancy of boxing. From 1901 to 1939, according to boxing historian Mike Silver, they produced 29 world champions, about 16% of the total. Why did Jews enter boxing in such numbers? Why would sweatshop workers spend a $1 to see a match when they earned perhaps $5 a week? Jeffrey Sussman’s answers these questions by focusing on two Jewish world champions, Max Baer and Barney Ross. Others have written at greater length about Baer and Ross, their careers and lives. Sussman, however, focuses on the significance of their popularity. Part American history and part family nostalgia, Sussman’s book deals with what Jews did for boxing and what boxing did for Jews.

Jewish Advocate

Max Baer and Barney Ross: Jewish Heroes of Boxing is a valuable contribution to the history of boxing and the general field of sport studies. The book will certainly appeal to sports fans and historians. Even those who have been working on these topics for many years may gain fresh insights about their own subject specialisms. Selections from this publication can make good seminar readings for history students to respond to and should stimulate plenty of lively debate.

The International Journal of the History of Sport

Jeffrey Sussman’s Max Baer and Barney Ross: Jewish Heroes of Boxing is required reading for anyone interested in boxing and its history. It is a precise evocation of the rise of anti-Semitism in the 20th century, focusing as it does on two of the greatest Jewish boxers from boxing’s Golden Age. Eloquently written and thoroughly researched, with the help of Max Baer Jr. among others, the book is a must-read for hardcore fight fans, as well as lovers of good storytelling. It is also a book for those who believe in social justice above and beyond the knee-jerk reactions of tribalism.

Robert Ecksel

In this accessible book, Sussman details the history of Jewish boxers Max Baer and Barney Ross, select competitors and contemporaries, and the anti-Semitism that surrounded both men’s careers in the 1920s and 1930s. The author also discusses the general anti-Semitic culture in America during that period, the major players involved in perpetuating these beliefs, and the roles that Jewish boxers played within that culture. Other cultural forces discussed include the Great Depression and Hollywood. More descriptive history than academic tome, and often liberally pulling from other biographies, this work is not based on much original or academic research; instead, it focuses primarily on books and movies as source material to piece together a narrative. The author writes conversationally and often includes his own voice in the writing while relating his experiences with and interest in boxing and boxers. Filling in a specific gap in the history of boxing…this work is decent for those lower-level undergraduates or boxing fans interested in the history of this period in boxing and the role of Jewish boxers in history.

Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates and general readers.

Choice Reviews

Pound for pound, Jeffrey Sussman is the strongest boxing writer alive.... Sussman deftly captures not just the lives of the men but the era in which they lived, when a strong right hand was all it took to lift an individual to the highest levels of fame.... Sussman deserves enormous credit for bringing to life a long lost era when Jews symbolized physical strength and courage through their success in the ring. The book is a must read not just for sports fans but for anyone who wants to understand a vital piece of American Jewish history. The book is a knockout.

The Huffington Post

From ancient times to the present, the fighting spirit of the Jews has been unquestioned. The many Jewish boxing champions and contenders celebrated in Jeffrey Sussman’s Max Baer and Barney Ross — Jewish Heroes of Boxing exemplifies this great fighting tradition. The Jewish dedication, perseverance and intelligence have set fine examples for those who follow in their footsteps.

The East Hampton Star

Sussman dutifully recounts how, in a time of the depression and antisemitism, Baer and Ross gave Jews hope and pride. This book hits hard, and is a great read that will make you wish there were more Jewish fighters in the game today.

The Algemeiner

If you want to know about the Golden Era of boxing for the twentieth century, read this book by Jeffrey Sussman. He captures the political and social climate of the time and shows how and why the great boxers of the 20’s, 30’s and 40’s came to being. Max Baer and Barney Ross were Jewish heroes of boxing but they were more than that. They were American icons that lifted the spirit of the country when the country needed heroes. They showed what people can achieve through the great sport of boxing. Jeffrey has written a very compelling and interesting book that everyone should read. None will be disappointed and all will be impressed.

Bruce Silverglade

A detailed and exciting book about the fascinating history of Jewish boxers. The book evocatively takes the reader back to an era when boxers and boxing matches influenced world events as much as world events influenced boxing matches. Anyone interested in the history of boxing and the prominent role that Jewish boxers played during the first half of the 20th century should read this book.

Joe DeGuardia

Many great anecdotes paint an interesting and vivid story [in Max Baer and Barney Ross].... An interesting read.

Southern Jewish Life Magazine

In this accessible book, Sussman details the history of Jewish boxers Max Baer and Barney Ross, select competitors and contemporaries, and the anti-Semitism that surrounded both men’s careers in the 1920s and 1930s. The author also discusses the general anti-Semitic culture in America during that period, the major players involved in perpetuating these beliefs, and the roles that Jewish boxers played within that culture. Other cultural forces discussed include the Great Depression and Hollywood. More descriptive history than academic tome, and often liberally pulling from other biographies, this work is not based on much original or academic research; instead, it focuses primarily on books and movies as source material to piece together a narrative. The author writes conversationally and often includes his own voice in the writing while relating his experiences with and interest in boxing and boxers. Filling in a specific gap in the history of boxing…this work is decent for those lower-level undergraduates or boxing fans interested in the history of this period in boxing and the role of Jewish boxers in history. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates and general readers.

Choice

In this accessible book, Sussman details the history of Jewish boxers Max Baer and Barney Ross, select competitors and contemporaries, and the anti-Semitism that surrounded both men’s careers in the 1920s and 1930s. The author also discusses the general anti-Semitic culture in America during that period, the major players involved in perpetuating these beliefs, and the roles that Jewish boxers played within that culture. Other cultural forces discussed include the Great Depression and Hollywood. More descriptive history than academic tome, and often liberally pulling from other biographies, this work is not based on much original or academic research; instead, it focuses primarily on books and movies as source material to piece together a narrative. The author writes conversationally and often includes his own voice in the writing while relating his experiences with and interest in boxing and boxers. Filling in a specific gap in the history of boxing…this work is decent for those lower-level undergraduates or boxing fans interested in the history of this period in boxing and the role of Jewish boxers in history.

Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates and general readers.

CHOICE