I am pleased to announce that my book Richmond Unchained is reviewed in the new May issue of the highly-respected Boxing Monthly magazine, which is available now via App store and other digital outlets, and in the shops from Thursday.
The review is on page 52 of the magazine and is by the magazine's long-established reviewer John Exshaw. In the interests of full disclosure I think it is important to mention I had an article about Bill Richmond published by BM last year and have also contributed articles to their website.
However I do not know Mr Exshaw and I have never met or communicated with him. Therefore, I do not believe that my contributions to BM will have influenced his review in any way, shape or form - indeed, I think it is fair to say that Mr Exshaw has a reputation within the boxing community for integrity, independence and - at times - brutal honesty. Certainly, having read his reviews for many years, I have realised that he is a very hard man to please and never defers to reputation. I can also recall at least one occasion on which he has written a very negative review about a book that had also bought advertising space in BM magazine - which I think reinforces my point that he is a truly independent and impartial voice.
Bearing this in mind, I have to say that I am delighted - and no little relieved - that Mr Exshaw's review of Richmond Unchained is a very positive one! A selection of quotes from the review are included below, and if you want to read the review in full then I urge you to get a copy of the magazine!
"Mr. Williams proves both diligent and tenacious in researching the details of Richmond's life ... as well as judicious in his assessment of the most likely course of events in the many instances in which there is conflicting evidence ... The merits, then, of Mr. Williams' book are many and manifold (including the splendid illustrations by Trevor Von Eeden), and it can be heartily recommended to pugilist-specialist readers and novices alike. ... This is definitely a book with "bottom"."
Addendum: Mr Exshaw mentions in his review that Richmond Unchained would benefit from an index and in this opinion, I agree wholeheartedly with him. Due to page constraints, which came about as a result of extra research and information about Bill Richmond that I discovered relatively late in the writing process, I had to make the difficult decision to shorten my sources / referencing section and not have an index. This decision was made to ensure my main text did not have to be edited down and so that Trevor Von Eeden's wonderful illustrations could be included. In an ideal world, I wish there had been an index. Please note though, that fuller details about my sources can be found on this blog and I intend, in time, to also publish a full index to Richmond Unchained on this blog.
No comments:
Post a Comment