School Library Journal Review
Gr 4-8-Born in 1914, Louis had a talent that offered him a means to succeed despite the economic hardships and racial discrimination of the 1930s. His early managers cautioned him to avoid the example of Jack Johnson, boxing's first African-American heavyweight, so Louis adopted a guarded stance for press and cameras. Throughout the highs and lows of his career, he carried himself with dignity, realizing that he held the hope of many on his shoulders. In 1938, he fought a rematch with the German fighter Max Schmeling, who represented Hitler's Aryan "superman"; Louis knocked Schmeling out in the first round in what is now viewed as one of the most significant sporting events of the 20th century. Sullivan's lively account limns Louis's accomplishments and notes that the boxer "offered a challenge to the conscience of a country." This slim biography features sepia-tinted archival photographs. One depicts a triumphant Louis at the height of his career, returning to his old Detroit neighborhood and drawing an admiring crowd. Some feature dramatic scenes in the ring; one photo finds a pantheon of boxing greats, including Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier, paying their respects to Louis at his gravesite in Arlington National Cemetery. A well-crafted introduction to the life and continuing significance of this iconic American sports hero.-Marilyn Taniguchi, Beverly Hills Public Library, CA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
This oversize biography of Joe Louis is just the thing for getting the blood of reluctant readers and sports fans pumping. Using copious period photographs (most of them sepia-toned shots of the pugilist) and full-color reproductions of fight posters and memorabilia, Sullivan relays in straightforward language the rags-to-riches saga of the Brown Bomber, and sets the story against the rampant racism of 1920s America. Louis battled a stutter and struggled with schoolwork, but self-esteem was waiting just a boxing ring away, and at the age of 20 Louis went pro and became a national phenomena and a hero to black Americans. Sullivan's fight recaps are clear and vivid, and he ably whips up excitement for such titanic clashes as the 1938 heavyweight fight against Max Schmeling, in which the U.S. scored a symbolic victory over Hitler's Germany. Sullivan pulls his punches when dealing with Louis' decline, but the book's chronology, sources, and foreword by Louis' son more than make up for it.--Kraus, Daniel Copyright 2009 Booklist
