This
is one of the best books I've read this year. Charley Burley was a
special fighter in a time when there was a vast surplus of good boxers.
The author Harry Otty takes you on a journey that covers much more then
the life of Charley Burley. It captures the historical existence of
this whole era and the great men who did battle inside the ring. As in
the case of professional baseball, it is a shame that so many great
players spent their careers in the Negro Leagues and never received
their just due. In boxing there are several cases where competent
fighters were denied title shots due to their color of their skin.
Mr.Otty explores the plight of the outstanding Negro boxers of the
1930's and 1940's. Although the book centers on the life of the fabled
Burley, it also enlightens the reader to the abilities of Holman
Williams, Eddie Booker, Cocoa Kid, Lloyd Marshall, Jimmy Bivins and
Jack Chase just to name a few. This is a fine read. I highly recommend
it.
Jim Amato Columnist: Inside Boxing and IBRO member
http://amatoboxingsite.multiply.com/reviews/item/12Jim Amato Columnist: Inside Boxing and IBRO member
I found Harry Otty's book about Charley Burley an educational and
entertaining read throughout. It was a real treat to finally learn so
much about this great fighter as well as so many other lessor known
warriors of that time period. I highly recommend the book.
Clay Moyle Book dealer and collector and IBRO member
www.prizefightingbooks.com Clay Moyle Book dealer and collector and IBRO member
REVIEWS FROM AMAZON.CO.UK
More about the man, 4 May 2006
Reviewer: Simon Fox from(Doncaster, South Yorkshire, United Kingdom
There are 2 prominant biographies around at the moment about Charley Burley, this is the better of the 2. The biographer met the boxer and actually spoke to his family and friends. the reader does get a sense of who the man was and also a grasp of his ability, frustrations and of how american society was. This is also an easier read than the other biography. this book is worth reading.
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A huge service to boxing history, December 29, 2005
| | Reviewer: Alister Scott Ottesen from Oslo, Norway |
“Charley Burley was a great fighter whom was worthy of a biography decades ago.
When “Charley Burley & The Black Murderers Row” finally arrived in 2002, it was well worth the extra wait.
Author and boxing historian, Harry Otty, gives us a complete picture of not only this great fighter’s life and career but also a much more complete look at the era in which Burley fought. Thus, it is more than just a brilliant biography on Charley Burley, it is also an excellent contribution to boxing history.
“Charley Burley & The Black Murderers Row” is a masterpiece of a book which sets a new standard for boxing biograpies. A classic.”
A tremendous read, July 12, 2005 Reviewer: pcubbon from Kirk Michael, Isle of Man United Kingdom.
I have read many boxing books and this is up there with the best. The work that has gone into the book is first rate and like the previous reviewers I did not realise how good this guy was. I would definately recommend this book.
An excellent read, April 24, 2005 Reviewer: tosti16 from London England.
With the majority of Boxing books covering the Heavyweight division, particularly the Ali era, this book proved to be both an enlightening and refreshingly personal account of Burley and his contemporaries. The level of research and knowledge was excellent, and the book opens up many avenues of interest for boxing history enthusiasts. However the text is not 'weighed down' by facts and figures and the personal quotes from family members and friends gives a well formed character background for Burley himself. By the time Burley's career was on the downward trend, and he was evidently not going to get a crack at the World crown, you started to feel a small part of the frustration that Burley and other black fighters of his and other era's must have felt.
ONE OF THE BEST BOXING BOOKS EVER, January 23, 2005 Reviewer: jsh5876 from Rhyl, Denbighshire United Kingdom.
I have recently sold all of my boxing books but this is one I will not sell. This excellent book is a must have for any boxing fan. The book is well researched and expertly written. The boxers featured are unheralded fighters who are unknown even to some ardent boxing fans. Avoided by all the champions of the time, including the great Sugar Ray Robinson, Charley Burley and The other boxers in the Black Murderers Row would all be, without doubt, multi weight long reigning World Champions if they were fighting today and not in the era when boxers could be so blatantly sidestepped. This book is a long overdue credit to these amazing fighters and Uncrowned Champions.
A must read book, June 19, 2004 Reviewer: Anthony Evans from Wales
This is a fantastic book, a real eye opener in so much as exposing a few forgotten facts. Sugar Ray Robinson and Henry Armstrong are usually referred to as fearless fighters only too eager to have fought anybody in their day, but these two, and many more of the well-known fighters of their day avoided all the long forgotten fighters that made up the `Black murderers row`. Charley Burley may be the better known of the avoided few, but this book also gives details on the other fighters avoided, names I had never heard of before, but looking through their records, that are included in the book, gives an indication of why they were so carefully sidestepped and frozen out. A fantastic book that everybody with an interest in boxing should read. I have read many, many boxing books and this one is one of the best.
REVIEW FROM THE CYBERBOXINGZONE
In a time when hard-core research has about as much appeal as asparagus ice cream, boxing historian Harry Otty has scoured the record and produced one of the best boxing books of the past 50 years. Since this review is going to be read by hardcore boxing fans, the name Harry Otty needs no introduction. It is undisputed that Burley was an excellent technician who is one of the two or three best fighters never to have won a title belt. Longtime readers of the CBZ will recall that as we developed our Black Dynamite section, Mr. Otty provided an amazing bio for Burley's Web page. Now, five years later, Otty has expanded his research and his scope and presents the story of Burley and several other top black fighters in a truly compelling way. Burley comes to life in these pages. Although obviously Otty thinks highly of Burley both as a man and as a fighter, he never crosses the line to uncritical hero worship. The book uses both archival newspaper reports and interviews conducted with Burley, his family and his friends, to reveal the story of a man whose talents should not be forgotten. This book is a classic of its kind and no good boxing library should be without a copy.
Mike DeLisa Author: The James J. Braddock Story: Cinderella Man