The Black Lights: Inside the World of Professional Boxing

by Thomas Hauser

Book Overview

Originally published in 1986 (McGraw-Hill), The Black Lights was the first book that fully explored the sport and business of professional boxing. Upon joining the training camp of superlightweight... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0070272174
• ISBN13: 9780070272170
• Release Date: January 1986
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill Companies
• Length: 257 Pages
• Weight: 1.25 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Excellent book

Thomas Hauser wrote a very worthwhile boxing book with Black Lights, he tells a load of stories throughout with a multi-faceted view of the sport examining a number of personalities. Perhaps it is just me but I had trouble feeling for Costello, I liked reading about him but he didn't come across as well as he might have if the author has fleshed him out a little more. The problem lies in the lack of depth to a number of the characters that we see. What is Don King really like? Carl King? Jose Suliaman? We get a few pages devoted to each but you could do much more. Readable book and worth buying.

Another Hauser Knock Out

The Black LightsIt's no wonder that after reading this Muhammad Ali chose Thomas Hauser to write his story.How this book got it's name is another great example of what Hauser can do with just one paragraph!I had assumed that this would be somewhat of a dry read or just not as good as Hauser's other books on boxing and the world of boxing. I had thought that since it's Hauser's first attempt at writing about boxing that it would be just ok - maaaan was I wrong - THIS is a fantastic book!Hauser is an amazing writer and is exceptional in all his writings about the sweet science.This is a great example of a book successfully covering and achieving what it set out to do. You get educated on the inside story of professional boxing and get a great and personal insight into the world of Billy Costello.I was caught up in every chapter and did not want to put this book down. I've never heard of Billy Costello before this book and found myself being nervous for him, being excited for him, cheering for him and feeling now like I was there with him.Great book for anyone.

The greatest ... a must-read for boxing fans

I first read The Black Lights soon after its publication in the mid-80s. I felt then that it was as good if not better than any non-fiction examination of boxing. Rereading it recently, I was still impressed by its thoroughness, insight and candor. Sadly, the same characters who held a stranglehold on boxing then are still in charge - King, Sulaiman, Arum. The only new player is HBO, which has replaced the three networks as the major bankroller of big fights. The fighters are still used for all they are worth and then tossed aside.Billy Costello, whose Nov. 1984 title defense is the book's focus, had a distinguished ring career. Fortunately, he also had Thomas Hauser to record his grace under pressure. You cannot help but admire Costello for his dedication and decency amid the scoundrels who flock to the sport. Readers are sure to come away from The Black Lights with the feelings of true boxing fans - a mixture of fascination, admiration and revulsion.

Take a look at the real world of boxing

This is a great book by a writer I truly admire. Thomas Hauser wrote an incredible biography of The Greatest, Muhammad Ali, and in this book he really gives the reader an inside look at boxing.Focusing in the career of former champ Billy Costello, the author provides an interesting view about promoters (Don King included, of course), managers and the terrible agony of the fighter and his fears, in and out of the ring.Really recommended!

This Book is a Definite Contenda!

This is a nice quick read that gives a behind-the-scenes view of what it takes to put together a world championship fight. The book follows the career of former Superlightweight champion Billy Costello and the individuals that comprise help him reach the top. Interspersed throughout the book are anectdotes regarding the promoters, trainers, televison execs, and boxers who all want a piece of Costello. The book really takes off when Costello's camp tries to set up a title defense for the champ. From the stuggles to find an opponent who won't pose much of a risk to Costello's crown, to the virtual soul-selling that occurs to get the fight broadcast, to the fight itself, you feel the turmoil that Costello, his trainer and manager all go through. The description of the actual fight is written so vividly you feel like you're the one in the ring. This true story makes you sorry you never followed Costello's career as it was happenng in the early 1980's. And as an added bonus, the author gives you one more reason (as if you needed another) to despise Don King.