• Cinderella Man

  • James J. Braddock, Max Baer and the Greatest Upset in Boxing History
  • By: Jeremy Schaap
  • Narrated by: Grover Gardner
  • Length: 8 hrs and 50 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (285 ratings)

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Cinderella Man  By  cover art

Cinderella Man

By: Jeremy Schaap
Narrated by: Grover Gardner
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Publisher's summary

Lost in the annals of boxing is the sport's true Cinderella story. James J. Braddock, dubbed "Cinderella Man" by Damon Runyon, was a once promising light heavyweight for whom a string of losses in the ring and a broken right hand happened to coincide with the Great Crash of 1929.

With one good hand, Braddock was forced to labor on the docks of Hoboken. Only his manager, Joe Gould, still believed in him, finding fights for Braddock to help feed his wife and children. The diminutive, loquacious Jew and the burly, quiet Irishman made one of boxing's oddest couples, but together they staged the greatest comeback in fighting history. In 12 months Braddock went from the relief rolls to face heavyweight champion Max Baer, the Livermore Butcher Boy, renowned for having allegedly killed two men in the ring.

A charismatic, natural talent and in every way Braddock's foil, Baer was a towering opponent, a Jew from the West Coast who was famously brash and made great copy both in and out of the ring. A 10-to-1 underdog, Braddock carried the hopes and dreams of the working class on his shoulders. And when boxing was the biggest sport in the world, when the heavyweight champion was the biggest star in the world, his unlikely upset made Braddock the most popular champion boxing had ever seen.

Against the gritty backdrop of the Depression, Cinderella Man brings this dramatic all-American story to life, evoking a time when the sport of boxing resonated with a country trying desperately to get back on its feet. Schaap paints a vivid picture of the fight world in its golden age, populated by men of every class and ethnic background and covered voluminously by writers who elevated sports writing to art. Rich in anecdote and color, steeped in history, and full of human interest, Cinderella Man is a classic David and Goliath tale that transcends the sport.

©2005 Jeremy Schaap (P)2005 Books on Tape, Inc.

What listeners say about Cinderella Man

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

I'm on my third listen

I love this book and the narration. I've had this audio for several years now and I'm on my third listen. I'm inspired each time and each time I hear something new.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • D
  • 12-17-05

Nothing like the movie..

This book is a fascinating historical account of the boxing careers of Jim Braddock and Max Baer. In the movie, Baer is portrayed as a comic book villain, a la Mr. T in Rocky III. In the book, a far more complex character is revealed.

While the film was emotionally compelling, the book reads like a historical account. If you like sports and/or history, you will enjoy this book. If you're expecting to have a more in depth version of Ron Howard's film, you will be disappointed.

Grover Gardner's delivery was, as usual, above par.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Movie was good - Book is Great

Similar to Seabiscuit, Cinderella Man does a great job interweaving the historical context into this amazing true story.

One of the best sports books I have ever come across

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great Story

As good as Ron Howard’s movie of the same name. Great information, narration and pacing.

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