BOOK REVIEW 

Tracy Callis

CRADLE OF CHAMPIONS

80 Years of New York Daily News Golden Gloves

By Bill Farrell

Bill Farrell has published his book, Cradle of Champions : 80 Years of New York Daily News Golden Gloves, and it is a beautiful piece of work. The book focuses on the ever popular New York Golden Gloves boxing competition and many of the young boxers and thrilling moments witnessed by fans of the event. The reader is treated to a pictorial and descriptive tour across the years, from 1927, the "Days When Paul Gallico Creates a Classic," into the "New Millennium", 2000-2006. Clearly, the work is well researched and touches on the major contests and fighters who came out of the competition to world fame. Followers of the sport as well as historians will find it interesting and informative since it provides some new factual details. Discussions of selected bouts are enhanced by a wonderful array of photographs. Included among the photographs are scenes of huge crowds at Madison Square Garden and Yankee Stadium as well as images of the youngsters Bob Olin, Lou Salica, Petey Scalzo, Sal Bartolo, Phil Terranova, Melio Bettina, "Sugar" Ray Robinson, Joey Maxim, Jake LaMotta, Roland LaStarza, Johnny Saxton, Floyd Patterson, Ernie Terrell, Cassius Clay, Eddie Gregory, Emile Griffith, Vito Antuofermo, Vivian Harris and Riddick Bowe, to name a few. Also included are rare action shots of contests between Coley Wallace and Rocky Marciano, Tami Mauriello and Gus Lesnevich and others. The book also includes an Appendix that lists (1) Daily News Golden Gloves Champions Who Became World Champions, (2) Daily News Golden Gloves Olympians and (3) World Champions From The Chicago Inter-City Team [Who] Boxed At Madison Square Garden. For those of us who are avid boxing fans and care about boxing history, this book is a "must" read. It is well-written and its message is delivered with photos of celebrities, boxers, action shots and crowd scenes. It has a nice design and layout too - excellent work ! Bill Farrell is an award winning reporter, feature writer and civil service columnist who has been with the Daily News for more than 30 years. While assigned to the Daily News Brooklyn Bureau, he began covering the Daily News Golden Gloves and has reported from ringside from 1987 through the 2005 championships. The publisher is Sports Publishing L.L.C. located at 804 North Neil Street, Champaign, Illinois 61820. The book is available at major chain and independent bookstores (Borders, Barnes & Noble, Waldenbooks, etc.). It can be ordered online at www.SportsPublishingLLC.com or by calling Sports Publishing toll-free 24-hours-a-day at 1-877-424-BOOK (2665) in the continental United States or 1-217-363-2072 outside the continental United States. It can be viewed and ordered from the following website. The Table of Contents, an Excerpt, Index and Back Cover can be linked to from here  ---> http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/1596702052/ref=sib_dp_pt/102-4611110-4585715#reader-link