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- Pugilistica: The History of British Boxing, Volume 1 (of 3) Containing Lives of the Most Celebrated Pugilists; Full Reports of Their Battles from Contemporary Newspapers, With Authentic Portraits, Personal Anecdotes, and Sketches of the Principal Patrons of the Prize Ring, Forming a Complete History of the Ring from Fig and Broughton, 1719-40, to the Last Championship Battle Between King and Heenan, in December 1863
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Pugilistica: The History of British Boxing, Volume 1 (of 3) Containing Lives of the Most Celebrated Pugilists; Full Reports of Their Battles from Contemporary Newspapers, With Authentic Portraits, Personal Anecdotes, and Sketches of the Principal Patrons of the Prize Ring, Forming a Complete History of the Ring from Fig and Broughton, 1719-40, to the Last Championship Battle Between King and Heenan, in December 1863
Chapters
11 totalTranscriber’s Note:
PUGILISTICA THE HISTORY OF BRITISH BOXING CONTAINING LIVES OF THE MOST CELEBRATED PUGILISTS; FULL REPORTS OF THEIR BATTLES FROM CONTEMPORARY NEWSPAPERS, WITH AUTHENTIC PORTRAITS, PERSONAL ANECDOTES, AND SKETCHES OF THE PRINCIPAL PATRONS OF THE PRIZE RING, FORMING A COMPLETE HISTORY OF THE RING FROM FIG AND BROUGHTON, 1719‒40, TO THE LAST CHAMPIONSHIP BATTLE BETWEEN KING AND HEENAN, IN DECEMBER 1863
PREFACE TO THE FIRST VOLUME.
CHAMPIONS OF ENGLAND FROM 1719 TO 1863.
INTRODUCTION. BOXING AND BOXERS AMONG THE ANCIENTS.
PERIOD I.—1719 TO 1791. FROM THE CHAMPIONSHIP OF FIG TO THE APPEARANCE OF DANIEL MENDOZA.
PERIOD II.—1784‒1798. FROM THE APPEARANCE OF DANIEL MENDOZA TO THE FIRST BATTLE OF JEM BELCHER.
PERIOD III.—1798‒1809. FROM THE APPEARANCE OF JEM BELCHER TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP OF TOM CRIBB.
PERIOD IV—1805‒1820. FROM THE APPEARANCE OF TOM CRIBB TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP OF TOM SPRING.
INDEX TO VOLUME I.
Description
This volume offers a vivid chronicle of British boxing from its earliest organized bouts in the early 1700s through the mid‑19th century. Arranged as a series of biographies, it follows the rise of champions such as James Fig, Daniel Mendoza, Tom Cribb and Tom Spring, placing each fighter within the social and sporting climate of his era. Contemporary newspaper reports, portrait sketches, and personal anecdotes bring the gritty atmosphere of the prize ring to life.
The author, a long‑time correspondent for several London sporting papers, weaves together official match accounts with colorful side stories about trainers, patrons, and the occasionally scandalous world surrounding the bouts. Readers will find concise summaries of each period’s defining fights, plus appendices that list lesser‑known pugilists and lightweight competitors. Though the narrative stops before the sport’s eventual decline, it preserves the honourable deeds and dramatic clashes that shaped a uniquely British tradition.
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Full title
Pugilistica: The History of British Boxing, Volume 1 (of 3) Containing Lives of the Most Celebrated Pugilists; Full Reports of Their Battles from Contemporary Newspapers, With Authentic Portraits, Personal Anecdotes, and Sketches of the Principal Patrons of the Prize Ring, Forming a Complete History of the Ring from Fig and Broughton, 1719-40, to the Last Championship Battle Between King and Heenan, in December 1863 Containing Lives of the Most Celebrated Pugilists; Full Reports of Their Battles from Contemporary Newspapers, With Authentic Portraits, Personal Anecdotes, and Sketches of the Principal Patrons of the Prize Ring, Forming a Complete History of the Ring from Fig and Broughton, 1719-40, to the Last Championship Battle Between King and Heenan, in December 1863
Language
en
Duration
~28 hours (1655K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Richard Tonsing, deaurider and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive)
Release date
2019-05-09
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
About the author
Henry Downes Miles
1806–1889
A Victorian journalist and prolific writer, he is best remembered for lively books on boxing, sport, and popular adventure. His work preserves the color and personalities of 19th-century sporting life in vivid detail.
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