Boxing and Masculinity

"Boxing and Masculinity" argues that men of all ages and find happiness in the boxing ring. Boxing isn't just good exercise. It's also a path to greater freedom and independence and to improved self-confidence. This book connects boxing to forms of competition that were prized by gladiators, knights, and other warriors, men who are often cited by boxers as role models. Amateur boxing creates a warm and supportive brotherhood with challenges that help men find new levels of happiness.

"Boxing and Masculinity" is organized into five parts. The first explores current disdain for masculinity and suggests how men can respond to negative views of manliness that we see in media and entertainment all around us. The second part explores sports psychology and exercise science, connecting new views of athletics to new views of masculinity. Exercise turns out to be good for the brain as well as for the body. The third part describes the various environments in which I learned about boxing, ranging from fitness studios to boxing gyms, and the fourth looks boxing as an agent of change and as a form of self-expression. This section also assesses fear, safety, and related concerns that you might have before you climb into the ring. In the fifth section I look at the boxing art of George Bellows (1882-1925), the most famous painter of boxing scenes in America. Five of Bellows's boxing pictures are reproduced in the book. Among his subjects was the great boxer Jack Dempsey, who was also a writer. "Boxing and Masculinity" concludes with a discussion of Dempsey's still-useful book about learning to box.

Allen Frantzen is the author of "Modern Masculinity: A Guide for Men" (2016). He has written several books about the English Middle Ages, including "Food, Eating, and Identity in Early Medieval England" (2014); "Anglo-Saxon Keywords" (2012); "Bloody Good: Chivalry, Sacrifice, and the Great War" (2004); "Before the Closet: Same-sex Love from Beowulf to Angels in America" (1998); and "Desire for Origins: New Language, Old English, and Teaching the Tradition" (1990).