Beyond Glory

A fascinating story, revealing of its time, based on exhaustive research in Britain, German and the USA For fans of The Fight by Norman Mailer and King of the World by David Remnick Beyond Glory by David Margolick is one of 2005's New York Times 100 notable books of the year.

In 1938, a boxing match was to be fought between Max Schmeling and Joe Louis. After his win in 1936 against Louis, Schmeling had become the toast of Nazi Germany. Joe Louis, the black boxer, had in his corner in the black community of the US. This work tells this classic story, which captures the two fighters and the passions they aroused.In 1938, a match was to be fought between two rival boxers - Max Schmeling and Joe Louis. After his win in 1936 against Louis, Schmeling had become the toast of Nazi Germany and now in his corner were Hitler and Goebbels, along with millions of Germans for whom Schmeling symbolised not just national pride but Aryan supremacy. Joe Louis, the ferocious young black boxer, had in his corner almost the entire black community of the US, not to mention many in the Caribbean and Africa, the young Nelson Mandela among them. Alongside, the blacks were Jews everywhere, including those trapped in Hitler's Europe. And, to a degree unprecedented in 1930s America, there was a huge population of the white community who hoped that a black man would knock out a white man. "Beyond Glory" tells this classic story, which pulses with energy and captures the two fighters and the passions they aroused in a world that was about to change for ever.