Blood On My Notebook: Inside Stories from the World of Professional Boxing - Perfect for Boxing Fans & Sports Enthusiasts

John's collections of writings on the fight game are expressions of his lifetime love of this great sport, rooted deeply in it's traditions, and the tradition of boxing writers. Nothing else could originate in the mind and heart of someone who, as a young person, watched the Arguello-Pryor rematch with his dad and grandfather. That's a rich tradition to grow up in and into, and "Notebook" is indeed a treasure trove of insights and experinces garnered along the way.One need not approach reading this in an entirely linear fashion, and I did not read the chapters in order, but skipped around, and indeed read some of them several times.Like watching a great fight over and over, one "sees" new things in his descriptions of the fights themselves. John is unequaled in his fight reports, primarily due to his abilities to evoke such clear images of what he is describing. When I first began reading his articles and fight reports six or seven years ago this struck me, I consider this a literary talent, and it reminded me much of the great Jack London (who, it turns out is one of John's all-time favorites), and a dash of Hemingway. I highly recommend reading his writings slowly, to allow the many images he evokes to form in one's mind. One should savor and not devour this!I will be reading and re-reading this for years. I enjoyed and appreciated this book immensely for the reasons above. My respect for John's writings is now enhanced by an understanding and awareness that he is truly a boxing expert not just that he writes beautifully. I have no reservations in recommending this book, as well as his previous book "Intimate Warfare", written with Dennis Taylor, covering the Gatti-Ward trilogy.