Rocky Marciano (University of Illinois Press)

Spirited, fast-paced, and rich in detail, Rocky Marciano: The Rock of His Times is the first book to tell the full story of the man, his sport, and his era. Emerging from obscurity to win the heavyweight crown in the early 1950s, Marciano fought until 1955, retiring with a perfect 49-0 record - a feat still unmatched today. Yet as much as he embodied the wholesome, rags-to-riches patriotism of a true American hero, Marciano also reflected the racial and ethnic tensions festering beneath the country's benevolent facade. In this captivating portrait of a complex American sports legend, Russell Sullivan confirms Rocky Marciano's place as a symbol and cultural icon of his era. Russell Sullivan lives in the Boston area and is senior vice president and general counsel of Linkage, Inc., a corporate education company headquartered in Burlington, Massachusetts. He is the author, coauthor, or editor of several books and articles on business-related topics. A volume in the series Sport and Society, edited aby Benjamin G. Rader and Randy Roberts