War in the Ring presents a riveting nonfiction book for kids about a boxing match that represented the growing tensions between the United States and Nazi Germany in the lead up to World War II.
Joe Louis was born on an Alabama cotton patch and raised in a Detroit ghetto. Max Schmeling grew up in poverty in Hamburg, Germany. For both boys, boxing was a path out and a ladder up. Little did they know that they would one day face each other in a pair of matches that would capture the world's attention.
Joe grew into a symbol of inspiration to a nation of Black Americans hoping to carve a slice of the 'American Dream' in a racially fractured country. Max, on the other hand, became a Nazi symbol for the superiority of the Aryan race.
The battles waged between Joe and Max still resonate, and the cultural implications of the international sensation continue to reverberate far past the ring.
Über den Autor John Florio
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John Florio is a freelance writer whose work has appeared in print, on the web, and on television. He is also the author of the novel, Sugar Pop Moon. Visit him at johnfloriowriter.com.Ouisie Shapiro is a five-time Emmy-winning writer and producer of sports documentaries. Her writing credits include HBO's Joe Louis: America's Hero Betrayed; Namath: Beaver Falls to Broadway; and Lombardi. She has also produced ESPN SportsCentury documentaries on Jack Dempsey, Sonny Liston, and Rocky Marciano, among others.
