National Network for Equitable Library Service

At the age of three, Arthur Biyarslanov fled with his family from the war-ravaged frontier of Chechnya. Narrowly escaping bullets and a bomb that destroyed the car in front of his family, Arthur and his brother ran to the border and forded a freezing river to safety. He became a refugee first in Azerbaijan, and ultimately in Canada. In spite of these difficult experiences, and the trials that confront any child refugee in strange lands, Arthur thrived on the discipline and camaraderie of sport, taking up first competitive soccer and then boxing.

Having been sexually abused by a boxing coach as a teen, and not knowing who to trust or tell, Roland Vandal found solace in drugs and alcohol. His battle with addiction, and his unwillingness to speak of his demons, led to failed relationships, bad choices, crime, trouble with the law, and PTSD. After a night of partying with friends in 2001, Roland found himself alone in a Winnipeg hotel and attempted suicide. When he woke, plagued by guilt and shame at what he'd done, he knew he had hit bottom. He dialled the phone and sought help.

Myers offers a portrait of one of the world's greatest boxers chronicles his childhood, his rise as a champion, his politics, and his battle against Parkinsons' disease.

Tyler Morris did not have a happy childhood. He suffered abuse at the hands of his alcoholic father, then bounced around a series of foster homes. He became unable to express his emotions or deal with his past. Then, at fifteen, at a charity boxing camp hosted by heavyweight champ Jamie Lewis, Tyler found a purpose and an outlet for his anger. Seven years later, Tyler arrives at the The Gold Arena, Jamie’s Los Angeles gym. He’s desperate to train under the man who helped him turn his life around.

Most of the things Pillow really liked to do were obviously morally wrong. He wasn't an idiot; clearly it was wrong to punch people in the face for money. But there had been an art to it, and it had been thrilling and thoughtful for him. The zoo was also evil, a jail for animals who'd committed no crimes, but he just loved it. The way Pillow figured it, love wasn't about goodness, it wasn't about being right, loving the very best person, or having the most ethical fun. Love was about being alone and making some decisions. Pillow loves animals. Especially the exotic ones.

Part man, part myth, and all American, Muhammad Ali is history's most beloved, most revered athlete. But though he was "The Greatest" inside the ring, outside he was a hulking mass of contradictions. This book is the first comprehensive, pull-no-punches account of America's least likely icon. Jack Cashill explores the changing mores and racial dynamics of the sixties alongside Ali's epic battles in the ring.