Sports

[close] Do you devour sports books? Do you worship at the alter of DeFord and Maraniss...of Halberstam and Plimpton? Do you read everything by Leigh Montville or Steve Rushin or Jane Leavy? If you're still reading, the SBJ group is for you.

[close] This is a space for Westhill educators and learners to connect about the books we're reading together. Welcome to the conversation!

[close] Northern Virginia Sports Book Club!

[close] World champion boxer Lew Jenkins fought his whole life. As a child, he fought extreme poverty during the Great Depression in the depths of the Texas Dust Bowl. In his twenties, he fought as a professional boxer and obtained the pinnacle of his vocation—a world championship. Jenkins fought in World War II and the Korean War, and in his later years, he fought the ravages from the aging of an abused body. From Boxing Ring to Battlefield: The Life of War Hero Lew Jenkins details for the first time the extraordinary life of Lew Jenkins, from his difficult childhood to his death in 1981. Despite his talent for boxing, Gene Pantalone reveals that Jenkins often fought and trained through drunken stupors. After wasting his ring title and all his money, Jenkins found purpose during World War II and the Korean War. He fought in major battles that included D-Day, Bloody Ridge, and Heartbreak Ridge, and his efforts earned him one of the highest decorations for bravery, the Silver Star. Unable to find meaning in life at the peak of his boxing success, Jenkins discovered values to which he could cling during war. From Boxing Ring to Battlefield features exclusive interviews with Lew Jenkins’ son and grandson, providing a personal perspective on the life of this complicated war hero. The first biography of Jenkins, this book will fascinate boxing fans and historians alike.