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BooksbyW.C.Heinz

TheProfessional
byW.C.Heinz

4.16

ratingdetails501ratings57reviews

Originallypublishedin1958,TheProfessionalisthestoryofboxerEddieBrown'squestforthe
middleweightchampionshipoftheworld.Butitissomuchmore.W.C.Heinznotonlyservesupa
realisticdepictionofthecircuslikeatmospherearoundboxingwithitsassortedhangerson,crooked
promoters,andjadedjournalists,buthegivesustwomemorablecharactersinE...more

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Paperback,352pages
PublishedSeptember3rd2001byDaCapoPress(firstpublished1958)
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JosephBrunoratedit

(showing130of2,203)

Jan02,2011

Beingaboxingwritermyselfformanyyears,Icannowtotallyappreciateitwhenpeople
toldmeforyearsthatTheProfessionalbyW.C.Heinzwasthebestboxingbookever
writtenandoneofthegreatestnovelsofalltime.There'sevenanintroductionbyiconic
ElmoreLeonard,wherehecreditsHeinzasbeingoneofhismentors.
Thebook,writtenin1958,isbasicallythelifeinthetrainingcampofafighternamed
EddieBrown,whoafteralongboxingcareer,isfinallygettingashotataw...more
6likesLikeseereview
Richardratedit

Nov11,2014

Shelves:2014

EchoinganAmazonreviewer:don'treadtheforwarduntilyou'vereadthebook.Though
it'sgoodandinformative,it'stooinformative.ElmoreLeonardgivestheendingaway.
Cheeze!
Fivestars,accordingtoGoodreads,means,"Itwasamazing,"andamazingitwasona
numberoflevels.It'salookatlifeinachampionshipbouttrainingcamp,everycharacter
iscomplete,eventhoseforwhomweonlygetsketches,andthethreeleads(Eddiethe
contenderwith9yearsinthering,90fightsand87wi...more
2likesLikeseereview
Paulratedit

Mar23,2008

AfewweeksagoIreadanobituaryintheNYTimesforW.C.Heinz,anauthor.I'dnever
heardofhim.
HewasasportswriterforaNYCdaily,andduringWWIIwasawarcorrespondent.For
somereason,Iresonatedtotheguy'slifeandattitudetowardliving.NYTimesobitsare
goodatconveyingthepersonandnotmerelythedryfactabouthisorherlife.
Inadditiontowarwritingandsportscoverage,Heinzwrotethreenovelsandwasa
"with"writerofanautobiography.Theautobiowas"RunforDa...more
2likesLikeseereview
Lostinanovelratedit

May09,2013

Thisreviewhasbeenhiddenbecauseitcontainsspoilers.Toviewit,clickhere.
2likesLikeseereview
Braydenratedit

Aug13,2009

Ididn'tlikethisbookasmuchasIthoughtIwould.It'sabookabouttrainingboxerstold
fromthepointofviewofasportswriter.Heinzwouldknowalotaboutthissincehewasa
sportswritercoveringtheboxingbeat.Thebestpartsofthenovelincludethedetailed
accountsoftheworkthatgoesintotraining,thegruelofthedailylifeofaboxer.Ithad
somegreatmomentsthatwillstickwithyou.Thewritingispreciseandlean.Butinthe
samewaythatI'veneverbeenahugefanofHe...more
1likeLikeseereview
JoeLeviratedit

May10,2015

ThisisTheBestBookthatwaseverwritten!
Thisbookmusclesyouinsideatoughtrainingcampwith29yearoldprofessionalboxer

andhis1shotatthetitle.Therearenoshotcutsthere,andtheauthorhasafamous
sportswriteroncamptoverifythat.Alsooncampisthisfighter'steamofmanagerand
oneJohnnyanda"mob"of"friends"and/orotherboxers/trainers/friendstheretohelp
makethisguyreadyforthefight.Andeverybodytheremakesyoubelievethisguyis
goingto"lick"thec...more
Likeseereview
Mikeratedit

May03,2015

Surprisinglyrealistic,abouttheboxingbusinessandtraining,andtherelationship
betweenboxersandtheirmanagers.
Notes:
CametothisfromLeighMontville'sMarch2015WSJreviewof"TheTopOfHisGame",a
collectionofHeinz'ssportsstories.
41...boxerwouldeatgarlicbeforeafight[Carneracartoon]
47...runningtogether
61...Ididn'twantthatplastering(struggling)likemyoldman
88...typewritersandtelegraphs
89...Isawenoughpeopleforonenight
101..tapout(boxingtoo)
leather...more
Likeseereview
Jamesratedit

Mar11,2015

Everyonegoesonaboutthisbeingthebestboxingstorywrittenandtheymightberight.
IwouldsubmitRopeBurns:StoriesFromTheCornerbyF.X.Tooleasbeinga
contender,though,althoughit'shardtocompareanovelwithaseriesofboxingtales.
Also,whileTheProfessionalhappenstobeaboutboxing,characterdevelopmentisthe
maineventhereand,whileimportant,theactualboutcomesoffalmostasan
afterthought.InRopeBurns,theboutisthepointandeverythingelseissubordinate
...more
Likeseereview
Lovett.nicholasratedit

Jan10,2015

OneofthebestsportsbooksI'veeverread,andtheonlyonesincechildhoodMatt
Christopherbooksthatwasfiction.
ThebookfollowsEddie,thecontender,andDoc,histrainerthroughtrainingcampen
routetotheMiddleweightChampionshipfightinMadisonSquareGarden.Thethird
character,FrankHughesisajournalistfromEsquirewhoiswritinganarticleonthe
trainingcampandsubsequentfight.ThebookisprimarilyaboutEddieandDoc,the
journalistisanobserverwhoislargelyremove...more
Likeseereview
Jeremiahratedit

Feb14,2014

Thisreviewhasbeenhiddenbecauseitcontainsspoilers.Toviewit,clickhere.
Likeseereview
Peterratedit

Feb15,2013

HeinzisacontemporaryofNelsonAlgren's(bothwerehighlyregardedbyHemingway),
andthisbook'sthemesarevaguelyreminiscentofAlgren:aboxerpullshimselfoutof
society'slowerclass,getsatitleshotandloseseverythingononetiny,impulsivemistake.
Thenarrativeportionsofthisnovelareextremelywellwritten,butultimatelythebook
bogsdownfromunnecessaryormisplaceddialogue.
1likeLikeseereview
Karsonratedit

Feb02,2010

Oldschoolboxingismynewthing.Ididsomeresearchandfoundthisbadboy.Anovel
aboutaBronxfighterinthe50'sor60's.Ithinkthereissomuchpotentialinthesubject
matterforvividsettingsandinterestingcharactersandIjustdon'tthinkthisbook
deliveredatall.Itmademewishthatthematerialfounditswayintothehandsofa

seasonednovelist.
1likeLikeseereview
MichaelMcGrinderratedit
Shelves:elmoreleonard,novel,boxing

Jul14,2014

IwasonabuswhenIwasreadingthelastfewchaptersofTheProfessionalmanymoons
ago,andreachedmystopafewpagesbeforetheending.Iwenthomequickly,satdown
withoutremovingmyovercoat,andreadtherestofthebook.Itwasthatgood.Itwasout
ofprintalongtimeandisnowavailableinpaperbackandonKindle.Hemingwaycalled
itthebestfightnovelheeverreadPeteHamillconsidersitoneofthefivebestsports
novelseverwrittenandElmoreLeonard,whowroteafore...more
Likeseereview
ConorMacleodratedit

Nov04,2014

Absolutelylovedit!Thefirst100orsopagesdraggedyouinandreallyallowedyouto
knowthecharacterswellduetotherelentlessdialogue.Ithoughtthatwasgoingtogoon
forthewholebook,whichIwouldnthaveminded,butgraduallymorenarrativeentered
andbecauseyouknewthecharactersbetter,youwerereallyinvolvedwiththestory
telling.
Stillgotonechaptertogo,butIhavefigurednowthatwhicheverwaytheboutgoes(ifwe
evengettothebout),Iamahappyreader.
Forasp...more
Likeseereview
Markratedit

Aug03,2014

Thisreviewhasbeenhiddenbecauseitcontainsspoilers.Toviewit,clickhere.
Likeseereview
MikeQuinnratedit

Sep25,2012

Inentertainmentsmedia,boxingisusuallypresentedwithlargerthanlifecharacters
performingextraordinaryfeatsofathleticismandcourageagainstthelongestofodds.
Theprotagonist,typicallyanunderdogwhohastoovercomeobstaclessuchasdifficulties
inhisprivatelife,aderailedcareerpath,orlackoftalent/luck(Thesehurdlesareoften
overcomethroughamontage,whichistypicallyawesome).
Inanyevent,thecharactersandtheboxingitselfisportrayedasclimactic,explosive,
...more
Likeseereview
RBratedit

Jul07,2013

Shelves:inmypermanentcollection

Idon'trememberexactlywhereIgotthisbook.Ihavehaditforsomeyearsmaybeit
wassnaggedfromtheshelvesofBillMacabe'scollection,ormaybeitwasinthe
basement(orsidewalk?)ofTheBookHouse,ormaybeIcameuponitsomeotherway.I
amprettysureIpickeditupbecauseoftheErnestHemingwayquoteonthecover,which
claimsthatit'sthebestboxingnovelheeverread,orsomethinglikethat.Itisprettycool
howitgoesintodetailoftheremotetraining"camp"attendedb...more
Likeseereview
Benratedit

Jan02,2015

Agoodman'smanbookaboutboxingandthequestforglory.Iwouldn'tclassifyitasa
greatnovelinitsownright,butthenitseemedtomethatthereweretoolongstretches
ofdialogueandbanterwithlittlepoint.It's300pagesoftrainingand15pagesoffight
(whichIwon'tspoilforyou,butthefightitselfdoesnotexactlystackuptoRockyvs.
Apollo).
Likeseereview
Steveratedit

Sep01,2014

Abeautifulcharacterstudywrittenintheclear,conciseproseofanewspaperman.This
bookisalovelettertoboxingasittransitionsintothetelevisionage.Itiswonderfully
done.

Thegradualbuildupoftensionasthefightnearsishandleddeftly,andHeinzdragsout
theplotinthesamewayasthecampdragsout.Thenarratorandthestructuresomirror
reallifethatyouhavetoremindyourselfit'sfiction.
Andthedialogueisjustperfect.Brilliantconversationswithfullycharacteriz...more
Likeseereview
Clintratedit

Nov12,2014

Beautifulandbrilliant.Abookthatleadsyoutoatragicendyouknowisonthewaywith
enoughemotionandlyricalbeautythatyoucan'tstopyourselffromrunningtoitfull
steam.
Likeseereview
MicahMcCartyratedit

Jun04,2014

Shelves:esquires80bookseverymanshould

ThisisanotherofEsquiremagazine's80bookseverymanmustread.I'mnottypicallya
fanofboxingbutthisbookmighthaveturnedmeintoone.It'sasimplestoryofa
magazinewriterfollowingayoungfighterashetrainsforthemiddleweight
championshipfight.Hefollowshimthroughtrainingcampandallthewaytothebigday
inordertorightacoverstoryforanationalmagazine.Filledwithincrediblyinteresting
charactersandwrittenwithasparseyetprecisevoice.ElmoreLeonard(...more
Likeseereview
Whitleyratedit

Aug04,2014

Slow,butwithsomereallygoodlessonsandmemorablecharacters.AttimesIfeltlikeI
shouldbebored,buteveryotherpagehadalineorparagraphworthhighlightingor
writingdown.Theword"Poignant"comestomindandisprobablythemostappropriate.
Likeseereview
Keithratedit
Shelves:fiction

reviewofanotheredition

Aug06,2014

"TheProfessional"isagoodboxingnovelIreadinthelate1960's.Thebookhasasad
ending.
Ireadadifferentcopy.
Likeseereview
Jungaeratedit

Apr10,2015

Youcanlikeagookfordifferentreasons.Thecharacters,storyorstyle.Thisoneisarare
gemthathasitall.
Likeseereview
JohnGorskiratedit

Jan21,2015

Shelves:firstedition,sports,fiction

Wow!Whatabook.Immersesyouintheworldofchampionshipboxingandthe
charactersinvolved.Justgreat!
Likeseereview
Abbyratedit
Shelves:favorites

Jan13,2015

Itwasdevastating,butbrilliant.ItwasthemosthonestworkaboutboxingthatI'veever
read.
Likeseereview
DanYingstratedit
Shelves:fiction

Simplygreat.
IthinkLiebling'sSweetSciencewouldmakeagreatcompanionread.
Likeseereview

Jun04,2014

DManratedit

Apr04,2015

Oneofthegreatestsportsrelatednovelseverwritten,fullstop.
Likeseereview
BradNunnratedit

Jan09,2015

Iamasuckerforboxing...andabookaboutthistopic,inthisera,wastailormadeforme.
Lovedit.
Likeseereview
Mattratedit

Oct18,2014

I'mnotaboxingfan,butthisbookblewmeaway.It'saboutthepeople,andisjustagreat
read.
Likeseereview
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