The American Spectator

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Marciano was an intensely private man, and the record of his inner thoughts is scarce. Consequently, Sullivan's depictions of many key boxing figures of the period, and especially of Marciano's opponents, are much richer than what he provides on Marciano himself. In just a few pages, Sullivan manages mini-biographies of the fighter's most famous adversaries, describing not just their boxing careers but their psyches with a depth that he never quite manages for his subject. His chapter on Ezzard Charles is especially poignant, some of the best work that has been done on that forgotten champion.

Sullivan's main insight into Marciano is that he was motivated to succeed by fear of obscurity and determination to avoid the fate of his father. Beyond that, the author is reduced to speculation, though he clearly left no stone unturned.

Sullivan's writing is sometimes repetitive, and he lingers longer than necessary in making points that are fairly straightforward. Nevertheless, Rocky Marciano is candid and superbly researched, and should become the standard biography of a champion once known far and wide.

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