Sweet William: The Life of Billy Conn

"Before Roberto Clemente, Terry Bradshaw, or Mario Lemieux became household names, Billy Conn was Pittsburgh's most famous athlete. In Andrew O'Toole's Sweet William: The Life of Billy Conn, the East Liberty-born boxer's career is examined, and there's much to enjoy.... The best parts of the book are the colorful backroom stories that seem to be intrinsic to boxing lore." Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

"An affectionate yet evenhanded biography of the fighter known as `The Pittsburgh Kid.' O'Toole makes a relatively normal life sing with his obvious passion for his subject [and] his meticulous research.... A welcome addition to the boxing-literature canon." Kirkus Reviews

"The rough-and-tumble sports world of the late 1930s and early 1940s emerges vividly.... O'Toole masterfully re-creates both the life and the times. For all fans of boxing history." Booklist

An Irish working-class hero of Pittsburgh, Billy Conn captured hearts through his ebullient personality, stellar boxing record, and good looks. A light heavyweight boxing champion best remembered for his sensational near-defeat of heavyweight champion Joe Louis in 1941, Conn is still regarded as one of the greatest fighters of all time. Andrew O'Toole chronicles the boxing, Hollywood, and army careers of "the Pittsburgh Kid" by drawing from newspaper accounts, Billy's personal scrapbooks, and fascinating interviews with family. Presenting an intimate look at the champion's relationships with his girlfriend, manager, and rivals, O'Toole compellingly captures the personal life of a public icon and the pageantry of sports during the 1930s and `40s.