The fight had every element I cared about. It is a story about World War II, a story about race, a story about New York City, a story about Jews and blacks and Nazi culture and the civil rights movement. I was absolutely amazed no one had done a book on it.

The fight implicated both the future of race relations and the prestige of two powerful nations. ... 'Louis represents democracy in its purest form: the Negro boy who would be permitted to become a world champion without regard to race, creed or color,' a sportswriter from Boston had written that morning. 'Schmeling represents a country which does not recognize that idea or ideal.'?

They spent 40 minutes together in the ring, but history tied these two men together.

The Review's labyrinthine editing process does to the written word what the Cuisinart does to broccoli.

This story is surrounded by myths and cliches and I worked hard to get through and find out what was true.

He veered from hero to villain -- and both were untrue.

He had not given any meaningful interviews, ... Journalists had asked him the same platitudes and he gave the same platitudinous answers.

He had not given any meaningful interviews. Journalists had asked him the same platitudes and he gave the same platitudinous answers.

He takes hundreds of recent law graduates at their most vulnerable, dependent state and guides them, soothes them, suffers with them, flatters them, advises them, exhorts them, humors them and holds their hands over the last hurdle before they enter the practice of law.

Louis was a man of few words, ... And unfortunately most of the other guys were not great diarists.