King of the Gypsies: Memoirs of the Undefeated Bareknuckle Champion of Great Britain and Ireland

Description

Bartley Gorman was the greatest bareknuckle fighter of modern times. He reigned as King of the Gypsies for twenty years, beating all comers in illegal contests at fairs and racetracks, down mineshafts and in quarries, on campsites and car parks. He fought for honour and pride and became a legend among the travelling community. In this hard-hitting autobiography, completed shortly before his death, he lays bare the secret world of illicit prize-fighting and recalls his violent clashes with professional boxers, martial artists, streetfighters, wildmen and the lawless ‘Suicide Fighters’ who seek out the top champions of the day. He describes great fighters of the past like the infamous Uriah ‘Big Just’ Burton, the challenges he threw out to London hardmen Lennie McLean and Roy Shaw, and the brutal mob attack that almost cost his life on St Leger Day at Doncaster Races. As told to best-selling writer Peter Walsh, author of Gang War and Cocky: The Rise and Fall of Curtis Warren, his extraordinary memoir offers not only a rare insight into a hidden world but also contains many rare photographs and unveils the formidable new breed of fighting travellers.