this book is a decent read
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i enjoyed reading this book. some of the things mentioned in the book are romantisised and some are exagerrated. i am sure that bartley gorman was a very good fighter and i am sure (having never met him) that he was no saint. a lot of the book recounts battles after drinking alcohol and i doubt that he would really have had the necessary discipline to have become a championship boxer. he seems a fair size and would have had size advantages over most of the men he fought. i have come across gypsy fighters before and they are mainly bullies, (fair play means they've got more to back them up). i spoke to bob gaskin and he told me that the doncaster races episode was very exagerated (bartley says a metal bar was forced down his throat and his voice box was damaged). also i cannot see any man missing a man with a punch and knocking down a wall. i am sure that he was well regarded in his community (and hero worshipped) and am sure that his skill at fighting and his reputation made him plenty of money and got him out of many unpleasant duties. all in all it is a good book but don't believe it all.
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A crown you wouldn't want?
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Gorman introduces a world to us "Gorjers" (non-gypsies),that is all around us, but we barely notice.
Unlike some of todays wannabe travellers, who think living in a trailer,growing their hair in dreadlocks and going to Nebworth, makes you a Gypsy,(even though they wouldn't know a horse from a hosepipe) Bartley Gorman "the Fifth" and his "breed" are the real McCoy.
Gorman takes the "King of the Gypsies" title after the holder (a man held by Gorman in absolute awe) doesn't show for their fight.
At first he enjoys the enormous prestige his crown gives him, but as the years roll by, realises it's a poisoned chalice. Basically,when you're "King of the Gypsies",you are expected to defend your title against any man and his dog, whether you are drunk as a lord,or in bed with the flu...or even at your brothers funeral.You don't get the day off. It's a 24/7 thing!
Like the old "fastest gun in the west",who is gradually creeping past his prime, Gorman found that many "Young Turks" were crawling out of the woodwork to make a reputation for themselves off his back. Of course,that's how Gorman himself started,so there is a case of "what goes round comes round".
This isn't the best structured book I've ever read. The timeline jumps about all over the place, and many of the characters,irritatingly,have the same (or very similar) names,so I found myself having to read back to refresh my memory of who's who...but after the first couple of chapters,I got the feel for the authors writing style and then couldn't put it down.
I enjoyed it immensely.
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I bought this book twice.
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This is a great book. There's folklore, history, honour and action. It is a trip back to bygone times interspersed with a great descriptive narrative into the world of the prize fighter. Don't misunderstand... it's not a history book, it's a book about Bartley Gorman, King of the Gypsies. The fights, the challenges, the lifestyle and the mentality of a gypsy prize-fighter. I read my first copy several times (until it fell apart) I have since replaced it and will read it again and again. It's just one of those books.
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king bartley
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having read numerous books of this type i have to say this is amongst my favs well written it keeps you fixed and is hard to put down you almost feel sorry for bartley after the racecourse incident worth every penny highly recommended
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addictive
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this book was extremely addictive both me and my dad read it within a week. yes i do think bartley probably "bigged" himself up a bit but then again its his book who wouldnt do that. all in all a great book and insight.
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