“In The Art and Aesthetics of Boxing, David Scott addresses the daunting task of establishing a groundwork for the aesthetics of boxing—and succeeds with consummate authority. . . . In Scott’s incisive blend of art history, sociology, and sports writing, he makes a daring and original statement about fighters and the artists who enshrined them.”—Robert Anasi, author of The Gloves
“In David Scott’s hands, boxing becomes a kaleidoscope of psychological, sociological, ethnological, and aesthetic symptoms and indices, which transform the infliction of minor injury into a crucial cultural investment. . . . If boxing then has seemed for so long to encapsulate the neuroses and satisfactions of alpha-maledom, it is only because we have missed all the nuances and subtextual activity that this book makes available to us with such shrewd and penetrating analysis.”—Clive Scott, professor of American literature at the University of East Anglia (England), member of the British Academy, and boxing enthusiast
"Himself an amateur boxer, Scott considers the rituals, accoutrements, literature, painting, and aesthetic of boxing. . . . From the shape of the ring and the arc of a punch to ropes and punching bags, the author searches for the deeper meaning and the intrinsic qualities of the 'manly art.' . . . Beautifully illustrated and produced, this boxing book is unlike any other."—R. W. Roberts, Choice
"David Scott's book is to be greatly welcomed as the latest addition to a small, but growing literature on the art and cultural history of boxing. . . . A tantalising study."—Lynda Nead, Sport in History
"Scott's book can be appreciated by both art and boxing aficionados. It offers new ways to make "sense" of our world through the creative representation of relationships hidden within the most primal of human activities—boxing. I went all 15 rounds with Scott's The Art and Aesthetics of Boxing—he won the unanimous decision. He's tricky, clever, and hard to hit."—Dick Stull, Arete
