BOOK REVIEW 
Tracy Callis
LANKY BOB
By Keith R. Robinson
 

Keith Robinson’s book, Lanky Bob, is a work that is well-researched and contains many factual accounts of Bob Fitzsimmons’ ring career as well as personal events. The book focuses on Fitzsimmons’ boxing career but delves into the surrounding events that took place in Bob's life too.

Mr. Robinson has done a thorough and extensive search of existing publications - various boxing books, magazines and newspapers from Great Britain, Australia and North America. His writing contains massive detail about Bob Fitzsimmons and other people connected with boxing along with numerous quotes and facts regarding them. He gets into interesting and lengthy discussions of famous men such as Jim Jeffries, Jim Corbett, Tom Sharkey, Peter Maher, "Nonpareil" Jack Dempsey, Jim Hall and others. Round by round descriptions of a number of Fitzsimmons' contests are included as well as selected photographs and sketches.

This book is an outstanding source for the true, detailed facts of Bob Fitzsimmons' career and life experiences. It is interesting and informative and is an important read for historians and fans. As a result of this book, I will update my Fitzsimmons record on the Cyber Boxing Zone.

Keith Robinson was born in the Medway Towns of north Kent in southeast England. He has had a lifelong interest in history. This led him to boxing research which naturally took him to Bob Fitzsimmons and a study that lasted fifteen years. Lanky Bob is the result.

This very detailed book can be ordered at major online book retailers such as amazon.com

 

                      Lanky Bob              Keith R. Robinson

Callis description --

Fitzsimmons is rated among the greatest fighters who ever lived and one of the hardest hitters; He held three world championships during his career - Middleweight, Heavyweight and Light Heavyweight

Some sources, including Fitzsimmons himself, claimed he had over 350 fights, but this may be an an exaggeration; In the ring, Fitzsimmons moved quickly and hit hard from all angles; He took on much larger men without hesitation

Fitzsimmons was inducted into the Ring Boxing Hall of Fame in 1954 and the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990
 



Review courtesy of Tracy Callis, Historian, International Boxing Research Organization
 

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