"Blood& Hatereads like a thriller: a raw, unflinching saga of survival,betrayal, and the kind of obsession that turns underdogs into kings. Wedgedelivers Hagler's story like a haymaker to the jaw-brutal, brilliant, andimpossible to forget."-Ben Mezrich,New York Timesbestsellingauthor ofThe Accidental Billionaires,Bringing Down theHouseandDumb Money.
MostknowMarvelous Marvin Hagler from his epic battles against Thomas Hearnsand John Mugabi and his controversial split-decision loss to Sugar Ray Leonard.But it is his escape from riot-torn Newark in the late 1960s, the unbreakablebond he built with the Petronelli brothers, and his 1980 title fight againstBritain's Alan Minter-with its deep racial animus-that captures the real storyof Hagler.
InBlood& Hate,New York Timesbestselling author Dave Wedgetells the riveting and inspirational tale of how Hagler overcame incredibleodds, joined with Goody and Pat Petronelli to rise through the rigged ranks,and morphed from a fatherless teenager in Brockton, Massachusetts, intoMarvelous Marvin Hagler, one of the best boxers ever and arguably the greatestmiddleweight in history.
Throughexclusive interviews with Bob Arum, the Petronelli and Hagler families, and awho's who of the boxing world,Blood & Haterevealsfascinating details about Hagler's early life as well as the legendary Minterfight, and once and for all delivers the definitive chronicle of MarvelousMarvin Hagler.
About the Author :
Dave Wedge is aNew York Timesbestselling author based in Boston. He has co-written five books with acclaimed author Casey Sherman, includingBoston Strong: A City's Triumph Over Tragedy, a nonfiction drama about the 2013 Boston Marathon Bombings adapted for the 2017 moviePatriots Day;Ice Bucket Challenge: Pete Frates and the Fight Against ALS;12: The Inside Story of Tom Brady's Fight for Redemption;Hunting Whitey: The Inside Story of the Capture and Killing of America's Most Wanted Crime Boss; andThe Last Days of John Lennon, written with James Patterson. His latest bestseller,Riding With Evil: Taking Down the Notorious Pagans Motorcycle Gang, is the true story of ATF agent Ken Croke, the only police officer to ever infiltrate the Pagans, the ultraviolent rivals of the Hells Angels. The book is currently in development as a feature film.
Dave is also a writer forBostonmagazine, has written for VICE,Esquire, andNewsweekand was an award-winning investigative journalist for theBoston Heraldfor fourteen years. He has appeared on NBC News, CNN, MSNBC, E!, France 24, Fox News Channel, Good Morning America and many other local and national networks.
Review :
"It's a knockout . . ."—The Sun (UK)
“The City of Brotherly Love was where the Hagler legend truly began to take shape, and Wedge beautifully covers not just the fights the future champion had to take to move somewhere in the division, but the fighters he fought, including Bobby Watts, Willie Monroe, Eugene Hart, and Bennie Briscoe.”—The Ring
“Inspirational, moving, eye-opening . . . [A] boxing biography that libraries should consider not just adding to their sports collections but profiling on display as a vivid account of how one great boxer rose above prejudice, racism, and preconceptions.”—Midwest Book Review
“It’s the book that Hagler’s talent and achievement deserves.”—All Sports Book Reviews
“Dave Wedge's masterpiece about the rise of Marvelous Marvin Hagler stands alone as the undisputed champion of its genre. Wedge has weaved a narrative that is full of action, drama, and political intrigue. But this isn't merely a book about one of boxing's most legendary fighters. It's a universal story about unlikely friendships, earned trust, and bridging the gap of the racial divide. Blood & Hate is a compulsive read.”—Casey Sherman, New York Times bestselling author of Helltown and Blood in the Water
“With gut-punch prose Wedge dives deep into the violence, politics, and pride that shaped one of boxing’s fiercest warriors—stripping away the myth to reveal the man: quiet, brutal, brilliant. This isn’t just a biography. It’s a battle poem for the forgotten. A love letter to the hard way up.”—Elgin James, filmmaker/musician, creator of the hit TV series Mayans MC
