My life in the ring and out

The first African American to win the world heavyweight championship, Jack Johnson was a cultural lightning rod whose professional success and lavish lifestyle attracted both admiration and envy.

Johnson recounts without bitterness the prejudice, controversies, and scandals that dogged his public and private lives.

This witty and sophisticated memoir also tells of his international adventures as a bullfighter, race car driver, cabaret entertainer, and spy.