GMF continues to impress me with his knowledge of history with this book. It is about a former slave, Tom Molineaux, in the U.S. that won his freedom and eventually challenged the boxing champion of England to a couple of matches. It is told from the view point of many of the witnesses to his rise to fame. This is a little off putting, as some of their accents are too hard to follow. It also feels weird because they are talking to the author, but you don't see what the author says to them.The story itself is what makes the book worthy to read. It is amazing the things that a black slave from America was able to accomplish, becoming as famous as Napoleon, and the "audacity" he had to go and do those things. Of course it is all based off of a true story. The ending is sad, but there is a good time getting to it.You also learn a lot about boxing from it's early days in England. It is quite different then what it is today. I wonder how boxers of today would fare in those days, where it was bare knuckle, and you had 30 seconds to answer the umpires call after a round ended. More then being tough, you had to be courages to even step into the ring.The style wasn't to my liking, but the story is great. Well worth a read.
GMF never disappoints.Black Ajax, the story of a slave-turned-bare-knuckle-boxer in regency period London is an impressively stylish observation of period attitudes to race, class and station.Written epistolery style, from the points of view of Molineaux’s friends and acquaintances, GMF perfectly captures the characters of his “witnesses” in each chapter; historical details make the settings come alive; and the accented dialogue, which can often seem trite, here causes the characters to leap into life.The account focuses initially on the boxer’s meteoric rise to fame, and culminates with his show-down with the current champion of England, Tom Cribb. Molineaux’s initial bafflement at the interest shown in him, his acceptance of his fame and his inability to control his wild behaviour are masterfully chronicled as he is brought to Britain and eventually unwittingly engineers his own downfall.GMF’s story-telling is, as ever, perfect; the historical detail is intensely atmospheric and the characters, both fictional and historical, so perfectly realised you can hear the sound of their feet as they walk around St James.
What do You think about Black Ajax (1998)?
George MacDonald Fraser's caddish hero, Flashman, has done it again. He is intertwined in the world of boxing in Regency England and he is at his cowardly, toadying, racist, best. The story centers around Tom Molineaux, a champion fighter in England. Fraser fictionalizes a wonderful story around the real characters of the day. Tom Cribb, for example, who the real Molineaux fought twice, never fought another round after that fight. The characters are believable and true. One of the more engaging features of the book is Fraser's inclusion of a glossary of boxing terms and Regency slang.
—P.
As with all G M Fraser's books, this is very well written, full of interesting characters, humor, and a vivid portrait of the times. It even ties back to the Flashman series as one of the main characters is Flashman's father. The style is interesting and a bit different from his other books in that it consists of a series of interviews with the people surrounding the main character, Tom Molineaux, an American slave, freed by his own hand, who comes to London to box the premier boxer of the day. Highly recommended.
—Dufferman5308
