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Last on His Feet: Jack Johnson and the Battle of the Century

by Youssef Daoudi and Adrian Matejka

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Description

On the morning of 4 July 1910, thousands of boxing fans stormed a newly built stadium in Reno, Nevada, to witness an epic showdown. Jack Johnson, the world’s first Black heavyweight champion—and most infamous athlete in the world because of his race—was paired against Jim Jeffries, a former heavyweight champion then heralded as the “great white hope”. It was the height of the Jim Crow era and spectators were eager for Jeffries to restore the racial hierarchy that Johnson had pummelled with his quick fists. Transporting readers directly into the ring, artist Youssef Daoudi and poet Adrian Matejka intersperse dramatic boxing action with vivid flashbacks to reveal how Johnson, the self-educated son of formerly enslaved parents, reached the pinnacle of sport—all while facing down a racist justice system. Through a combination of breathtaking illustrations and striking verse, Last on His Feet honours a contentious civil rights figure who has for more than a century been denied his proper due.

Details

Last on His Feet: Jack Johnson and the Battle of the Century
by Youssef Daoudi and Adrian Matejka

ISBN
9781324096139

Publisher
W W Norton & Co Ltd

Binding
Paperback

Publication date
March 18, 2025

Dimensions
23.9cm x 18.0cm x 2.5cm