Reddit reviews The Manly Art: Bare-Knuckle Prize Fighting in America

I've got a number of books I can suggest.

This one's a great history of the sport in the bare-knuckle era, 19th century sporting culture, and the transition to modern boxing.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Manly-Art-Bare-Knuckle-Fighting/dp/0801476089

Probably the best boxing novel ever written. I can't believe this isn't a movie.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Professional-W-c-Heinz/dp/0306810581

The book that got me into the sport when I sat down to read it at a Borders Books when I was 16. An awesome overview of the history of each weight class with over 400 photos and illustrations.
http://www.amazon.com/AN-Illustrated-History-Of-Boxing/dp/0806522011

An excellent anthology of fiction and newspaper articles.
http://www.amazon.com/At-Fights-American-Writers-Boxing/dp/1598532057

The guy spends a little too much time bashing other martial arts, but it's an excellent read about how boxing is useful in a street fight and old school bare knuckle techniques.
http://www.amazon.com/Championship-Streetfighting-Boxing-Martial-Art/dp/0873649346

A superb series of observations from a woman who has spent her life watching boxing. One of the more literary attempts at explaining the primal appeal of a boxing match.
http://www.amazon.com/On-Boxing-Joyce-Carol-Oates/dp/0060874503

I'm not home and don't have access to my library right now, but let me know if you want a few more. I'd say that any one of those is a great gift for a boxing enthusiast. /u/Choccybizzle is right, Four Kings is awesome, and /u/zombiezs suggestion for The Sweet Science is a good one as well. There's a lot of boxing books out there, but you know your friend so you'll know which of those will appeal to him the most.

I read Elliot Gorn's The Manly Art, where he discusses the rise in injury being proportionate to the adoption of gloves for boxing matches. Without the fear of breaking your hand, you can hit someone in the jaw and skull all day.

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