The Sixteenth Round: From Number 1 Contender to Number 45472
Reviews (175)
Incredible Story
After seeing the movie numerous times. Little did I know it was loosely based on this book. Which is the reason I purchased it. This book covers so much more than the movie. A truly great read.
You gotta get Break A@@ to Get A@@
Imagine being incarcerated for 20-some odd years for a crime you know, the police department knows, and the department of corrections knows you did not commit? We're not talking about public opinion, but certifiable facts that will prove your innocence. The Patterson PD has a bone to pick with you, and they are going to stick it to you in a very big way. Imagine yourself being Rubin "Hurricane" Carter, who went from a welter-weight champion to a cause celibre of everything that is wrong in the American justice system. . He lays out his criminal past which began as a juvenile, and how "reform" schools did nothing more than make him a better criminal. Around the same time he takes up boxing, and makes a name for himself (he took a tour of South Africa with the late Steven Biko, who warned him if he wanted to live he better stop catcalling a white woman). Right as the cusp of success, there is a Barroom shooting, and the rest as they say is..history. The Sixteenth Round reads like a story of a man going to the electric chair, who is screaming for someone, anyone to help him. This was literally the biggest fight of his life. He's angry, he's pleading, and he's desperate. With a book so passionate and heartbreaking, it makes for a great read. Although Rubin Carter wasn't an angel, his story illustrates how easy it is to be on the wrong side of the law through no fault of your own.
it was easy to see where the movie was not entirely accurate
An honest perspective from a troubled life. He was definitely wronged and between this and another book written entitled "Hurricane", by James Hirsch, it was easy to see where the movie was not entirely accurate. Yet I cried at the end of the movie when the song "Amazing" came on. All before I read both books. This book is well worth the read and the perspective of an angry man. Rest in peace Rubin.
Pat Tillman Meets Braveheart
Rarely does a person not addicted to alcohol or women write a book as great as this one. The author does a great job of making all the douche bag characters in this book pay for their fowl deeds. A third of the way through the book the author makes an important decision, he decides that instead of receiving another beating he is prepared to die in self-defense. When hurricane goes to Jamestown (juvenile detention) he gives great descriptions of the prison guards like Mr. Lightfoot, "a 33-year old man whose mother has protected him from the world." When he goes to the military, he describes the rest of the soldiers as "inexperienced children with no idea of how the world works." There is a reason Bob Dylan wrote a song about this guy, he truly is an old school character, prepared to die to defend others with less strength than himself. This is the 7th best book I have read in my life. The top 12 are: 'Tis by Frank McCourt Days of Obligation : An Argument with My Mexican Father by Richard Rodriguez Marching Powder : A True Story of Friendship and South America's Strangest Jail by Thomas McFadden, Rusty Young Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game by Michael Lewis The Closer We Are to Dying : A Memoir of Father and Family by Joe Fiorito The Sixteenth Round: From Number 1 Contender to Number 45472 by Rubin Carter Scar Tissue by Anthony Kiedis, Larry Sloman The Alchemist: A Fable About Following Your Dream by Paulo Coelho Makes Me Wanna Holler : A Young Black Man in America by Nathan McCall Down Under by Bill Bryson First Contact in Korea: A Native English Teacher's Journey into the Backwoods of South Korea by Brian Ward
A MUST READ!!!
I saw the movie "Hurricane" with Denzel Washington and was so moved by the film that I immediately went to my computer and purchased the book from Amazon. What I did not realize is that the book was far more powerful than the film! It offers the complete insights of what the correctional facilities are like in a dog-eat-dog nightmare that Rubin Carter endured for most of his adult life. The courage and ferocity of this man is unrivaled and I could not put the book down. Carter is a testimony to what "the system" can do to a man and yet he overcame insurmountable odds in the face of bigotry and hatred. He is a legend, an unsung hero and a man that faces life and its challenges with a tenacity few in society could endure. This book will change your perceptions in many, many ways. I strongly advocate it!
Enjoyable Read that will keep you captivated
I enjoyed reading this book. Read it within 4 days. A deep glimpse into someone who discovered their purpose at an early age. Also, shows someone who was very misguided. Could what have happened to Rubin "Hurricane" Carter is the same that happened to many of our Black youth? I very seriously would not doubt it. A very good read I think all will enjoy about a man misunderstood.
THE HURRICAN, MY HERO!!!
Amazing!! Cried through some parts!!! This man went through hell!!! I wish I were lucky enough to have met him!!! He did NOTHING wrong. ONLY because he was black!!! Incredible people helped in (in the movie). This book is so compelling!!! Hard to put down!!! He is my hero!!!!
Best read ever!
Bought it for my son. He declares it is the best book he has ever read!
Well written and thought provoking...
The Sixteenth Round was written by a man that put everything he had of himself into this book. From the beginning it rings as true and honest introspection and very quickly the reader identifies with Rubin. The writing shows a total dedication; I could imagine the author sitting in the cell carefully planning every word and phrase like a sculptor might if they were creating the most important work of their life. While others may have simply wallowed in the misery of their situation, Rubin strived for something more out of life, a true champion that refused to quit even after the most devastating knockdowns. Inspiring.
Real, Raw and Entertaining
I love how Real and Raw this book was. A very entertaini g story that was colorfully told. I thoroughly enjoyed this book!
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