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Type of bind: Hardcover
Dewey Decimal Number: 796.83092
EAN num: 9781582612256
Format: Illustrated
ISBN number: 1582612250
Label: Sports Publishing LLC
Manufacturer: Sports Publishing LLC
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 256
Printing Date: June 01, 2000
Publishing house: Sports Publishing LLC
Sale Popularity Level: 749744
Studio: Sports Publishing LLC
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Product Description:
The 1970s ushered in boxing's greatest class of heavyweight fighters. The fight game has never before or since seen such a talented and charismatic group. Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, George Foreman, Larry Holmes, and Ken Norton have been hailed as 'Champions Forever, ' as the world heavyweight title was passed among them throughout the decade. On March 31, 1973, Norton broke Ali's jaw in the process of winning a 12-round decision over 'The Greatest.' Going the Distance traces the incredible path of Norton's life, from Jacksonville, Illinois, to Northeast Missouri State University, to the U.S. Marines, to his historic bout with Ali in San Diego, California, and on to his life today. The book includes exclusive personal photos from Norton's collection, as well as a chronology of Norton's 49 professional fights.
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Rated by buyers -
I thought Going the Distance was a good book. If you were into the greatest generation of heavyweight fighters like I was, I think It's a must read. Norton goes into detail about his relationship with Ali. He also describes a lot of his big fights in great detail, possibly a little to much detail on that but the book is still a good read for true boxing fans.
Rated by buyers -
"Going The Distance" is the great heavyweight boxer Ken Norton's life story. He breaks it down primarily into 5 parts:
1. Childhood
2. Early Adulthood
3. Boxing Years
4. Life Recovering from his Life Threatening Auto Accident
5. Life after that
I found his childhood to be fascinating as well as his early adulthood. His style is open and sincere. Although he's egotistical at times, he's also very honest and is ultimately a very good man.
A sigificant portion of the book discusses his primary boxing matches. I didn't care for his descriptions of his matches with Ali, but I did find value in his description of boxing matches with Jimmy Young, Larry Holmes, and even Scott LeDeoux. It ended gently with him going into poignant details about the 2 1/2 year fall out with his son, Ken Norton Jr (great Linebacker for the Cowboys/49ers).
The ending made me want to book reservations to go to the annual Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, New York. Ken Norton's Autobiography is very useful if you enjoy reading boxing books.
In addition to his autobiography, there are passages from other people from Ken Norton Sr., Gerry Cooney, Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, Scott LeDoux, Larry Holmes, Eddie Futch, a local media person from the town he grew up in, his mentors, and even the referees that decided his very close loss to in Norton-Ali III.
From a boxing standpoint, I found Norton's descriptive of boxing fascinating because of his perspective of boxing as a person who did not get into boxing until late in his life, 20.
I was intrigued by his wiley personality which makes him come off as a very charming man. I was also impressed by his amazing focus despite at times being completely out of focus in his life due to his, as he put it, "being spoiled" as a child.
I read this in 2 two days which tells me it was worth reading.
Rated by buyers 
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Ken Norton is a very classy guy and the former WBC Heavyweight Champion is very open and candid in the book. Norton is a 1992 inductee into the International Boxing Hall of Fame and a 2004 inductee into the United States Marine Corps Sports Hall and Fame. Norton attended Northeast Missouri State University (now Truman State) on a football scholarship. This is a great book not only for boxing fans, but to learn life lessons on achievement, leadership and building character.
Also recommended: Think and Grow Rich (Ken Norton's favorite book).
Rated by buyers 
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Being a boxing fan since 1971, I lived through the era of great heavyweights of the seventies: Ali, Frazier, Holmes, Foreman, and Norton. Ken Norton was a terrific competitor of that era, and I expected his book to be an exciting retelling of his experiences of that era. Unfortunately, the book left me disappointed. Norton spends too much time explaining blow by blow, round by round, his greatest fights. Although this may appeal to some, I found it repetitive and somewhat boring. One can get the round by round analysis by watching the fight videos. I found myself skimming over these sections to get to his feelings and thoughts about the fights. This was THE major drawback of the book.
Norton's three fights with Ali are covered in great detail, as these fights brought him into the public's consciousness. But once again the emphasis was on the blow by blow coverage instead of anecdotes and recollections about the fights. He expresses his bitter feelings about his third fight with Ali in which he feels he should have been given the decision. Having trained so tremendously hard for this fight and then having the decision go against him, Norton relates how this heart went out of boxing at this point. Although he becomes the Heavyweight Championship of the World title two years later when Ali retires, Norton is unable to retain te title in his very first defense against Larry Holmes. He blames his failure to defend the title on his lack of dedication to boxing after the last Ali match. His heart was just not in it. I can't help but think Norton would have received the professional recognition and justification he so craved had he defeated Holmes. Their match was an exciting battle that culminated in perhaps one of the greatest rounds of boxing ever. Had Norton pulled out the decision, he would have probably been rematched with Ali one final time and had his best chance to defeat his nemesis decisively. However, history and fate turned a different direction, one that did not include a prominant role for Ken Norton.
Norton's private and then public feud with his son, Ken Norton Jr., make up a complete chapter in the book but this held little interest to me, a boxing fan.
Ken Norton is a decent man who had an interesting career, being both a boxer and a fighter. His experience acting as the characters "Mandingo" and "Drum" are only briefly mentioned. Again, there are few interesting stories or revelations about this time of his life. I would have liked to hear more.
Norton's book is a quick and easy read, as there are no major character controveries, conflicts, or issues to digest. I did not find it compelling in any regard. It was an easy book to put down. I had hoped for much more. As far as boxing books go, I have to rate it sub-par.
Jim Koenig
Rated by buyers -
"Going the Distance: The Ken Norton Story" makes a compelling read. It is one unassuming autobiography.
Ken was a remarkable fighter: a great one whose hulky hew was intimidating. His era was the one which notable names like Ali, Foreman and Frazier dominated; yet, he still fought his way to the top: becoming a champion in 1978. He is remembered as one of the few boxers who scored a victory over Muhammad Ali. He broke The Greatest's jaw in the process. Ken's (championship) fight against Larry Holmes was a gut-wrenching one: regardless of his losing it via majority decision.
This book rides one across his humble up-bringing; and then into the 1970s. I liked the way it refreshed my memory. It recounted Ken's life story in a candid manner. Reading it was a pleasure!
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