“When I look at Jim Lommasson’s pictures I see myself as a young man working out day after day in that little PAL gym in Philadelphia where my career started. This book shows a side of boxing that most people don’t see—the dedication and discipline that it takes to be a champion in the ring and in life.”
—Joe Frazier
“A triumphal procession of words and pictures such as no Roman emperor ever dreamed of. This is a book truly for those with a reverence for the traditions of the sport.“
—Bert Sugar
“Both up to the minute and timeless, [Lommasson’s] pictures are also affecting, intricate and sometimes just glorious. “
—Time magazine
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“In portraits and candid shots, of pros and amateurs and youngsters who can’t even reach the speed bag, Lommasson reveals not just the grit and toil of a disappearing world, but also an unexpected sense of community and even of sanctuary.”
—Sports Illustrated
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“The best sports pictorial of the year. Inside, photographer Jim Lommasson captures the insides of America’s urban boxing gyms and low-level training grounds the way Ansel Adams tackled Yosemite.”
— Chicago Sports Review
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“An insider’s vivid, surprising look at a world most of us never get a chance to see—a world of battle-weary veterans and bright-eyed newcomers, of surrogate fathers and ancient skills and sanctuary from the mean streets just outside the door. Not to be missed.”
—Geoffrey C. Ward, author of Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson
“Gritty, grimy and gorgeous. Lommasson’s images move beyond the easy, one-sided spectacle of boxing as a blood sport and toward a multifaceted depiction of the boxing gym as a unique and beloved American institution. Visceral and quietly dramatic, the photos are . . . a lively cross-breed of art and journalism.”
—The Oregonian
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“Outstanding photography.”
— Philadelphia Inquirer
“. . . a marvelously-produced coffee-table book.”
— Thomas Hauser, New York Sun
“As these gyms disappear . . . the essays . . . and photographs brought together in this documentary will provide a valuable portrait of this historic American institution.”
—The Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University
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“This book pays homage to any person who ever dared to dream big, and will serve as a veritable blueprint for depicting a slice of Americana that is all but forgotten by everyone but the most diehard gym rats and boxing aficionados.”
—Bob Mladinich, TheSweetScience.com
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“A true portrait of what fuels a boxer’s dreams . . . We associated with the sport are indeed fortunate that such a talented ensemble of writers was brought on board to weave a text that complements the award-winning photographs of Jim Lommasson.”
—Ron Gerrard, Straight Jab
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“ . . . a vista of the human spirit . . . We see in the eyes of the fighters the elemental hunger for individual dignity and the simple chance to be better than the day before.”
—Patrick Kehoe, Seconds Out
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“. . . gritty, beautiful, and, most of all, real . . . [Lommasson’s images] show a remarkable range of talent and an insight into his subjects.”
—Bill Eidson, TakeGreatPictures.com
“ . . . a remarkable book . . . a journey into a subculture that most people do not know exists . . . [A] very special book for your personal library.”
—Alan Caruba, Book Views, “Pick of the Month”
“ . . . don’t be surprised if Shadow Boxers: Sweat, Sacrifice & the Will to Survive in American Boxing Gyms gets lots of attention.”
—Dermot McEvoy, Publishers Weekly
“As real and as honest and as raw as the paint peeling from the walls.”
—Inara Verzemnieks, The Oregonian
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"documents the classic American institution known as the community boxing gym. The photos captured by Jim Lommasson . . . focus less on the violent bloodsport within the ring than the tender relationships built around it."
—Kate Kilpatrick, Philadelphia Weekly
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"Jim Lommasson wins Dorothea Lange/Paul Taylor Prize"
—Jay DeFoore, Photo District News Online
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