In Smokin’ Joe, a comprehensive knockout of a biography, Mark Kram Jr. restores Frazier to his rightful place in the boxing pantheon ... The respect and affection Mr. Kram holds for his subject is evident throughout the book, which the author fills with stories of kindness and goodwill ... Mr. Kram keeps his study balanced by not overlooking Frazier’s all-too-human traits ... [a] beautiful book[.]
Kram...presents a readable account of what has been called the golden age of boxing and of the symbiotic rivalry between two of the all-time greats ... Ali must lurk in the shadows throughout this book, which documents Frazier's rise from rural poverty to world championship riches along with an on-and-off again music career ... Boxing historians and fans of both fighters should approve of this straightforward account.
...[a] fulsome biography ... This is not hagiography, for Frazier’s wandering eye alone scuttles that, but it gives this man of uncommon will and humanity his due.
A spirited biography ... The author covers all the bases while focusing, appropriately, on the long enmity between Frazier and Ali ... The narrative is sometimes by-the-numbers, but Kram pays appropriate homage to a fighter who, though lacking in finesse, dominated heavyweight boxing for nearly a decade. Bookish fans of the sweet science will flock to this biography.
Kram’s fluid account balances Frazier’s remarkable generosity (giving cash to homeless people, pulling over for stranded motorists) with his chronic infidelity and explosive rage. Kram vividly describes Frazier’s South Carolina upbringing and moonshiner father, and includes well-told though familiar stories of his rivalry with Ali; however, one wishes for a deeper evaluation of his life, especially his meteoric rise from boxing novice to Olympic hero. Nevertheless, boxing fans will welcome this celebration of a champion.
