Amazon Powell's Books Category:  Literary Fiction Publisher: The Permanent Press ISBN-10:  1579621821 Pages: 246 Copyright: April 1, 2010 ISBN-13: 9781579621827 A witty tale of boxing, anger, and the path to redemption. The Barfighter was nominated as a 2009 Notable Book by the American Library Association. Booklist calls it “a fine book” that “illuminates a largely unknown world and tells an engaging tale of redemption filled with vividly drawn characters.”

Kirkus Reviews
"A witty, fast-paced, well-plotted addition to boxing literature with plentiful action, pungent dialogue and colorful peripheral figures ranging from Ken Kesey and Neal Cassady to a promoter who bears a resemblance to Don King. Entertaining and acutely observed�”and the boxing milieu and mindset are utterly persuasive. A winner!”

Al Martinez, Los Angeles Times
“This is more than a book about boxing. It’s about the humanity that exists in a hard world; yours or mine. You feel the body blows but you know the dreams, because you’ve dreamed them too. Goldman tells his story of boxers, managers, whores, cheats and lovers with the inside knowledge of a boxing expert and the literary skill of a poet. Goldman has produced a special piece of work that deserves the attention and praise it is bound to receive.”

Brian Doogan, The Sunday Times (London)
“Goldman combines his reporter’s instinct for detail with a wry wit and an engaging, insightful narrative which makes The Barfighter a bruising, pathos-laden, compelling read”