The two bouts between Cassius Clay and Sonny Liston are widely considered the most anticipated and controversial fights in heavyweight boxing. Cassius Clay won the first bout in Miami Beach in February 1964, when Liston refused to come out for the seventh round. The second fight took place in Lewiston, Maine, fifteen months later in May 1965. Halfway through the first round, Ali countered a left from Liston with a fast right, knocking Liston down. He did not get up. Ali’s right was so fast many spectators never even saw it. It was quickly dubbed the Phantom Punch and rumors began to swirl that Liston had thrown the fight. Many who believed Liston—a brutal fighter who picked up boxing in prison—had also thrown the first fight the year before in Miami were now vindicated. Journalist and sports historian Rob Sneddon takes a fresh look at the infamous Muhammad Ali–Sonny Liston fight of May 25, 1965, which ended in chaos at a high school hockey rink in Lewiston, Maine. Sneddon digs deep into the fight’s background and comes up with fascinating new takes on boxing promotion in the 1960s; on Ali’s rapid rise and Liston’s sudden fall; on how the bout ended up in Lewiston —and, of course, on Ali’s phantom punch. That single lightning-quick blow triggered a complex chain reaction of events that few people understood, either then or now. Even if you’ve seen films of the fight and think you know what happened, this book will change your perspective on boxing’s greatest controversy.

A biography of the controversial fighter follows Liston from the mean streets where he was a petty criminal, to the heavyweight championship and the tragic end of his life.

The anti-Ali, Sonny Liston represents everything that is compelling and terrifying about boxing. An overwhelmingly powerful fighter, Liston rose from a desperately poor childhood to street criminal to world heavyweight champion. He then became the pawn of a series of criminal organizations and was shadowed throughout his life by government investigations, arrests, and the rumor of corruption. The Devil and Sonny Liston is not just the biography of a boxer; it is one of the greatest organized-crime stories ever told and confirms Toschess place as one of the most powerful and original writers of our time. Toschess acclaimed biography of Dean Martin, Dino, sold more than 110,000 copies From the rappers Wu-Tang Clan to writer Thom Jones, people are fascinated by Sonny Liston and by boxing in general. King of the World by David Remnick sold more than 100,000 copies. Tom Cruises Cruise/Wagner Productions is at work on a movie based on this book. A collection of Toschess best writing, The Nick Tosches Reader, is due out in 2000. Tosches is a contributing editor of Vanity Fair.

What is reality? Is there an "absolute" reality, or is reality merely relative "in nature?" If Isaac Newton were alive today, could Newton make claim to reality as he did gravity, space, and time, or has Einsteinium thought overruled Newtonian thoughts on reality as well as our thoughts on gravity, space, and time? Many make claim reality is nothing more than their personal interpretation of the world, but just about everyone interprets the world differently. Are there really a multitude of realities? Many of us, men and women alike, perceive and then define the world as it best fits their desire of what they wish the world to be. Most people only see and hear what they want to see and hear; they almost never agree as to the objective truth of things as they really are; they almost never agree as to what is reality. This book is not a scientific study objectively testing reality. The thoughts I put forth herein are merely my attempt at objectively postulating what I believe to be an "absolute" reality pertaining to sometimes-specific and sometimes-general situations in life.

It’s one of the most famous sports images of all time. Former heavyweight boxing champion Sonny Liston is sprawled on his back in the boxing rim. Muhammad Ali stands over Liston, holding his right hand as if ready to throw another punch. The reigning world champion had just thrown a short, right-handed punch to the side of Liston’s head. In a flash, Liston had gone down. The photo of the angry Ali standing over the fallen challenger was taken in an instant by photojournalist John Rooney, but the controversy over the 1965 fight lingers to this day.

Tis the season...for slaying Fresh off a disturbingly long absence for which she has no explanation or recollection, Quinn MacKenna-reformed Catholic, semi-retired arms dealer, and borderline alcoholic-is busy enjoying the Nordic idea of an afterparty before becoming quickly embroiled in a bitter power struggle coinciding with the advent of the Yuletide season. The issue at hand: the future of the Norse pantheon and its role in the mysterious Omega War to come. The participants: Odin, the All-father and leader of the Aesir, against his younger brothers, Vili and Vé. Unfortunately, amidst this tumultuous backdrop, Quinn finds herself bereft of everything she once possessed: her Valkyrie armor, her legendary spear, and even her dubious divinity. As such, Quinn has no choice but to broker lopsided alliances and cultivate tenuous friendships while searching for answers to questions she doesn't even know how to ask. Of course, when dealing with ancient and occasionally spiteful gods, it's not always easy to tell who's been naughty and who's been nice. To that end, Quinn must decide what paths to take and how far she's willing to go down them-even if that means doing so while blind. But then perhaps it really is as simple as some people say: seeing is believing and believing is seeing. Even if you have to trade an eye for the privilege. If you like Jim Butcher, Kevin Hearne, Steve McHugh, Michael Anderle, Ilona Andrews, Patricia Briggs, Shannon Mayer, or K.F. Breene, you won't be able to put down the highly addictive Phantom Queen Diaries or anything else in the Temple Verse. "Shayne Silvers, Jim Butcher, and Kevin Hearne are easily my favorite Urban Fantasy Authors. In that order." - Michael Anderle, Amazon Top 25 Bestselling Author More than 1m copies downloaded and thousands of five-star reviews. Available in digital, print, and audiobook formats. What Amazon readers are saying: ★★★★★ 'His foul-mouthed unicorn murders rainbows!' ★★★★★ 'Move over Dresden!' ★★★★★ 'The Temple Verse HAS to be picked up by Netflix soon.' ★★★★★ 'Silvers could write a grocery list on a dirty napkin and make it an international bestseller.' ★★★★★'I went from crying my eyes out to laughing uncontrollably, repeatedly.' ★★★★★ 'It's like the characters walked off the page, joined me at the bar, and bought me a drink.' ★★★★★ 'I am astounded as to how the author keeps the story fresh and exciting.' ★★★★★ 'I usually see plot twists a mile away. Shayne has proven me wrong. Every time.' ★★★★★ 'Best books I've read in thirty years.' ★★★★★ 'His intense actions scenes let you see the fangs and claws, hear the gunshots, feel the magic, and smell the fear.' ★★★★★ 'Everything you thought you knew about vampires, shifters, dragons, wizards, fairies and gods is flat wrong.' ★★★★★ 'Publishers who didn't snap up this series are missing out on a gold mine.' Silvers has pleasured over one million readers with the Temple Universe. Now it's your turn for a little pleasuring...

A book focusing on contemporary Saudi art, particularly the artists and artworks that have been featured in the first US exhibitions beginning in 2016. Published in conjunction with "Phantom Punch: Contemporary Art from Saudi Arabia in Lewiston", Bates College Museum of Art, Lewiston, Maine, USA, October 28, 2016 - March 18, 2017.