For author Gerard Gibbons, exploration of a famed Minnesota boxer meant opening up an old box of family memories. "I had many boxes - cardboard boxes and trunks - full of memorabilia," says Gibbons. "Not only did it contain really a treasure of a great American story, but it also contained my grandfather's archive and many pieces of my great grandfather's archive."
In the new book The St. Paul Phantom: The Gibbons' Brothers Fight for Glory, Vol. 1, Gerard takes a storytelling approach to the history of his own family - some major names in the world of boxing in the early 20th century. "I was able to put the family history in context with actual history and research," says Gibbons who drew from the thorough documentation of the lives of his ancestors. "Most of the book is actually dialogue driven by the actual characters themselves."
Mike Gibbons, who became known as "The St. Paul Phantom" due to his speed in the boxing ring, was the son of Irish immigrants and grew up with an interest in the then-illegal boxing scene. Through rigor and tutelage, Gibbons - as well as his younger brother Tommy - would find fame and success in the ring.
The story of the Gibbons family will continue in the subsequent volumes of the Fight for Glory Trilogy. Volume 2, which focuses on Tommy Gibbons, is titled The Happy Warrior, and volume 3 is called The Saintly City, a look at law enforcement tackling mid-century organized crime.
The St. Paul Phantom: The Gibbons' Brothers Fight for Glory, Vol. 1 can be found at many booksellers as well as online. Author Gerard Gibbons will be in St. Paul for book events from September 13th-19th. Additional information about events and the book is on the author's website.
Minnesota Reads is produced at The North 103.3 with funding provided in part by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.
