LES DARCY

by Peter Fitzsimons   (LW)

This is a wonderful biography of an Australian boxing icon named Les Darcy. I must admit I hadn't heard of him prior to reading this book, but after mentioning this book to friends, it seems that most had heard of him. He was a wonderful young man who was a natural boxer but also a descent fellow and hard worker, and loved by nearly everyone who met him. He worked hard to provide for his family. With a family of 10 children, one handicapped and a father who was usually drunk, Les tried to lessen the burden for his loved mum. He was strong and handsome with a charming smile. Deeply religious, this stemming from his rich Irish Catholic ancestory, he never missed going to Sunday Mass and was very close to his local priest.

Les earned his icon status by working his way up the rung of the boxing community fighting the biggest and meanest they could throw at him and became a lightweight and heavyweight champion. He wanted to set his family up with a nice home and enough money to keep them well and tried desperately to travel to the USA to compete with their champion boxers and win some big bucks. Unfortunately, the war had started and men were signing up to go to Galipoli and fight with the Allies. He was still underage and needed his mother to sign a conscent form but she refused. This led some members of the community to send him white feathers in the mail and call him a coward for not going with their sons to fight. 

Les just wanted a couple more fights to prove himself and earn his money then he was prepared to enlist. The government refused a passport for Les on three separate occasions which frustrated him and he eventually, with the help of a friend, stowed away on a ship going to America. They all knew of him there and soon fell in love with him and soon there were matches schedule, however time after time he was refused permission to fight due to his ex-manager in Australia who had connections high in the government.

This story was told in a wonderful way with great insight, with lots of historical documentation and at times a sense of humour with Peter Fitzsimons filling the story with lots of 'aussieisms'. Although I'm really, really, not into boxing I did find this story gripping and very sad in the end. It was interesting how quickly people turned from adoring this brilliant sportsman, to ridiculing him and calling him a traitor, and then after his death, to adoring him again. I wonder how Les' story would've changed if he was born a little later in the century, after the war.