Sign-In
Cart
The St. Paul Phantom: The Gibbons Brothers' Fight for Glory, Volume I
Paperback
Series: Fight for Glory
AthletesBoxingRegional: Midwest
Publisher Price: $24.99
Publisher: Gerard Gibbons
Published: Sep 15 2026
Pages: 534
Weight: 1.56
Height: 1.08 Width: 6.00 Depth: 9.00
Language: English
AS THE TWENTIETH CENTURY ROARS TO LIFE,
EVERYONE HAS A DREAM, SO EVERYONE HAS A FIGHT
For Mike Gibbons, a penniless, bullied Irish American kid from the hardscrabble streets of St. Paul, the fight is destiny. Beneath the light of Halley's Comet in 1910, Mike and his younger brother, Tommy, vow to punch their way out of poverty and become champions of the outlawed prize ring.
Guided by a priest, a firefighter, and a beloved sportswriter-and mentored by America's first Black champions, Joe Gans, Jack Johnson, and Sam Langford-Mike pioneers a dazzling new style of scientific boxing, one that prizes strategy over brute force. It carries him from backroom brawls to the roar of Madison Square Garden and into the orbit of titans such as Harry Houdini, Tex Rickard, President Theodore Roosevelt, General John J. Pershing, Joseph Pulitzer, William Randolph Hearst, and F. Scott Fitzgerald. As his legend grows, he earns the name The St. Paul Phantom.
But Mike's meteoric ascent, shadowed by romance and sacrifice, is fraught with conflict. Torn between his immigrant father's bloody rebel past and his mother's fear for his life, he falls for a fierce-willed suffragist who demands that he abandon the ring forever. His loyalty is tested further when his greatest rival turns out to be his own brother.
Mike and Tommy's daring quest spans rails and oceans-to the nation's grand arenas, to the birth of jazz and cinema, to the eruption of race riots and the rise of organized crime; from famine- weary Ireland to Gotham's bedlam, quake-scarred San Francisco, and the immaculate shores of Havana. Just as their dreams come within reach, World War I and the devastating influenza pandemic upend the globe, calling them to trade gloves for uniforms and help strengthen America's fighting forces.
In the war's aftermath, an aging Mike returns to the ring for one final shot at the world middleweight championship against a dangerous young fighter he once trained.
THE ST. PAUL PHANTOM is more than a boxing story. It is a sweeping historical epic that illuminates the American experience and the common ground that binds us together. Lavishly illustrated with dozens of rare, never-before-seen photographs and more than 75 original pen-and-ink illustrations, it is an inspiring, panoramic true story of courage, faith, love, brotherhood, and redemption-and a powerful reflection of the hope, promise, and opportunity of the American Dream.
As the nation celebrates America250, step into the ring and follow the extraordinary journey of the Gibbons brothers-an unforgettable saga of courage, ambition, and glory forged in the dawn of modern America. Order your copy today!
Also in
Athletes
The Badger: The Life of Bernard Hinault and the Legacy of French Cycling
Fotheringham, William
Paperback
Dick Bremer: Game Used: My Life in Stitches with the Minnesota Twins
Bruton, Jim
Bremer, Dick
Hardcover
Heartland: A Forgotten Place, an Impossible Dream, and the Miracle of Larry Bird
O'Brien, Keith
Hardcover
The Messi Effect: How the Global Legend Changed the Future of American Soccer
Tenorio, Paul
Hardcover
We Are the World (Cup): A Personal History of the World's Greatest Sporting Event
Bennett, Roger
Hardcover
Fight Through It: The Battles, Breakthroughs, and Beauty of Becoming Resilient Enough to Never Give Up
Hall, Roy, Jr.
Paperback
The Long Run: Steve Prefontaine, Frank Shorter, Joan Benoit, Grete Waitz, and the Decade That Made the Marathon Cool
Dugard, Martin
Hardcover
The Bosses of the Bronx: The Endless Drama of the Yankees Under the House of Steinbrenner
Vaccaro, Mike
Hardcover
Masters of the Game: A Conversational History of the NBA in 75 Legendary Players
Jackson, Phil
Smith, Sam
Hardcover
Moses and the Doctor: Two Men, One Championship, and the Birth of Modern Basketball
Epplin, Luke
Hardcover
Another Life: Discovering the Healing Power of Purpose on My Long Journey from Player to Preacher
Strawberry, Darryl
Hardcover
Duct Tape and Determination: A True Story of Turning Devastation Into Grit
Hunt-Broersma, Jacky
Hardcover
The Score Takes Care of Itself: My Philosophy of Leadership
Walsh, Bill
Jamison, Steve
Walsh, Craig
Paperback
The Long Run: A New York City Firefighter's Triumphant Comeback from Crash Victim to Elite Athlete
Long, Matt
Butler, Charles
Paperback
In the Name of Freedom: A Political Dissident's Fight for Human Rights in the NBA and Around the World
Freedom, Enes Kanter
Hardcover
The Last Manager: How Earl Weaver Tricked, Tormented, and Reinvented Baseball
Miller, John W.
Hardcover
Earned: The True Cost of Greatness from One of Hockey's Fiercest Competitors
Pronger, Chris
Hardcover
How to Build a Car: The Autobiography of the World's Greatest Formula 1 Designer
Newey, Adrian
Hardcover
Royal Treatment: Jackie Robinson, Montreal, and the Breaking of Baseball's Color Barrier
McLaughlin, Sean J.
Hardcover
Soul Surfer: A True Story of Faith, Family, and Fighting to Get Back on the Board
Bundschuh, Rick
Hamilton, Bethany
Paperback
Checkmate: Genius, Lies, Ambition, and the Biggest Scandal in Chess (Large Print Edition)
Mezrich, Ben
Paperback
The Bookie: How I Bet It All on Sports Gambling and Watched an Industry Explode
Manteris, Art
Birkbeck, Matt
Hardcover
When We Were Young and Fearless: Kevin, Russell, James, and the Making of the Modern NBA
Abrams, Jonathan
Hardcover
Cinderella Man: James J. Braddock, Max Baer, and the Greatest Upset in Boxing History
Schaap, Jeremy
Paperback
The Boys of Winter: The Untold Story of a Coach, a Dream, and the 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team
Coffey, Wayne
Paperback
Just Give Me a Chance to Fail: The Life of NFL Hall of Fame Linebacker Sam Mills
Domowitch, Paul
Hardcover
The Spurrier Effect: How One Coach Transformed Gamecock Football
Miller, Kevin
Silvia, Brent
Hardcover
The Leadership Secrets of Nick Saban: How Alabama's Coach Became the Greatest Ever
Talty, John
Hardcover
A Life's Calling: The Voice Behind the World's Greatest Horse Races
Durkin, Tom
Volponi, Paul
Shulman, Lenny
Hardcover
Charlie Hustle: The Rise and Fall of Pete Rose, and the Last Glory Days of Baseball
O'Brien, Keith
Paperback
The Fight of His Life: Joe Louis's Battle for Freedom During World War II
Smith, Johnny
Roberts, Randy
Hardcover
Fight Through It: The Battles, Breakthroughs, and Beauty of Becoming Resilient Enough to Never Give Up
Hall, Roy, Jr.
Hardcover
Running for My Life: One Lost Boy's Journey from the Killing Fields of Sudan to the Olympic Games
Lomong, Lopez
Paperback
Bart's Heart: A Journey of Family, Friendship, Football and Faith
Lee, David T.
Burrell, Bart
Paperback
Following Atticus: Forty-Eight High Peaks, One Little Dog, and an Extraordinary Friendship
Ryan, Tom
Paperback
Ashes to Endzone: The Fight for Identity, Faith, and a Future Bigger Than the Game
Jones, Perris
Hardcover
Lambeau: The Epic Life of Earl Louis "Curly" Lambeau, the Man Who Invented the Green Bay Packers
Gould, Herb
Paperback
Heartland: A Forgotten Place, an Impossible Dream, and the Miracle of Larry Bird (Large Print Edition)
O'Brien, Keith
Hardcover
The Making of a Miracle: The Untold Story of the Captain of the 1980 Gold Medal-Winning U.S. Olympic Hockey Team
Eruzione, Mike
Boudette, Neal
Paperback
The Rocket That Fell to Earth: Roger Clemens and the Rage for Baseball Immortality
Pearlman, Jeff
Paperback
Tommy's Honor: The Story of Old Tom Morris and Young Tom Morris, Golf's Founding Father and Son
Cook, Kevin
Paperback
L.A. Story: Shohei Ohtani, the Los Angeles Dodgers, and a Season for the Ages
Plunkett, Bill
Hardcover
Beyond Fast: How a Renegade Coach and His Unlikely High School Team Revolutionized Distance Running
Greif, Andrew
Brosnan, Sean
Lear, Chris
Hardcover
American Soccer Nation: The Remarkable 150-Year History of Yanks on a Roll, from Mob Football to the Modern Game
Franek, Mark C.
Paperback
The Can-Do Mindset: How to Cultivate Resilience, Follow Your Heart, and Fight for Your Passions
Parker, Candace
Hardcover
The Skateboard Life: Movers, Shakers, Makers & Rulebreakers: The Quintessential Story of Skateboard Culture
Williams, Neftalie
Hardcover