"American Son" Book Review

Posted by Ramon Aranda on 07.23.2008

Oscar De La Hoya teams up with Steve Springer to provide a refreshing look at the "Golden Boy's" remarkable career.



Time and time again we see autobiographies on fighters that focus on one particular aspect of their career, more often than not leaving out key moments of their lives or their careers. As an avid reader within boxing's bookshelf, Oscar De La Hoya's recent book "American Son" is one autobiography that stood out for me. The book which is published by Harper Entertainment and is told by Oscar De La Hoya with Steve Springer not only comes off as a detailed description of Oscar's life but as a honest and selfless retelling of De La Hoya's early beginnings as a poor kid in East Los Angeles to his monumental rise in the sport of boxing and ultimate metamorphosis into a boxing promoter.

De La Hoya recounts life at home, growing up with his brother and sister, a father who instilled boxing into him at an early age and the celebration and death of his beloved mother. Not once in the entire book do you feel like it's Oscar the superstar that is talking about a life once lived, but rather Oscar the man who lived through various hardships before he made it big. The book also delves into his immigrant roots, his most memorable fights, and winning the gold medal at the Olympics.

Following boxing for many many years, it's still interesting to learn new things about a fighter that you never knew and Oscar isn't afraid to talk about his fears and joys that led to him being where he is today. For boxing and De La Hoya fans, "American Son" is a fine book that is worthy of being a top anyone's bookshelf and a heartfelt look into the life of one of boxing's most prominent figures in the last two decades.

The book can be found at major bookstores for a modest $25.99