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In the darkest days of the Troubles, when Northern Ireland was synonymous with violence, sectarianism, and division, a small boxing gym in Belfast became an unlikely refuge. Punches of Hope, by Guardian journalist Donald McRae, tells the true and moving story of Gerry Storey, a coach who defied hatred with boxing gloves. From his gym in the heart of IRA territory, Storey opened his doors to young Catholics and Protestants, despite threats, bombs, and hostility from those who opposed any form of reconciliation. He trained boxers such as world champion Barry McGuigan and Olympic medalist Hugh Russell, but his greatest achievement was offering an escape route--and hope--to an entire generation marked by violence. With the narrative pulse of a great chronicle and the emotion of a story of redemption, McRae masterfully reconstructs how boxing achieved what politics could not: building bridges between enemies. After years of research and intimate interviews with the key figures in this story, this book is a powerful account of courage, humanity, and the power of sport to change lives.
Über den Autor / die Autorin
Donald McRae (Germiston, Sudáfrica) descubrió su pasión por la escritura y el deporte durante la época del apartheid. Tras enseñar inglés en Soweto y cubrir conciertos para el
New Musical Express, se instaló definitivamente en Inglaterra, donde sigue residiendo y trabajando como periodista. Es autor de más de una docena de libros de no ficción, que retratan desde iconos del deporte hasta prostitutas, cirujanos, abogados o su propia familia sudafricana. Ha ganado dos veces el prestigioso William Hill Sports Book of the Year --por
Dark Trade y
In Black & White--, y también ha obtenido otros galardones por sus reportajes y entrevistas para
The Guardian. Vive en Hertfordshire con su esposa Alison y sus tres hijos, desde donde sigue viajando para entrevistar a personajes extraordinarios y regresar con grandes historias.
