The Devil and Sonny Liston

Nick Tosches · first published 2000 · ISBN 9780316897754

Tosches reconstructs the life of boxer Sonny Liston, one of heavyweight boxing's most controversial figures. The biography argues that Liston's idol Joe Louis introduced him to heroin, ultimately leading to his overdose. Through meticulous research, the author examines Liston's rise from prison inmate to champion and his mysterious circumstances surrounding his death.