The Duke is a harrowing tragedy of Shakespearean proportions and a gripping read. Dont miss it.T. J. English New York Times bestselling author ofamp160Havana NocturneAn American Gothicamp8230amp160In the early 1990s Tommy Morrison a young roughneck from Jay Oklahoma burst onto the boxing scene to become one of the most controversial fighters of his era. Handsome eloquent and dynamic Morrison parlayed destructive knockout power and a homespun personality into celebrity status throughout middle America where boxing rarely prospered.amp160But it was his starring role in Rocky V alongside Sylvester Stallone that propelled him to stardomand ultimately led to his tragic downfall. His brush with Hollywood fame triggered a limitless appetite for parties liquor and sex. When Morrison was shockingly diagnosed with HIV in 1996 his life imploded and his subsequent descent into drugs prison bigamy and conspiracy theories made Morrison notorious long after his glory days had ended.In The Duke Carlos Acevedo chronicles Morrisonamp8217s tumultuous life from his days as a teenaged Toughman contestant to his victory over George Foreman to his struggles with HIV and depression to his death at fortyfour when his delusions finally overtook him.Morrison himself was a divisive figure but critics and readers are unanimous about Acevedoamp8217s The Duke.amp8220This is a big American saga writ large just the sort of tortured tale Carlos Acevedo tells so well.amp8221amp8212Don Stradley author of The War Hagleramp8211Hearns and Three Rounds for the Agesamp8220I love how Carlos Acevedo writes. Hes detached and immersive observant and detailed unsparing and fair. He brings to life what I loveamp8212and what I dont loveamp8212about boxing. Thats clear in The Duke which examines not just Tommy Morrison but Morrisons place in boxing celebrity culture and the greater sports consciousness. Its the perfect marriage of writer and subject written sharply broadly and expertlyamp8212and hard to put down.a