Bundini, Todd D. Snyder
Bundini, Todd D. Snyder
List: $24.99 | Sale: $17.50
Club: $12.49

Bundini
Don’t Believe the Hype

Author: Todd D. Snyder

Narrator: Sean Crisden

Unabridged: 10 hr 2 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 11/24/2020


Synopsis

Fifty years after he coined the iconic phrase Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee, Drew "Bundini" Brown remains one of boxing's most mysterious and misunderstood figures. His impact on the sport and the culture at large is undeniable. Cornerman and confidant to two of the greatest fighters ever—Sugar Ray Robinson and Muhammad Ali—Brown lived an extraordinary American life.

After a poverty-stricken childhood in Jim Crow Florida, Brown came of age traveling the world as a naval steward. On being discharged, he settled in New York City and spent wild nights in the jazz joints of Harlem, making a name for himself as the charismatic street philosopher and poet some called "Fast Black." He married a white woman from a family of Orthodox Jewish immigrants, in dramatic defiance of 1950s cultural norms, and later appeared in films such as the blaxploitation classic, Shaft.

In Bundini, Todd Snyder digs deep into Brown's expansive story, revealing not only how he became Muhammad Ali's "hype man," but also, as boxing's greatest motivator, how he became a model for others who seek to inspire, in any endeavor.

About Todd D. Snyder

Todd D. Snyder is an associate professor of rhetoric and writing at Siena College in Albany, New York. He received a BA and an MA in English from Marshall University and a PhD in rhetoric and composition from Ohio University. Snyder is the author of The Rhetoric of Appalachian Identity and 12 Rounds in Lo's Gym: Boxing and Manhood in Appalachia. His scholarly research draws from a variety of fields: rhetoric and composition, community literacy studies, communications studies, cultural studies, and critical theory. Snyder also teaches a course at Siena College in hip-hop studies and contributed a chapter to The Oxford Handbook of Hip-Hop Studies. The son of a West Virginia boxing trainer, Snyder's work is also intimately connected to his life experience, the theme of working class masculinity serving as primary focus of his writing projects.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Brendan on August 14, 2020

My favourite book of the year. I’ve struggled to finish this review because I’m trying to capture the book and not just gush with praise. Bundini: Don’t Believe the Hype didn’t just exceed my expectations, it blew them away, and it deserves to be considered among the very best biographies. Muhammad A......more

Goodreads review by Leon on September 27, 2024

I REALLY enjoyed this book. I never knew the impact and importance of Bundini had on Muhammad Ali. I thought of him as simply a mouth piece but he was a great deal more. Also, he was the inspiration of a son who went on to be successful. Bundini has not received the recognition he should have.......more

Goodreads review by Dylan on September 13, 2020

This is one of the best biographies I have ever read. As a huge fan of Boxing & Muhammad Ali, this book reads as a memoir to the golden era of boxing and a very fresh perspective on Muhammad Ali’s legacy. Bundini has always been a popular figure in boxing and his story is properly told by Todd Snyde......more

Goodreads review by M. on June 26, 2022

Originally a member of Sugar Ray Robinson’s entourage, Drew Bundini Brown is best known for being Muhammad Ali’s “hype man.” He worked Ali’s corner in almost all of his title fights and inspired him poetically. Ali’s most famous line, “Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee,” came from Bundini. An......more

Goodreads review by Leaf on March 16, 2025

A deep dive into the mental, physical and spiritual aspects of Drew Bundini Brown. My only exposure prior to this book was knowing he coined the infamous Ali phrase “Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee…” but he was so much more than that. This book paints the picture of his unique relationship......more