England, 1870: His health failing, his most important work all but done, Charles Dickens is readying himself for the final bed. But there is still one more story that he must tell. As a young journalist just getting his start, Dickens encountered a story that would affect him for the rest of his life. As his "Sketches by Boz" column is just beginning to find acclaim, young Dickens encounters the wealthy and powerful Charles Wingate. While researching the mysterious businessman, Dickens uncovers a horrific story of corruption and violence, centered on a mutilated prostitute and the murder of her lover. Dickens's investigation could wreak havoc on Wingate and, more importantly, his beautiful wife Amanda. Dickens, already betrothed to his publisher's daughter, realizes just how loveless his future marriage will be as he falls in love with Amanda – even as his story threatens to ruin the Wingates. The Final Recollections of Charles Dickensblends a historically–accurate telling of Dickens's life with a gripping portrait of betrayal, murder, obsession, and love. It's the story of Dickens's deflowering and coming of age, caught between the worlds of England's ruling elite and the seamy underside of London society. In this experience we witness the seeds being sown for what will become Dickens's most popular and revered novels, and the social philosophies —rich versus poor —behind them. Meticulously researched and masterfully told, The Final Recollections of Charles Dickens captures the voice of the beloved author, the divided city of London, and the uncertain tenor of the times.

Each year, readers, writers, and critics alike look forward to Thomas Hauser’s newest collection of articles about the contemporary boxing scene. Reviewing his 2018 collection, Booklist proclaimed, “This is Hauser in a nutshell: compassion, character, and context. As always, an annual delight.” A Dangerous Journey continues Hauser’s tradition of excellence, turning his award-winning investigative reporting skills on the scandal surrounding the use of illegal performance enhancing drugs and the failures of corrupt and incompetent state athletic commissions. Hauser also takes readers into Canelo Alvarez’s dressing room in the hours before and after his rematch against Gennady Golovkin, the biggest fight of the year, and offers in-depth portraits of boxing’s biggest stars—past and present—as well as reflections on fight-related curiosities ranging from Ronda Rousey to David and Goliath. Thirty-five years ago, Hauser began writing about boxing with his superb The Black Lights, which has long been regarded as a boxing classic. He only gets better.

Each year, readers, writers, and critics alike look forward to Thomas Hauser’s newest collection of articles about the contemporary boxing scene. As Booklist has proclaimed, “Many journalists have written fine boxing pieces, but none has written as extensively or as memorably as Thomas Hauser. . . . Hauser remains the current champion of boxing. . . . Hauser is a treasure.” Broken Dreams meets this high standard with its coverage of 2020’s most important fighters and fights, outside-the-ring controversies, regulatory missteps, and other issues that defined the year’s boxing scene. Hauser explores the heavyweight trio of Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua, and Deontay Wilder in depth, as well as Canelo Álvarez and historic greats like Jack Dempsey, Carlos Monzon, and Muhammad Ali. Hauser also tackles the larger social challenges that imposed themselves so assertively in 2020, including the coronavirus pandemic, the Black Lives Matter movement, runaway social media, the presidential election, and other forces that left a deep imprint on the sport and business of boxing.

"A compilation of previously published material, The Universal Sport gathers Thomas Hauser's best pieces from 2021 and 2022, where he offers accounts of this period's most important fights and compelling issues, covering the return of Madison Square Garden, the endgame for Manny Pacquiao, an ascendant moment for English boxing, and the most anticipated fight in the history of women's boxing between Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano. Also included are Hauser's take on a historic account of boxing's very first Black world champion, a review of Ken Burns's Ali biopic, an appreciation of Oscar De La Hoya, and a commentary on the exploitation of anti-Russian sentiment at the heart of the Canelo-Bivol fight"--