Sports Fact and Book Rec of the Day 10/1/2007

10/1/1975:
In the third and last bout of their remarkable trilogy, Muhammad Ali holds off relentless Joe Frazier to retain the heavyweight title in the heat of the Philippines. Frazier's trainer, Eddie Futch, refuses to let his fighter continue after 14 brutal rounds. Ali finishes ahead on all three judges' scorecards, but the sheer physical punishment suffered by both fighters is such that neither man will ever again rise to the superlative level of this historical confrontation.

Birthdays:
Rod Carew b. 1945
Grete Waitz b. 1953
Jeff Reardon b. 1955
Mark McGwire b. 1963
Cliff Ronning b. 1965


A gorgeous literary novel set in the English colony of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). Our hero, Sam Obeysekere, a local prosecutor, seeks the truth about the murder of an English tea grower as well as about his own family. Lovely, straightforward writing, an exotic setting, and a plot that reveals controversial consequences make The Hamilton Case transporting and memorable.

THE HAMILTON CASE: A NOVEL, by Michelle de Kretser (Back Bay Books, 2005)