Book: PacMan

Pacman: Behind the Scenes with Manny Pacquiao–The Greatest Pound-for-Pound Fighter in the World (Da Capo, 2010) is the critically acclaimed biography of Manny Pacquiao. Not only has Emmanuel Dapidran “Manny” Pacquiao won eight different titles in eight different weight classes and been named the fighter of the decade, the PacMan is a cultural icon and congressman in his native Philippines. The controversial book is a tour de force through Pacquiao’s 32 years of existence, an extraordinary life that is filled with heart-stopping action inside the ring, as well as an equal dose of poignancy and hilarity outside of it. The Wall Street Journal has called it “superb,” the South China Morning Post says it is “brutally honest” and it has been recommended as a top 2010 book by the Los Angeles Times, The Guardian, and the Observer, and it has received raves from Sports Illustrated, New York Newsday, the Dallas Morning News, and other publications. PacMan: Behind The Scenes was also excerpted in The Ring and The Atlantic.

To report the book and tell Pacquiao’s compelling story, I did something I call journalism-by-hanging-around: I interviewed Pacquiao and dozens of sources, and I also spent time ringside watching him fight, observing him in his training camp, eating meals with him, visiting his haunts in Manila (and interviewing people there), and avoiding kidnappers in the coconut jungles of the southern Philippines. Good times.

Praise for PacManBehind the Scenes With Manny Pacquiao:

“Gary Andrew Poole’s excellent biography of boxing’s pound-for-pound kingpin is absolutely worth the read.”–Sports Illustrated

“This is good, one for the ages.  It’s not the work of a ridiculous fan boy.  It’s quality.  If you listen to me enough, you know I don’t endorse books that are garbage.”–Steve Bunce, BBC

“It is an amazing behind-the-scenes look into the life of Manny Pacquiao. Thus far, no other journalist has gone this deep into the life of Pacquiao.  Poole had tremendous access while he traveled the world reporting and observing the fighter. The effort has paid off for the readers because the book is brutally honest. Poole takes you on a one-of-a-kind ride into the one-of-a-kind life of Manny Pacquiao.”–New York Newsday

“Poole takes you on a journey to Planet Pacquiao and it couldn’t have been a better read…I loved the book from beginning to end, it’s a fantastic, entertaining and informative read…and I consider it to be as good as any boxing biography my hands have ever touched.”–Boxing Insider

“Genius deserves genius and Poole has produced a brilliant book on the Pacquiao legend…A masterpiece…insightful, thrilling prose in the tradition of Truman Capote.”–Recah Trinidad, The Philippine Inquirer

“If you don’t know Pacquiao’s amazing story, Poole will open your eyes. If you know Pacquiao already, Poole will help you know him more deeply. And with a masterful guide like Poole leading you down the path, you’ll enjoy the experience immensely.”–Tim Starks, The Queensberry Rules

“Gary Andrew Poole’s PacMan has something of both the breathless urgency of Pacquiao in the ring and the extraordinary chaos that accompanies him outside.” Huw Richards, The Guardian

“It is a fine biography.”–Gareth A. Davies, The Daily Telegraph

“He is, quite simply, the most intriguing character in boxing since Muhammad Ali.  Pacquiao’s fascinating tale is recounted by Gary Andrew Poole in PacMan: Behind the Scenes with Manny Pacquiao…Brilliant.” –The Observer

“Offers fascinating insight into the PacMan’s crowded life.”–The Daily Mail

“An incisive biography.  Poole is a brutally honest, even acerbic source.”–South China Morning Post

“A great read.”–Wall Street Journal

“It’s an intriguing and balanced look at Manny Pacquiao….I highly recommend it because there are stories in PacMan–about Manny as a man and as a fighter–that will fascinate you.”–Al Bernstein, ShowTime Sports

For PacMan publicity requests in the United States, please contact: Kate Burke, publicist, Da Capo Press, 617.252.5216, kate.burke@perseusbooks.com (Please note that Kate is NOT Manny Pacquiao’s publicist.)

For PacMan publicity requests in the United Kingdom, please contact:  Vicky Gilder, Publicity & Marketing Manager, Perseus Books Group UK, 020.7353.7779, victoria.gilder@perseusbooks.com (Please note that Vicky is NOT Manny Pacquiao’s publicist.)