Berserk: The Shocking Life and Death of Edwin Valero

Paperback book by Don Stradley (Author)

Overview

Within the dark pages of Berserk: The Shocking Life and Death of Edwin Valero, author Don Stradley uncovers the gritty details of the undefeated (27-0, 27 KO), troubled, boxer Edwin Valero.

Edwin Valero’s life was like a rocket shot into a wall. With a perfect knockout record in twenty-seven fights, the demonic Venezuelan boxer, known as “El Inca” and “El Dinamita,” seemed destined for a clash with all-time great Manny Pacquiao. But the Fates had other ideas.

Fueled by cocaine and booze and paranoia, Valero blazed into a mania that derailed his career in the ring and resulted in the brutal death of his young wife Jennifer–and soon afterward, his own. In chilling detail, Don Stradley captures one of the darkest and most sensational boxing stories in recent memory, which, until now, has never been fully told.

Filled with firsthand accounts from the men who trained Valero and the reporters who covered him, as well as insights from psychologists and forensic experts, Berserk is a hell-ride of a book.

Berserk is the first in the Hamilcar Noir series. Hamilcar Noir is “Hard-Hitting True Crime” that blends boxing and true crime, featuring riveting stories captured in high-quality prose, with cover art inspired by classic pulp novels.

Praise

“Stradley [has]…a clipped, hard-hitting narrative style that makes no excuses and offers no apologies. Boxing fans interested in this…tragic figure should be captivated. A gritty, absorbing account of a boxer who couldn’t defeat his own inner demons.”—Kirkus Reviews

"Just finished Don Stradley's book on Edwin Valero, "Berserk." Outstanding. Predictably so because 1) Don is a super writer, and 2) the story is chilling and amazing.―Steve Farhood, Showtime boxing analyst, and International Boxing Hall of Fame member

About the Author

Don Stradley is the author of Berserk: The Shocking Life and Death of Edwin Valero (Hamilcar Publications), Slaughter in the Streets: When Boston Became Boxing’s Murder Capital (Hamilcar Publications), Schooled, a dual biography of Lebron James and Jim Morris (Scholastic), and a chapter in The Ultimate Book of Boxing Lists by Bert Sugar and Teddy Atlas, and the forthcoming Fistful of Murder: The Life and Crimes of Carlos Monzon (Hamilcar Publications).

Stradley is an award-winning writer whose work has appeared in publications, including The Ring, Ringside Seat, and ESPN.com. Along with his boxing coverage, he’s written about baseball, NASCAR, and professional wrestling. When not writing about sports, he’s written about the movies for such magazines as Cinema Retro and Noir City.

Details

Publisher: Hamilcar Publications; 1st edition (November 12, 2019)
Language: English
Paperback: 112 pages
ISBN-13: 978-1949590142
Item Weight: 0.63 lb (0.28 kg)
Dimensions: 5.5 x 8.25 x 0.25 inches (14 x 21 x 0.6 cm)