Knockout! is a quintessential American story—a humble but hardworking man overcomes poverty and prejudice to become world champion—and an inspiration to millions around the world. George Sullivan’s photobiography tells the powerful story of boxer Joe Louis with evocative period photography and a stirring narrative. This profile of one of America’s favorite sportsmen offers boys a perfect choice for biography assignments and is a stunning addition to the award-winning Photobiographies series.
　　Joe Louis was the first African-American to achieve a position of national prominence in 20th century America. His success and his dignified public persona as champion were a source of great pride to African-Americans, whose heroes were rarely accorded recognition or respect. Knockout! sets the story of The Brown Bomber’s rise to fame against the background of his time. Blacks were not permitted to play major league baseball or football, and as the nation struggled through the depression in the 1930s and World War II in the 1940s, Louis became a symbol of hope to all facing hardship. Louis’s series of fights against Max Schmeling of Germany became the defining acts of his career. The reluctant Schmeling was promoted by Hitler’s regime as the symbol of Aryan supremacy, but Louis’s stunning victory in 1938 punctured the Nazi propaganda. Louis’s sensational first-round TKO win at Yankee Stadium also established the Alabama fighter as one of the most popular figures for Americans of all races.
　　乔·路易斯，一个家喻户晓的名字，美国拳坛上的奇迹，他出身卑微，家境贫寒，但却不向命运屈服；他战胜贫困，打破偏见，成为世界冠军，他的奋斗精神激励影响了全世界数百万人。
　　乔·路易斯是美国二十世纪第一位获得如此高声誉的非裔美国人，他在美国民众中拥有极高的影响力，他的成功是所有美国黑人的骄傲，他被认为是美国黑人的英雄，在此之前美国几乎很少有黑人受到这样的承认和尊重。
　　无论任何人都不能不承认，乔·路易斯是一位伟大的世界重量级冠军。虽然他的身材并不高大，但他行云流水般的左右手组合拳却威力无比，赢得了“褐色轰炸机”的美誉。他的任意一击都能显示出他拳头的力度，他改变了前辈们仅靠单一的重拳取胜的战术风格。
　　二十世纪三十年代美国大萧条时期和二十世纪四十年代第二次世界大战时期，黑人是不允许参加美国职业棒球或足球大联盟的，面对这些歧视和偏见，路易斯毫不退缩，不断挑战自己，当时的许多世界名将都败在了路易斯的拳下。1938年，路易斯击败了德国拳手施姆林（Max Schmeling），施姆林一直被希特勒政府标榜为所谓亚力安族优秀遗传（Aryan Supremacy）的代表，所以，路易斯的这一出色战绩无疑是对纳粹德国舆论宣传的一次打击。