Baddest Man: The Making of Mike Tyson

This sinewy biography from journalist Kriegel (The Good Son) traces Mike Tyson’s early life and career. Born in 1966, Tyson came of age in Brooklyn amid financial insecurity, moving constantly as his mother struggled to find work and turning to petty crime by the age of 10. He first became interested in boxing after Muhammad Ali visited the Spofford Juvenile Detention Center where he’d been sent at age 12, and he started training under the supervision of a counselor who happened to be a former champion. Fueled by the rage he carried toward childhood bullies who taunted him for his lisp and glasses, Tyson quickly distinguished himself in the ring and caught the attention of star manager Constantine “Cus” D’Amato during a showcase set up by his counselor. He moved to Upstate New York and began training under the supervised parole of D’Amato, winning his inaugural bout at age 14 with an uppercut that propelled his opponent’s mouthpiece six rows into the crowd. Kriegel’s nuanced portrait notes the many hardships Tyson faced growing up, including watching his mother’s boyfriends brutalize her and getting molested by a stranger, without excusing his flaws, most notably his hair-trigger temper and physical abuse of his first wife. It’s an unflinching glimpse into the formative years of a troubled boxing great. Photos. (June)