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[viii], 259 pp. 16 full page plates from photographs or illustrations by Edwin William Krauter. (8vo) original red cloth, pictorial dust jacket. First Edition.

Signed seven times by former World's Heavyweight Champion Jack Johnson, including once once on the front flap of the dust jacket and six times within, once on most of the photographic plates featuring him. Additionally signed on their photographic portraits by three of Johnson's several wives: Mrs. Irene (Pineau) Johnson, Mary (Austin) Johnson, Lucille (Cameron) Johnson. Also signed on the frontispiece by illustrator Edwin William Krauter. Jack Johnson (1878-1946) was the first African American world heavyweight boxing champion, holding the title from 1908 to 1915, at the height of the Jim Crow era. Johnson's 1910 defeat of James Jeffries in what was billed as the Fight of the Century with Jeffries portrayed as the "Great White Hope" triggered riots fueled by white anger in New York, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Little Rock, Houston, and other cities, at least 20 people were killed across the nation and hundreds more injured. Speculation is that Johnson's 1912 arrest on violations of the Mann act for traveling across state lines with his future wife Lucille Cameron was in retaliation for his defeat of Jeffries. After his arrest Johnson fled the country and did not return until 1920. Upon his return he was incarcerated at Leavenworth for nearly one year.