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Michael has recently completed a further two manuscripts. The first tells of the life and boxing career of the boxer he ranks as the greatest never to hold an Australian title, the amazing Trevor King, O.A.M. and the other on the immortal Les Darcy.
These two books are in manuscript form and are only available directly from Michael.
They will not be available in Book Stores.
They are his latest contribution to the great sporting history of Australia, and first comes:
The Trevor King Story
”A Path Divided.“
by
Michael J. Clarke
 
The story of the life of Trevor King and his fighting career is one of amazing courage and determination against tremendous odds. Born into a dysfunctional family near the coal city of Cessnock his early life was one of poverty, poor schooling and severe illness such as polio and rheumatic fever, which left him crippled and unable to walk.
Displaying courage beyond his years, Trevor overcame those obstacles and took to boxing where he had an amazing career, rising through the ranks to easily defeat Elley Bennett, the Featherweight Champion of Australia in a non-title bout at Sydney Stadium. That success was immediately followed by a serious traffic accident which left his body shattered and broken, which eventually directed him along a different path on his life’s journey, with his membership of the Salvation Army and then the establishment of his own refuge for the down and depressed of the community.
For decades now, Trevor’s remarkable challenge at Westside Mission has been to assist the young people of our society with their many and varied problems, a feat which has produced the most wonderful results.
Trevor King is an extraordinary man, showing that with courage and determination nothing is impossible. This is an extraordinary book about a great man, and details many new revelations about his boxing career, which will thrill patrons of the gloved sport. It is a ”must have“ for any genuine fan.
In the second book, the magnificent and tragic life and career of the famous Les Darcy is told as never before, revealing a plethora of information on the Australian fistic idol, including the important fact that Les had at least 55 fights, this being 5 more than ever disclosed by any other author. The title of the book is:
Les Darcy
”The Noblest Roman of Them All.“
by
Michael J. Clarke
The story is told with a strong family influence of the Brennans, of whom the author’s mother was a member, and who could clearly recall much of the Darcy story on a personal level, her four brothers Reverend Father Joseph Brennan, Frank, Mick and Jackie who all at one time or another pulled on the gloves and served as willing sparring partners to the future world champion. The last-mentioned brother, Jackie, has some small claim to fame in the Darcy saga, for it was he along with a mutual friend, who convinced Les to try his luck in a boxing tourney in Newcastle and even arranged his entry.
Memories too, come from others such as Tom Maguire, who became known as the ”Prince of Trainers,“ who knew Les from his boyhood days and actually shared a desk with him at school. He saw Darcy’s talent, in much the same manner as others saying, ”there was Les Darcy and then the rest.“
Information comes from personal conversations and letters from such boxing luminaries as Billy Austin, Sid Pascoe, Bobby Whitelaw, Billy McNabb, Tommy Judd, Harry Richards, Fritz Holland, Jeff Smith, Packey O’Gatty and Mick King.
Now the true story of Les Darcy has been written. It is a story of a boy from the most humble origins, the boy who gave all to his family, rising from the power of his mighty fists to become the greatest middleweight boxer in the world, and finally lonely and depressed, going to his death in a land far away from Australia, hounded and vilified by those men in Sydney who had became rich through the magnificence of his boxing genius.
”When destiny whispered his name, Les Darcy heard the call and stepped forward.“
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