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American Son: My Story
Born into a boxing family, the son of Mexican-born parents, Oscar "the Golden Boy" De La Hoya has lived the American Dream—achieving unparalleled success in everything from athletics to business, from the recording industry to numerous charitable ventures. The winner of six world titles and an Olympic gold medal, he has defeated more than a dozen world champions and has left a positive mark on the sport of boxing, inspiring many who had all but given up hope. American Son is his story—a quintessentially American story—a frank, touching, and revealing memoir from one of the most celebrated fighters in the history of boxing. It is the thrilling tale of an immigrant's son—the chronicle of an amazing life's journey that offers new insight into the private world and remarkable career of a gentleman, an athlete, and a true national icon.
288 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
January 17, 2023
From Oscar De La Hoya, one of the most celebrated fighters in the history of boxing, comes a frank and touching memoir about achieving the American Dream: his rise to the top, the power of a solid work ethic, his mother's painful death from cancer, the pitfalls of stardom, and a very personal take on what it means to be an American
The son of Mexican-born parents, Oscar "The Golden Boy" De La Hoya has had an astonishing career. From boxing to business, from the recording industry to the charitable accomplishments of his foundation, his success is a testament to what one can achieve in the United States. But who is this man who has changed the lives of so many? Who has imprinted a positive mark upon the sport of boxing, for which many have all but given up hope? Who has become a symbol of success for an entire community, without many heroes to call their own?
Born into a boxing family, De La Hoya has defeated more than a dozen world champions and won six world titles as well as an Olympic gold medal—a moment forever marked in the memory of anyone who has followed his career. Yet within the maelstrom of this success lay a man whose earnest belief in the goodness of everyone around him sometimes led him to stray far from his intended path. This book is The Golden Boy, and he bares his most heartbreaking mistakes as well as his most stunning triumphs for all of the world to see.
This thrilling tale of an immigrant's son—a quintessentially American story—is the chronicle of an amazing journey that will provide readers with new insight into the private life of a figure who has to many reached iconic status.
Oscar finished his amateur career with 223 fights, won a gold medal At the Olympics in Barcelona 1992, won 11 World Titles in 6 different weights, won 39 of his 45 fights with a great professional career from 1992 to 2008, when he finished his autobiography.
This was a powerful, brutally honest with his professional career and his private life, his honesty at settling down, his desperation to have children, his addiction to gambling, his turbulent relationships. Then professional he finally realising he must take control of his career and more so his finances.
Reading this, here is a man I admire for his career, his honesty and a decent human being, just took a while to get there.
A powerful book, personally I will never forget my amateur career, it made me what I am today, good or bad, I never want to lose in any sport or life!
He fought for his career, and his success and his life. The death of his mother when he was so young effected him for his life.
The son of Mexican-born parents, Oscar "The Golden Boy" De La Hoya has had an astonishing career. From boxing to business, from the recording industry to the charitable accomplishments of his foundation, his success is a testament to what one can achieve in the United States. But who is this man who has changed the lives of so many? Who has imprinted a positive mark upon the sport of boxing, for which many have all but given up hope? Who has become a symbol of success for an entire community, without many heroes to call their own?
Born into a boxing family, De La Hoya has defeated more than a dozen world champions and won six world titles as well as an Olympic gold medal—a moment forever marked in the memory of anyone who has followed his career. Yet within the maelstrom of this success lay a man whose earnest belief in the goodness of everyone around him sometimes led him to stray far from his intended path. This book is The Golden Boy, and he bares his most heartbreaking mistakes as well as his most stunning triumphs for all of the world to see.
This thrilling tale of an immigrant's son—a quintessentially American story—is the chronicle of an amazing journey that will provide readers with new insight into the private life of a figure who has to many reached iconic status.
Oscar finished his amateur career with 223 fights, won a gold medal At the Olympics in Barcelona 1992, won 11 World Titles in 6 different weights, won 39 of his 45 fights with a great professional career from 1992 to 2008, when he finished his autobiography.
This was a powerful, brutally honest with his professional career and his private life, his honesty at settling down, his desperation to have children, his addiction to gambling, his turbulent relationships. Then professional he finally realising he must take control of his career and more so his finances.
Reading this, here is a man I admire for his career, his honesty and a decent human being, just took a while to get there.
A powerful book, personally I will never forget my amateur career, it made me what I am today, good or bad, I never want to lose in any sport or life!
He fought for his career, and his success and his life. The death of his mother when he was so young effected him for his life.
October 27, 2015
Another excellent boxing book. Oscar is one of my favourite fighters. One negative about him is that he didn’t move his head enough in his career but that did change slightly when he had Floyd Mayweather sr in his corner for the latter part of his career. The book talks about his humble beginning, his gold in the Olympics and how he segued into the professional ranks. The book is good at detailing some of the technical faculties that helped him progress as well as the financial side of the business. If you love boxing then this is a must read.
February 17, 2014
I went to the Huntington Book Review to meet Oscar personally and I asked him about the Félix Trinidad fight. He spoke with me for at least 4 minutes and answered my questions. Very good book and a true American champion.
March 31, 2014
De la Hoya's purpose on writing this book is to let people know that nothing is impossible. That with dedication, courage, and hard work anyone can achieve their dreams. American son: My story, has a great impact on people, specially boxers; it influence them to follow de la Hoya's steps on how to become one of the greatest boxers in history, and how to get up when you fail. It's a really inspirational true story that will stick to you. It will inspire you to read about how someone became so successful. It holds a great value due to that.
American son: My story is well written,it's really easy it to read it. it's a really fun book to read. you will really get into this book and enjoy it. It also gets exiting at times, and it makes you really think of the situations De la Hoya gets into. The author provides an example when he struggled in one fight. He didn't go to train at times because he spend ''time with a girl he met, he had many crazy nights with her, and when the fight came the next week he almost lost for not training right ( De la Hoya 32).
This book is really captivating. He provides insight into many of his fights, wins, and losses in his life. An amazing and inspirational story detailing events from his childhood to present. De la Hoya is someone to admire, a true fighter on the ring. The reader will really get exited while reading this book. when he talks about his fights,and will also get worry due to some of his failures in is life.
The greatest strength of the book, American son: My story , is that it's on a true story. It's a story told by De La Hoya himself. It's based on a true story, the writing feels so real. An example of that would be '' sometimes we had to live in food stamps, they were brown i color, each worth a dollar'' ( De la Hoya 39). The greatest wekness of this book is nothing. I just really enjoyed it, and think it's flawless. I would really recommend this book to a friend, it just shows you how a true man/fighter fights, and to not give up on something you really want, even though it may seem impossible.
American son: My story is well written,it's really easy it to read it. it's a really fun book to read. you will really get into this book and enjoy it. It also gets exiting at times, and it makes you really think of the situations De la Hoya gets into. The author provides an example when he struggled in one fight. He didn't go to train at times because he spend ''time with a girl he met, he had many crazy nights with her, and when the fight came the next week he almost lost for not training right ( De la Hoya 32).
This book is really captivating. He provides insight into many of his fights, wins, and losses in his life. An amazing and inspirational story detailing events from his childhood to present. De la Hoya is someone to admire, a true fighter on the ring. The reader will really get exited while reading this book. when he talks about his fights,and will also get worry due to some of his failures in is life.
The greatest strength of the book, American son: My story , is that it's on a true story. It's a story told by De La Hoya himself. It's based on a true story, the writing feels so real. An example of that would be '' sometimes we had to live in food stamps, they were brown i color, each worth a dollar'' ( De la Hoya 39). The greatest wekness of this book is nothing. I just really enjoyed it, and think it's flawless. I would really recommend this book to a friend, it just shows you how a true man/fighter fights, and to not give up on something you really want, even though it may seem impossible.
November 26, 2017
This book was about Oscar de la Hoya’s life and how be became the star he is now. I liked this book because it was funny and it showed how hard he worked and how much determination he had to became the boxer he always wanted to be. Astonishingly I found out that he also had his own music cd. The best thing about the book was how hard he had worked to follow his brother’s footsteps. His trained had made him do several miles a day plus the run that he always does every morning. the most interesting thing that I learned about his life was that when he was a little boy he studied and studied and kept his head down and trained and trained and when he was older and became a superstar he had loads of ladies to choose from and he found a nice lady called Millie and she was an actress.
November 5, 2018
Nombre John Minchala
Un sueno americano es basado sobre un joven que comenzó desde pequeño a pelear contra otros niños o sus propios primos.Porque su familia,parientes y tíos les gustaba el boxeo pero a esa edad el muchacho no tenía experiencia y cuando pelea contra otros perdía y su padre tenía un poco de vergüenza al ver a su hijo perdiendo.Pero al pasar el tiempo el muchacho comenzó a enfocarse en el boxeo cuando ya era un joven su madre falleció por mucho beber y fumar hasta que llegó a su día y su cuerpo no podia mas pero cuando murio ella le dijo algo al joven que le prometiera que llevará la bandera de su país al entrar a la pelea y cumplir con la meta de ser un boxeador profesional y lo complio y ahora es un boxceador famoso
Un sueno americano es basado sobre un joven que comenzó desde pequeño a pelear contra otros niños o sus propios primos.Porque su familia,parientes y tíos les gustaba el boxeo pero a esa edad el muchacho no tenía experiencia y cuando pelea contra otros perdía y su padre tenía un poco de vergüenza al ver a su hijo perdiendo.Pero al pasar el tiempo el muchacho comenzó a enfocarse en el boxeo cuando ya era un joven su madre falleció por mucho beber y fumar hasta que llegó a su día y su cuerpo no podia mas pero cuando murio ella le dijo algo al joven que le prometiera que llevará la bandera de su país al entrar a la pelea y cumplir con la meta de ser un boxeador profesional y lo complio y ahora es un boxceador famoso
January 2, 2020
A great look back at an amazing boxer with a proud history that doesn't get enough credit.
January 16, 2026
I was somewhat disappointed with the book. it was mostly about his career and his training as a boxer. I thought it would be more about his personal life.
November 27, 2016
Lo encontre por casualidad y como mi parte de locura por temas diferentes me lo lei de una sentada.
Tal vez el morbo o interes sobre saber como es la vida de un boxeador y aun mas el hecho que me contaba el como fue su infancia y sus deseos de salir adelante fue lo que me parecio mejor claro tal vez vuelva a caer en vicios pero todos caemos y debemos levantarnos.
La estructura del libro nos hace ver los hechos al principio de manera rapida, el como nacio su pasion por el box y lo que lo motivo a construir todo lo que tiene actualmente.
Tal vez en fallo mas grande es que no, nos muestra una estructura fija de secuencias, a mitad del libro nos narra cosas de su infancia y despues nos devuelve al presente o a ciertas partes que recuerda con nostalgia no es un gran pecado pero tal vez sea la costumbre de leer algo lineal.
De ahi en fuera transmite lo que dice en la portada como un simple muchacho a traves de los golpes se hace de un nombre en el deporte del boxeo, nos muestra los aspectos mas lugubres del boxeo y tambien sus maximas glorias.
Y creo que el gran mensaje que me llego fue el hecho de que el nunca trato de perder el piso(Aunque pierde eventualmente ) el vuelve a tratar que no lo doblegue en la voragine del exito y dinero
Es un excelente libro no le di las cuatro estrellas por las forma en que esta redactado y mucho menos las 5 porque eso esta destinado a no se que estandares de calidad mios que no cumplo
Tal vez el morbo o interes sobre saber como es la vida de un boxeador y aun mas el hecho que me contaba el como fue su infancia y sus deseos de salir adelante fue lo que me parecio mejor claro tal vez vuelva a caer en vicios pero todos caemos y debemos levantarnos.
La estructura del libro nos hace ver los hechos al principio de manera rapida, el como nacio su pasion por el box y lo que lo motivo a construir todo lo que tiene actualmente.
Tal vez en fallo mas grande es que no, nos muestra una estructura fija de secuencias, a mitad del libro nos narra cosas de su infancia y despues nos devuelve al presente o a ciertas partes que recuerda con nostalgia no es un gran pecado pero tal vez sea la costumbre de leer algo lineal.
De ahi en fuera transmite lo que dice en la portada como un simple muchacho a traves de los golpes se hace de un nombre en el deporte del boxeo, nos muestra los aspectos mas lugubres del boxeo y tambien sus maximas glorias.
Y creo que el gran mensaje que me llego fue el hecho de que el nunca trato de perder el piso(Aunque pierde eventualmente ) el vuelve a tratar que no lo doblegue en la voragine del exito y dinero
Es un excelente libro no le di las cuatro estrellas por las forma en que esta redactado y mucho menos las 5 porque eso esta destinado a no se que estandares de calidad mios que no cumplo
December 27, 2015
I personally enjoyed this book. Although Oscar pumps himself up a bit, it's apparent to me that he couldn't possibly write this book without doing so. He overcame a lot of obstacles and became a great fighter without even knowing that his first fight as a child would lead him to who he has become today. He hit his obstacles and risks dead on knowing there world be consequences if they didn't pan out but his thrive and determination proved anything is possible.
I had the opportunity to meet Oscar shortly after he became pro and he was very humble and seemed appreciative of his fans. His statement about appreciating his fans is definitely true. There was a long line of people waiting to meet him and although his time was up, he stayed to meet everyone in line even after the location closed. He also gave everyone time for q&a and pictures. To this date, that first meet and greet left a lasting impression on me and I've been a fan of his ever since then.
As a daughter of Mexican immigrants, I can relate to his upbringing and family values.
I think it's a privilege of ours when authors give us a glimpse into their personal lives. Reading about Oscar's rise to stardom was definitely entertaining and interesting.
I would consider this a good book and fast read.
I had the opportunity to meet Oscar shortly after he became pro and he was very humble and seemed appreciative of his fans. His statement about appreciating his fans is definitely true. There was a long line of people waiting to meet him and although his time was up, he stayed to meet everyone in line even after the location closed. He also gave everyone time for q&a and pictures. To this date, that first meet and greet left a lasting impression on me and I've been a fan of his ever since then.
As a daughter of Mexican immigrants, I can relate to his upbringing and family values.
I think it's a privilege of ours when authors give us a glimpse into their personal lives. Reading about Oscar's rise to stardom was definitely entertaining and interesting.
I would consider this a good book and fast read.
February 5, 2010
I picked up this book at Barnes and Nobles in the $5.99 stack. I can't lose at that price!
Its a good solid book. A very straightforward narrative and easy for me to follow since he grew up in east LA, right down the street from where I grew up as a kid in Monterey Park.
I really liked the book. It was perfectly written for a business guy like me. Some good detail and insights about his fights. Its all boxing strategy. I found it fascinating.
I was surprised to learn about him having three kids out of wedlock and him losing a substantial portion of that to the divorces, settlement and other lawsuits. Only then to come back financially after hiring the right financial advisor.
He made a good point in the end about how many boxers don't make a life for themselves after boxing. He has. For that, I honor him.
Its a good solid book. A very straightforward narrative and easy for me to follow since he grew up in east LA, right down the street from where I grew up as a kid in Monterey Park.
I really liked the book. It was perfectly written for a business guy like me. Some good detail and insights about his fights. Its all boxing strategy. I found it fascinating.
I was surprised to learn about him having three kids out of wedlock and him losing a substantial portion of that to the divorces, settlement and other lawsuits. Only then to come back financially after hiring the right financial advisor.
He made a good point in the end about how many boxers don't make a life for themselves after boxing. He has. For that, I honor him.
January 9, 2011
It was a nice quick read, but after reading it I didn't like him a whole lot. He's a great boxer, but I got the feeling that the book was used for a couple of things. Trying to offer excuses for why he lost, other than simply being beat, and how he is so amazing because he would still win particular fights despite all this outside "hardship" he was going through. Those "hardships" were all insignificant things, like tanning the day before a fight which exhausted him...but ohhh he still won the fight. Anyway, if you admire Oscar De La Hoya I wouldn't recommend this book, might leave you with a bitter taste.
February 21, 2013
This book captures why famous fighters rarely are the best arbitrators of their own careers. Entire sections of Oscar's life skipped over, other controversial details airbrushed over and many rationalizations of his actions/behavior the whole way through.
Had he been more honest, he could have better approached his "secret life" of drugs, alcohol and excess (not really written about here).
A front is a front, and real writers have to get behind the facade to tell a worthwhile story.
Some good anecdotes about his childhood, etc, so worth a read for some revelations about being poor, ashamed and emerging from the nest of vipers that is the fight game to reclaim oneself financially.
Had he been more honest, he could have better approached his "secret life" of drugs, alcohol and excess (not really written about here).
A front is a front, and real writers have to get behind the facade to tell a worthwhile story.
Some good anecdotes about his childhood, etc, so worth a read for some revelations about being poor, ashamed and emerging from the nest of vipers that is the fight game to reclaim oneself financially.
Read
January 12, 2010this book is about a great fighter oscar de la hoya. it tells you about his life and how boxing made his life and made him a more ambitious person. oscar de la hoya has been one of the great fighters around for a long time, he has been champian alot of timesand he is a very highly paid boxer, he is so highly paid that he can afford to loose paper view fights without caring just like when he lost to manny paqiao. oscar de la hoya is a hall of fame boxer people should learn about him.
May 18, 2011
I don't read a lot of bio books,so I may not be in the best position to judge. That said, I think De La Hoya does a terrific job describing his career as a boxer and that he does it in such a way as to make it relatable no matter what field one is in. And while I realize that part of the appeal here is for De La Hoya to tell us what only De La Hoya *can* tell, us, more technical details about boxing would have made this a stronger text.
December 3, 2013
I loved this book because it was very inspirational. I loved the way that Oscar was able to overcome many obstacles to be the Golden Boy. It is true that he wasn't very rich by the time he was pro but was he got recognized it was just amazing the way that stardom didn't change him. I would love to visit East L.A. to see were he trained and I want to say his mother was a great inspiration to Oscar.
October 21, 2009
Nonfiction. Autobiographical story of boxing great Oscar De La Hoya.
An OK book. Probably won't read it again. Filled with inspirational stories and anectodes, many of which seem a little dubious in nature. Reads a little disjointed. I read this because I got it for free, but I'm glad I didn't pay for it. Unless you are a serious de la Hoya fan, don't bother.
An OK book. Probably won't read it again. Filled with inspirational stories and anectodes, many of which seem a little dubious in nature. Reads a little disjointed. I read this because I got it for free, but I'm glad I didn't pay for it. Unless you are a serious de la Hoya fan, don't bother.
October 13, 2008
I have been a fan of the Golden boy since the 1992 Olympic Games. He provides insight into many of his fights, triumphs, and defeats in life. An uplifting and inspirational story detailing events from his childhood to present. After reading this book, I can say I truly identfiy with him.
January 26, 2011
American Son: My Story is the life story of famous boxer Oscar De La Hoya, it talks about his childhood, his family, life struggles, and his passion and career of boxing, I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is a boxing fan, or is interested in learning more about Oscar De La Hoya.
July 28, 2011
This book was all about the story of one of my idols... "The Golden Boy" Oscar de la Hoya and I really learned a lot about his previous and present life which I really admired! There are also some of his family and career pictures inside the book. All I have to say is its a good biography book!
June 20, 2016
Oui, c´est pas la grande lecture, et surtout comparé avec "Open" d´André Agassi, "American Son"
s´avère assez banale et simple. Néanmoins, mon boxeur préféré démontre aussi ses faiblesses, ce qui représente la partie la plus intéressante de la biographie.
s´avère assez banale et simple. Néanmoins, mon boxeur préféré démontre aussi ses faiblesses, ce qui représente la partie la plus intéressante de la biographie.
July 15, 2008
To see my review of this book for CBS Sports, please click here.
October 11, 2008
I thought this was a good representation of the progression of Oscar's rise to fame on an amateur to professional level but it lacked depth.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews