The Greatest Fight of Our Generation: Joe Louis vs. Max Schmeling
Join Lewis Erenberg for this presentation that uses power point, popular music, and two radio broadcasts, as he depicts the build-up and implications of the heavyweight title fight between Germany’s Max Schmeling and the United States’ Joe Louis in June 1938, as the world tilted on the brink of World War II. Erenberg discusses the role of race in both societies, the relationship between boxing and nationalism, and competing nationalism on the international stage. The program is based on Erenberg’s book The Greatest Fight of Our Generation: Louis vs. Schmeling.
Lewis Erenberg is a Professor of History at Loyola University Chicago who is especially interested in the history of popular culture and entertainment. He has spoken at numerous seminars and lectures series and was a National Humanities Center Fellow from 2003-2004. Erenberg has also authored numerous books and articles, including The Greatest Fight of Our Generation: Louis vs. Schmeling and Swingin’ The Dream: Big Band Jazz and The Rebirth of American Culture.
