UK First Edition 1970 - Heinemann	US First Edition 1970 - Coward McCann

Review
When the world middleweight champion goes to a fair, and takes up a challenge to box two rounds with Matilda, the (male) boxing kangaroo, it seems like a good joke. But when Matilda knocks him out, and the famous sportswriter Duke Parkhurst is there to see it, then things start to get a bit out of hand. For Matilda is now put forward as a contender for the championship...

It took me a long while to get round to reading this, as the subject matter put me off. I should have had more faith! For one thing, this is an extremely funny book. All the characters are quite ridiculous, and the whole premise is completely off the wall, but it does work very well. Very entertaining, and one of his better books.

Other information
A film was made of this in 1978, starring Robert Mitchum and Elliot Gould. I haven't seen it, but by all accounts, it is dire.

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