In 1999, after a series of adventurous jobs-construction at the South Pole, ranching in Montana, and sailing private yachts around the world-Sheridan found himself in Australia with time to finally indulge a long-dormant obsession: fighting.
After training in Bangkok at the legendary Fairtex Gym, Sheridan stepped through the ropes for a professional bout, embarking on an epic journey to discover what only a fighter can know about fear, violence, and most of all, himself.
From small-town Iowa to the beaches of Rio, from the streets of Oakland to the arenas of Tokyo, Sheridan trained, traveled, and fought with Olympic boxers, Brazilian jiu-jitsu stars, and Ultimate Fighting champions. This chronicle offers an insightful look at violence as a spectator sport, as well as a dizzying account of what it's like to hit-and be hit by-some of the best fighters in the world.
"There's a world of fighting out there, 10,000 ways to get your clock cleaned, and on his grand tour in A Fighter's Heart, Sheridan hits many of the high spots. . . Like Ishmael, the narrator of Moby Dick, Sheridan presents himself as a resourceful, accepting guy who can take care of himself, who tries all things and opens himself to their meaning. . . Sheridan consistently succeeds in making the
Carlo Rotella, Chicago Tribune
"A Fighter's Heart has plenty of 'fighter,' and an abundance of 'heart.' Sheridan's gifts as an athlete are matched by his gifts as an aesthete. He's written a fine book. And we'd be making the same pronouncement even if he couldn't kick our ass."
