From the storm of despair to unwavering glory
The Black Sword
The Incredible True Story of One Man's Fight Against Obesity and Addiction to Becoming a Champion
A gift for someone in recovery
A book to give someone in recovery
The Black Sword is a short, true book about a man who drank for twenty years and got out. In its own words: arrests, near-death experiences, being shot, a toxic marriage, and the moment Phil looked at his young son and found the reason to turn his life around.
Paperback 98 pages · Kindle · Audible audiobook, 3 hours 34 minutes.
Why this book, for this person
For someone in early sobriety. Phil quit cold turkey. About a year in, when relapse started to worry him, he found AA, a sponsor and the twelve steps, and he doesn't hide how hard admitting the problem was: "a very massively difficult ego check."
For someone who hasn't asked for help yet. Phil grew up in an Italian family where asking for help looked like weakness. On his podcast he describes his turning point: a grown man walking into a gym with his son and saying "I need help" to a stranger.
For a veteran. He served in the Army from 1987 to 1993, and the drinking got out of hand after he came home.
For someone who wants to get their body back. He lost about 140 pounds in his first year sober and became a champion natural bodybuilder.
For someone who doesn't read much. The paperback is 98 pages, and the audiobook is under four hours.
What a reader said
A Body by Phil member who ran her first marathon the year after breast cancer surgery read the book and told Phil on his podcast which line stayed with her:
You said that you can't open new doors with old keys. And when I read that, it was like … one of those aha moments.
On the Body by Phil podcast, February 2026
Give both
After the Sword (2026) is the sequel: Masters boxing in his fifties, his wife Kim, fatherhood, forgiveness and faith, and the clients he trains through their own battles.
The two books
The next chapter of The Black Sword
After the Sword
A Story of Redemption, Resilience, and What Comes Next
Questions
Is The Black Sword appropriate as a gift for someone newly sober?
It is a hopeful book about recovery, written by someone who has been there. It does describe drinking, jail and a shooting, so it suits an adult reader.
Is it on Kindle?
Yes. The Black Sword is on Kindle and in paperback, and After the Sword is too.
Is there an audiobook?
Yes, unabridged on Audible, 3 hours 34 minutes.