Black Ajax

George MacDonald Fraser's hero in this latest history-as-novel entry is Tom Molineaux, a freed slave-turned-pugilist from New Orleans whose skills as a boxer during England's pre-Regency era both captivated and infuriated the "Fancy" (the British boxing and sporting establishment). In 1810, Molineaux, the "Black Ajax," fought and lost a legendary bout against Britain's champion Tom…