King of the World: Muhammad Ali and the Rise of an American Hero

(Paperback)

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This unforgettable account of Muhammad Ali's rise and self-creation, told by a Pulitzer Prize-winning writer, places Ali in a heritage of great American originals. "An amazing story" New York Times David Remnick concentrates on Ali's early career, when he was still fighting as Cassius Clay. The book begins in September 1962 with the fight between Floyd Patteson and Sonny Liston, providing a remarkable sociological backdrop to Ali's entrance on the boxing scene. Remnick then describes Clay's 1964 fight with Liston, which even his own people thought Clay couldn't win, and takes us through to 1967 when Ali refused the military draft to Vietnam. This is much more than a sports book. It is a study of the rise of the black voice in the American consciousness and a look at how the media creates its heroes - Cassius Clay began as a 'light-hitting loudmouth' before becoming gradually canonized by the American press and public as Muhammad Ali. King of the World takes us back to the days when his life was a series of battles, inside the ring and out. A master storyteller at the height of his powers, David Remnick has written a book worthy of America's most dynamic moden hero. PRAISE FOR KING OF THE WORLD "Succeeds more than any previous book in bringing Ali into focus . . . as a starburst of energy, ego and ability whose like will never be seen again" Wall Street Journal "Nearly pulse-pounding narrative power . . . an important account of a period in American social history" Chicago Tribune "A pleasure . . . haunting . . . so vivid that one can imagine Ali saying, 'How'd you get inside my head, boy'" Time "By now we all have our notions about what Ali meant - to his time and to the history of his sport. Of course David Remnick sheds light on these subjects, but where King of the World really shines is in the ring itself. With telling detail, Remnick captures the drama, danger, beauty, and ugliness of a generation's worth of big heavyweight fights" Bob Costa

Reviews

Succeeds more than any previous book in bringing Ali into focus . . . as a starburst of energy, ego and ability whose like will never be seen again * Wall Street Journal *
Penetrating . . . reveals details that even close followers might not have known. . . . An amazing story * New York Times *
Nearly pulse-pounding narrative power . . . an important account of a period in American social history * Chicago Tribune *
A pleasure . . . haunting . . . so vivid that one can imagine Ali saying, "How'd you get inside my head, boy" * Time *
By now we all have our notions about what Ali meant - to his time and to the history of his sport. Of course David Remnick sheds light on these subjects, but where King of the World really shines is in the ring itself. With telling detail, Remnick captures the drama, danger, beauty, and ugliness of a generation's worth of big heavyweight fights -- Bob Costa
Astute, double-hearted, irresistible. He is so completely in charge of his craft that it becomes an art. -- Toni Morrison, author of Beloved

Author Bio

David Remnick has been the editor of The New Yorker since 1998. He was a staff writer for the magazine from 1992 to 1998 and, previous to that, the Washington Post's correspondent in the Soviet Union. He won the Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction in 1994 for his book Lenin's Tomb: The Last Days of the Soviet Empire. He lives in New York City with his wife and children.