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2nd out of 92 books
—
25 voters
King of the World: Muhammad Ali and the Rise of an American Hero
There had been mythic sports figures before Cassius Clay, but when he burst upon the sports scene in the 1950s, he broke the mold. Those were the years when boxing and boxers were at the mercy of the mob and the whim of the sportswriters. If you wanted a shot at a title, you did it their way. Young Clay did it his way - with little more than an Olympic gold medal to his cr...more
330 pages
Published
(first published 1998)
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majority of this book deals with the timeframe between Cassuis Clay's first heavyweight title fight against Sonny Liston, and the rematch between Liston and (now) Muhammad Ali. an instructive window into a time before Ali was an internationally-known sports icon, and before his refusal to be inducted into the US Army.
well-written, and an interesting window into a time BEFORE Ali was the most polarizing figure in sports. the evolution from being just a talented black boxer to racial lightening ro...more
well-written, and an interesting window into a time BEFORE Ali was the most polarizing figure in sports. the evolution from being just a talented black boxer to racial lightening ro...more
Apr 16, 2007
heidipj
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
anyone
Shelves:
autobiographybiography
I'm not a fan of boxing. But I guess I got sick of being in the pub and listening to men go on and on about about Muhammad Bloody Ali for hours. I mean all he did was biff people right?
Err no. I was probably lucky in picking up this book. There are probably a dozen biographies about Ali but this one is fabulous, I could hardly put it down. Did I mention that I wasn't a fan of boxing. I'm still not. But I'm now definitely a fan of Muhammad Ali. He is beautiful, he is a legend and he has helped s...more
Err no. I was probably lucky in picking up this book. There are probably a dozen biographies about Ali but this one is fabulous, I could hardly put it down. Did I mention that I wasn't a fan of boxing. I'm still not. But I'm now definitely a fan of Muhammad Ali. He is beautiful, he is a legend and he has helped s...more
Oh man did I love this book!
This book is the story of the rivalry between Ali and Sonny Liston. Yeah, yeah, everyone says it is about Ali because everyone idolizes Ali; but Liston gets equal treatment here.
So here's the deal. Today everyone talks as if they have always loved Ali, but back in the sixties, his Muslim beliefs scared people and his outspoken ways led many to hate him.
Then there was Sonny Liston, cold, menacing, the man with the largest hands of any heavyweight champion. Liston had k...more
This book is the story of the rivalry between Ali and Sonny Liston. Yeah, yeah, everyone says it is about Ali because everyone idolizes Ali; but Liston gets equal treatment here.
So here's the deal. Today everyone talks as if they have always loved Ali, but back in the sixties, his Muslim beliefs scared people and his outspoken ways led many to hate him.
Then there was Sonny Liston, cold, menacing, the man with the largest hands of any heavyweight champion. Liston had k...more
One of the best books I've read on boxing and on one of my personal heroes, Muhammad Ali. Oddly, although written rather recently, the book covers a very short time frame in Ali's career - namely the time between his winning the gold medal at the Olympics and his being stripped of the heavyweight title for refusing to serve in the Army. If you don't know the story of Cassius Clay and his rise to fame as the black Muslim Muhammad Ali (and too many people don't), then this book is an awesome place...more
My S.F. Chronicle review from 1998:
David Remnick deserves a nod of thanks for, among other things, helping us associate the words ``King of the World'' with something other than a pop movie director so awash in Oscar-night self-congratulation that he seemed intent on drawing sniper fire.
Remnick, who is editor of the New Yorker, is a writer to watch, and he and the greatest sports figure of the century are an excellent match. Some will complain that this compact study of Cassius Clay's evolution...more
David Remnick deserves a nod of thanks for, among other things, helping us associate the words ``King of the World'' with something other than a pop movie director so awash in Oscar-night self-congratulation that he seemed intent on drawing sniper fire.
Remnick, who is editor of the New Yorker, is a writer to watch, and he and the greatest sports figure of the century are an excellent match. Some will complain that this compact study of Cassius Clay's evolution...more
Unfortunately, there isn't very much information here that you haven't already read in Thomas Hauser's Ali biography or (even better) Nick Tosches' The Devil and Sonny Liston. Remnick's mastery of post-journalese narrative does make the book a decent, quick read. But I grimaced every time Remnick deliberately tried to take Ali down a peg or two (ha ha ha Cassius Clay buying a parachute on the plane trip to Rome; for shame, Ali was a total womanizer). Not that I think Ali is beyond criticism: it'...more
Remnick opens the story on February 25, 1964, when Muhammad Ali was twenty-two and about to face the fierce heavyweight champion Sonny Liston: "for the first and last time in his life, [Ali] was afraid." It's a shrewd distillation of a historic moment. Not many expected Ali to win--just as not many expected him to become arguably the dominant personality of late twentieth-century America.
In his youth, Ali [then Cassius Clay] wasn't out to show the world "a new kind of black man," but Remnick pow...more
In his youth, Ali [then Cassius Clay] wasn't out to show the world "a new kind of black man," but Remnick pow...more
a good, quick read. remnick's writing style has changed since he wrote this in '98 -- it feels like a more novelistic at parts than the stuff in the bridge and his more recent stuff in the new yorker, but that worked just for fine me.
one point of interest for others who have read the book: remnick insists that ali wrote much of his trademark doggerel by himself, including a 32-liner called "song of myself". this seemed unlikely to me (the whitman reference was a pretty good tip-off), and some qu...more
one point of interest for others who have read the book: remnick insists that ali wrote much of his trademark doggerel by himself, including a 32-liner called "song of myself". this seemed unlikely to me (the whitman reference was a pretty good tip-off), and some qu...more
Most of you know I love sports. I was never into boxing but always curious. There are a ton of Ali bios out there but I chose this one for two reasons:
First, David Remnick is a fabulous writer--hence the Pulitzer. But secondly, his talent with this book really lies within the way he approaches the athlete. You'd be surprised that the first couple chapters are not about Ali at all. In fact, he is hardly mentioned in the entire first section. Instead, the chapters are devoted to other key boxers d...more
First, David Remnick is a fabulous writer--hence the Pulitzer. But secondly, his talent with this book really lies within the way he approaches the athlete. You'd be surprised that the first couple chapters are not about Ali at all. In fact, he is hardly mentioned in the entire first section. Instead, the chapters are devoted to other key boxers d...more
[Random notes:]
Cassius Clay (19th-century abolitionist): "For those who respect the laws of God, I have this argument. [Bible:] For those who believe in the laws of man, I have this argument. [State Constitution:] And for those who believe neither in the laws of God nor man, I have this argument. [two pistols and a Bowie knife:]" (83)
"[Archie:] Moore's talk resembled Liebling's prose, and one could not help but wonder if, consciously or not, they had formed a symbiotic literary relationship." (1...more
Cassius Clay (19th-century abolitionist): "For those who respect the laws of God, I have this argument. [Bible:] For those who believe in the laws of man, I have this argument. [State Constitution:] And for those who believe neither in the laws of God nor man, I have this argument. [two pistols and a Bowie knife:]" (83)
"[Archie:] Moore's talk resembled Liebling's prose, and one could not help but wonder if, consciously or not, they had formed a symbiotic literary relationship." (1...more
"Clay's only obstacle as an Olympian was his fear of airplanes. He had made his way through the amateur ranks on trains and in the Martin's station wagon. Why couldn't he do the same on his trip to the heavyweight championship of the world? It took Joe Martin four hours of sitting and talking with Clay in Central Park in Louisville to convince him that he could not take a train to Rome. He could grip the armrests, he could take a pill, he could rant and rave, but he had to fly. "He finally agree...more
A New Yorker magazine-style sports biography, with many side-trips into the history of boxing, other fighters, the civil rights movement, and others. I felt like I learned a lot about this era of boxing (1950s through the Ali-Patterson fight in the mid-60s). Ali was a break from the old in a number of ways, and Remnick shows this well, via Ali's fighting style, his religion, his talking, and his management. I was surprised how much he talks about Sonny Liston, too, but I see why he did it: to sh...more
This was a deeply frustrating book on many levels. At times it was fantastic- I'm not a fan of boxing, but Remnick's descriptions of the fights he covered was great for me, as were his limited descriptions of Ali's childhood and conversion to Islam. Of far less interest was his detailed coverage of the life of the newspapermen covering Ali- even as he talks about the declining significance of newspaper reporting and the rise of television.
I probably could have gotten over the distractions of pre...more
I probably could have gotten over the distractions of pre...more
its not what you did its the way you did it. like the way he writes, intwinned with my way of thinking. whatever that says.
David Remnick is perhaps best known for his award-winning work on Russia since the collapse of Communism (Lenin's Tomb and Resurrection: The Struggle for a New Russia). His most recent book deals with Cassius Clay and his transformation into Mohammed Ali. "Boxing in America was born of slavery." Southern plantation owners would often pit their strongest slaves against each other, sometimes to near death. Frederick Douglass objected to the sport because he believed it "muffled the spirit of insur...more
A superb biography and history by a masterful writer. This book has been described as a biography of Muhammad Ali, but it's really much more than that.
Actually, it's a story about how three men (Sonny Liston, Floyd Patterson, and Cassius Clay who renamed himself Muhammad Ali) all responded in different ways to the identity choices African Americans faced as a result of the simultaneous civil rights and the black nationalist movements in the early 1960's. At times this book reads more like an ad...more
Actually, it's a story about how three men (Sonny Liston, Floyd Patterson, and Cassius Clay who renamed himself Muhammad Ali) all responded in different ways to the identity choices African Americans faced as a result of the simultaneous civil rights and the black nationalist movements in the early 1960's. At times this book reads more like an ad...more
An excellent book which interweaves Alis struggles to gain acceptance as an African American , a fighter and a Muslim in the early 1960s. The main focus is on his fights with Sonny Liston which saw the young brash Ali who showed very little respect to the given order come up against the terrifying heavyweight champion Liston who as even the most feared man on the planet was not allowed to drink a cup of coffee in his local cafe. A very well written and researched book by a Pulitzer prize winning...more
I thought of rating this as less than brilliant because of the abrupt ending (post-Vietnam Ali wrapped up in 10-page epilogue!) but to hell with it. What a great look at Ali as part of a twentieth-century chronology of race in American history, and boxing history. And exceptional dissections of sportswriting and what it means to create - or resist - popular idols. Far more honest than a psychological study, which at the time Remnick was writing would have been tenuous even were Ali in full healt...more
This is a compelling, lucidly written memoir of Muhammad Ali's rise to become the heavyweight champion of the world, during that decade of decades, the Sixties. It gives a good account of the then-Mafia-run boxing world, and the writers and journalists who followed it. Remnick is also good on the other heavyweights of the time, especially Sonny Liston and Floyd Patterson; as well as Muhammad Ali's involvement with the Nation of Islam and the indelible influence of Elijah Muhammad and, of course,...more
Great biography of Muhammad Ali, focusing on the period of his life when he won the heavyweight title from Sonny Liston and converted to Islam. It's as much the story of race relations in turbulent early 60s as it as about the corrupt nature of professional boxing. The write doesn't let Ali off the hook completely for some of his transgressions, but presents a balanced view of one of the most iconic and famous people of the 20th Century.
Entertaining, engrossing and refreshingly grounded in the humanity of not just Ali, but also Floyd Patterson and Sonny Liston. So much has been written about Ali, there's a lot of ground that simply does not need to be covered again. By focusing his book on a specific moment in a blossoming myth, Remnick, with simple, elegant prose, paints a picture of a time and a hero and makes it clear that both would be very different without the other.
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I've never been a fan of boxing, but I've been a fan of Muhammad Ali for a very long time. Love him or hate him, he's a unique soul who has touched the lives of millions of people the world over. Maybe even billions. I had a hard time putting down this excellent book and I highly recommend it whether you like boxing or not. Ali was/is a fascinating person and this book is well-written, thoroughly researched and most insightful.
This is a very enjoyable read, that begins a bit sloggingly by listing all of the underworld types connected to the fight game. Once you're introduced the players, the story hurtles toward it's conclusion, painting a fascinating portrait of Ali and Liston, as well as those around them and places them in the rapidly changing societal environment that was the early 1960's.
I recently read Ali one of the best boxers that ever lived. This book was a really good book because it talks about Ali’s whole life, how he started fighting and how he goes through hard times.
Ali was one of the best boxers that ever lived that’s one of the reasons why I life this book. Its hard to believe that he won all those fights in his whole career he only lost 3 fights out of like fifty or more fight and most of them were all ko’s. It incredible how much money he won over his it time, it...more
Ali was one of the best boxers that ever lived that’s one of the reasons why I life this book. Its hard to believe that he won all those fights in his whole career he only lost 3 fights out of like fifty or more fight and most of them were all ko’s. It incredible how much money he won over his it time, it...more
Fascinating and well-written account of Ali before he was the most polarizing figure in sports. The evolution from being just a talented black boxer to racial lightning rod when he converted to Islam; the hatred he inspired in America when he first spoke out against injustice in our society.... all captured in a fair and evenhanded manner.
One of my three idols as a youth.... including Salvador Dali and Frank Zappa. Loved the book, just like the man. A couple friends and I ran into him on Melrose Avenue in Hollywood going into Lucy's El Adobe and we shadow boxed on the sidewalk, took pictures with him, he was very obliging and friendly. Simply, "The Greatest"
A good read, but not really any more about Ali than it is about Sonny Liston or Floyd Patterson. I wish that some of the time spent devoted to Liston, Patterson, and the writers of the day had been spent discussing Ali's career post-Liston.
Overall, though, a good introduction to the world Ali lived in.
Overall, though, a good introduction to the world Ali lived in.
Focusses around the two fights Ali fought against Sonny Liston but the scope of this book is wide enough that all the other issues of the time are tackled too. Remnick does a good job of placing the reader in the time and place when boxing and historic events intertwined and the resulting narrative is informative, intelligent and entertaining.
(Blah, blah that sounds too serious.) If you know nothing about boxing or Ali this is a probably a good place to start as it exposes the racism, hatred, co...more
(Blah, blah that sounds too serious.) If you know nothing about boxing or Ali this is a probably a good place to start as it exposes the racism, hatred, co...more
Aug 02, 2011
Malik dunmore
added it
king of the ring is one of the best books Ive ever read about muhammad ali so far. they taught me more than i alrweady knew but i like the way the begging start off. it wasnt about him it was about who inspired him. sonny liston. i thought that was a gooid way to start off a book.
Kinda interesting to know more about the Life of Muhammad Ali. Its nowhere near a Must Read Book or something we should have in our Bookshelf for sure but still interesting. You can get knowledge on Muhammad Ali if you simple read his Wikipedia Page. But to get a deep knowledge of his Life and his Personality it helps to read this book.
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Jun 11, 2010 06:59pm