Fabulous book with great insight.i thoroughly enjoyed reading this Book. May even consider reading it again. Thank you

This is so much more than a biography. It's also a fascinating journey through American history in the latter half of the 20th Century, with particular emphasis on the struggles of African Americans.
From his early years growing up in Louisville, to his emergence on the world boxing stage at the 1960 Olympics in Rome, to the Rumble in the Jungle, the Thriller in Manilla, he floats like a butterfly and stings like a bee, as his world intersects with greats like Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, and not-so-greats like Don King and a cast of leech-y hangers-on.
Ali's life is as colourful as the mouthy character he became known as, and definitely not someone prepared to head to the back of the bus. However, his seemingly shiny superstar lifestyle is beset with bad decisions. From his lackadaisical approach to finances, that sees him give his money away faster than he can earn it, to the womanising, to the fights he should never have fought, to his unwillingness to give up despite clear signs of brain damage, he proves to be an incredibly frustrating hero. Nevertheless, he is a true hero for so many other reasons - from bringing a compassionate, familiar face to Islam, to become a champion for the disabled as his Parkinson's advanced, to his generosity to the poor & needy, to his incredible sporting record, to his love and kindness to his nearest & dearest and to the fact that he both made and rewrote history as a proud defiant African American who was determined to plough his own furrow through the world.
Expertly researched and compiled, this is a comprehensive guide to Ali's life, albeit one that's a little light on his retirement years, mainly because he retired not just from the ring, but also from public view as his health deteriorated. An incredible history of an incredible man, highly recommended whether you care about Boxing or not.

Perhaps it’s not appropriate for a reviewer to thank a writer for grinding out a book that is an answer to a prayer. Without apology, thank you, Jonathan Eig, for letting me get my hands on a thorough study of an enigmatic character that was larger than life. Muhammed Ali was all things a great personality can ascribe to; joyous, relentless, comical, introspective, and mysterious. In “Ali,” Eig unwrapped a character that enthralled an entire world.

Born as Cassius Clay to a housepainter and domestic servant, in racially segregated Louisville, Kentucky, Muhammad Ali never strayed from his vision of being the best at fighting, at earning big money, at projecting a huge personality, and at capturing the entire world with his persona. His constant rant at being the prettiest, the mightiest, and champion of the world, while appearing to be the height of conceit, was cleverly aimed at building an image that fulfilled his own dream of attaining perfection. Although his talent as a fighter has been questioned, his fervent defense of social issues has never dimmed.

In a sport not known for its subtlety, where the object is to beat another man senseless, Ali was a master at inflicting pain. He was not immune to absorbing the same punishment but he soaked up the suffering and disregarded it as an unwelcome burden to achieve what he wanted. His goals of money, fame, freedom of action, and a desire to educate the rest of mankind in his social vision of what people should ascribe to were undercut by his inability to avoid the temptation and perils of easy living that marred his righteous ambitions. But his unapologetic mindset never wavered.

In the end he became both a hated entity and a revered champion of the people. I, for one, first despised his braggadocio and outlandish behavior, then later, forgetting the revulsion, attained a curious admiration for his uncompromising approach to his own life and the humor that seemed to mock his own psyche. He always adored children and elders. His professed dislike of whites was never fully propagated. He was generous to a fault; his wealth was always something he shared. His inability to say “no” to the countless hangers on that besieged him constantly for money or favors was a trait that always kept him on the verge of bankruptcy, a teetering edge he ignored.

His infidelities and cruelty to his wives and their children has been widely discussed. Yes, he was weak in the ways of the flesh and had curious ways of justifying it. This failing had much to do with the shadow of disfavor that always hovered over him. It became a part of the puzzle that surrounded him throughout his life.

Jonathan Eig has impressive writing credentials and is a research master. He conducted hundreds of interviews, studied thousands of writings, pored over numerous statistical reviews, and spent nearly five years preparing this probing biography that never criticizes nor praises. It is what it is and the reader is left to fill in any blanks that might exist, although I found very little to question. Thank you, again, sir. This book is fantastic.

Excellent, in depth biography of the self-proclaimed greatest boxer. Oddly, Ali reminded me of Tom Cruise.

I started reading this book and couldn't put it down. I was very impressed the way the civil rights movement was woven into the story because it was a very important part of Ali's personal history and the times that we both grew up in. The writing is impeccable and makes an American hero come to life.

John Lennon used to say that Elvis was never the same after the Army, and one could say that Muhammad Ali was never the same after refusing the draft. He lost three years at his physical prime and despite twice regaining the world heavyweight boxing title he was never quite as fleet of foot as hitherto. This, and much else besides is covered in Jonathan Eig’s long but very readable biography of Ali.

Despite, or because of, the fact that it’s an unauthorized biography Eig has been very industrious in chasing down materials. Thus in addition to trawling through the secondary literature and newly available FBI and Justice Department files he’s conducted more than 500 interviews with more than 200 individuals, many of whom were as close to Ali as it was as possible to be, including his three surviving wives and his managers. Eig has, moreover, obtained access to the original audiotapes used for ‘The Greatest: My Own Story’; has engaged speech scientists at Arizona State University to analyse Ali’s TV appearances so as to chart the impact of his boxing on his cognitive skills; and has even got researchers to watch every one of Ali’s recorded fights so as to count the number of punches he threw and received (the latter totalling “around 200,000 blows to the body and head”).

The boxing fan may, nevertheless, note some omissions, such as Ali nicknaming George Chuvalo ‘the Washerwoman’ and Chuvalo responding by dressing as a washerwoman to challenge Ali in person: the only instance of Ali being successfully upstaged. More significantly, there is no mention of Ernie Terrell’s claim, when they fought in February 1967, that Ali had deliberately jammed a thumb in his eye. Instead Eig devotes all his energies to defending Ali from the charge that he deliberately did not finish off Terrell so that he could administer the “torture” that he’d threatened beforehand because Terrell was an “Uncle Tom” who persisted in calling him Cassius Clay.

Indeed, if one were to criticise this book it would chiefly be on the grounds that Eig is so enamoured of his subject that this sometimes skews his presentation of the facts.

In short, this is a substantial book and a very rewarding read, which is right to put the issue of race at the centre of Ali’s story, but whilst doing a very good job it falls just short of greatness, for the reasons given above.

I am unable to access this book as it is not in Kindle format.

An extremely enjoyable book that sits alongside the great Ali biographies by David Remnick and Thomas Hauser.

I was a bit skeptical as to the need for a new bio of one of the words most written about men. However, Eig had supurb access to the remaining members of the Ali entourage as well as access to huge volumes of material. The new material, including FBI materials and analysis of the punches taken by Ali, make the book a welcome addition to the chronicles of Ali.

The book is an honest and searing account of Ali, his contradictions and his genius. It captures what he meant to his time and place and why his legacy is so enduring.

A thoroughly enjoyable read and I highly recommend it.

I have included this review on Goodreads.

A really in depth book about all aspects of Ali, thought I'm not a sports fan, just an admirer of his mindset, I found this fascinating for a new perspective.

Not much needs to be said about the impact Muhammad Ali made on the sport of boxing, civil rights in the United States or the Muslim faith. There have been many books and articles written about the man on all of these topics and more. Now there is one source for inside information on Ali the man, Ali the boxer and Ali the spiritual figure – this outstanding biography written by Jonathan Eig.

Covering Ali’s entire life, from the childhood of Cassius Clay in Louisville, Kentucky to his death in 2016, Eig uncovers stories behind Ali’s transformation from being one of the most despised men in America (at least by white Americans) to one of the most beloved figures. Information on just about every aspect of Ali’s life – his association with the Nation of Islam, his training methods, his marriages and eventually the neurological issues that plagued him even before his boxing career ended – are all addressed in the masterful storytelling that has won Eig widespread praise.

Nearly anything that has been said about Ali, even if just in mythological or legendary status, is mentioned in the book. Stories such as the one about a stolen bicycle leading to his interest in boxing, the real source for his famous quote about “no quarrel with the Viet Cong” and the atmosphere of his famous first fight with Joe Frazier in 1971 at Madison Square Garden are written in a flowing style that makes them, and the rest of the book, a joy to read.

This is the case even with controversial or unpleasant topics. The reader will gain a better understanding of the importance of the Nation of Islam in Ali’s transition from Cassius Clay to Muhammad Ali and the roles that Elijah Muhammad, his son Herbert and Malcom X played in that part of Ali’s life. Ali’s conviction on draft evasion, his subsequent association with Don King and his generosity with his money that led to financial problems. Through all of these, however, Eig never fails to remind readers that often Ali was simply being kind to everyone whom he would encounter.

Ali’s boxing career is just as well chronicled as his life. Good coverage of nearly every fight in his career can be found in the book and the bigger fights such as the first and third fights against Frazier, his two knockouts of Sonny Liston and the “Rumble in the Jungle” against George Foreman have substantial pages written. While many of these fights have been covered in other books (some of which were references for Eig’s research as well as over 500 interviews), these accounts of those great matches will leave the reader reliving those fights or give some new information.

Just like his biography on Lou Gehrig, Eig’s biography on “The Greatest” paints a comprehensive picture on a beloved icon in American sports in an enjoyable, entertaining book that readers will want to add to their libraries. One doesn’t have to be a boxing or sports fan to enjoy this, especially since Muhammad Ali transcended sports to become an iconic figure. It is a biography that comes close to that status in the world of books.

I wish to thank Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.