MUHAMMAD ALI His Life and Times (SIGNED BY MUHAMMAD ALI)

Hardback. 5th Impression (1st pub. 1991). SIGNED BY MUHAMMAD ALI, THE AUTHOR AND OTHERS. He was one of the most recognisable men on earth. At time of publication, thirty years after he burst upon the scene as a gold medal winner at the Rome Olympics, Muhammad Ali remained a magical figure, known and loved throughout the world. Ali brought unprecedented speed and grace to his sport, and his charm and wit changed forever what the world expected a champion to be. His accomplishments in the ring were the stuff of legend - two fights with Sonny Liston, when he proclaimed himself "the greatest" and proved he was; three epic wars against Joe Frazier; the stunning victory over George Foreman in Zaire; and, late in his career, the brutal beating he absorbed at the hands of Larry Holmes. But there was always far more to Muhammad Ali than what took place in a boxing ring. Ali's life and career have been played out as much on the front page as the sports page. His early embrace of the "Black Muslim" movement and his insistence on being called Muhammad Ali instead of his "slave name", Cassius Clay, heralded a new era in black pride. His refusal to be inducted into the US Army anticipated the growing anti-war movement of the 1960s. And his willingness to stage his fights in such far-flung locales as Kinshasa, Manila and Kuala Lumpur signalled a shift away from superpower dominance, towards a growing awareness of the importance of the Third World. This was the first comprehensive and honest portrait of this extraordinary man. In the words of over 200 of Ali's family members, associates, opponents, friends, enemies and others who have known him best, the real Ali emerges: deeply religious, mercurial, kind, generous, a showman in and out of the ring. Illus., Author's Epilogue, Appendix, Notes and Index. 544pp. lge. 8vo. h/back. From the library of the legendary former Scotland Yard Det. Chief Supt. Leonard 'Nipper' Read, who was Chair then President of the British Boxing Board of Control, and who was also responsible for the arrest and conviction of the infamous Kray twins, Ronnie and Reggie. FLATSIGNED BY MUHAMMAD ALI AND THE AUTHOR THOMAS HAUSER; INSC. AND SIGNED TO 'NIPPER' READ BY HENRY COOPER AND JOHN CONTEH; plus insc. and signed by two others whose signatures I have been unable to identify, although one was by a British MP. The Ali signature is dated 6-2-92. F. in Nr. F. dw. A heavy book at over 1kg. Postage will include insurance, so please make separate contact for an accurate postage charge for this book prior to your order being processed.