Thomas Hauser

A sweeping biography of one of the greatest and most provocative athletes of all time

Decades after his final fight, Muhammad Ali remains larger than life in the imagination of hundreds of millions of people around the world. He won the heavyweight championship at age twenty-two by dramatically conquering Sonny Liston. The political establishment stripped him of his prize when he refused induction into the United States Army during the height of the war in Vietnam. Ultimately, Ali returned to reclaim his crown, prevailing in epic fights against the likes of Joe Frazier and George Foreman. His talent and charisma—and above all, his adherence to principle—made him a cultural icon and one of the most beloved sporting figures of all time.

But that is only half the tale. Muhammad Ali: His Life and Times is also the story of Ali the man. Author Thomas Hauser got closer to Ali than any previous biographer. His work—told in Ali’s own words and those of hundreds of family members, friends, rivals, and others who interacted with “The Greatest” over the decades—reveals a deeply spiritual, complex person. These voices give new dimension to the man who changed forever our conception of what makes a champion.

This ebook includes rare photos authorized by Muhammad Ali Enterprises.

• The New York Times Book Review

  “The first definitive biography of the boxer who transcended sports as no other athlete ever has.” 

• New York Daily News

  “Extensive and fascinating detail; first-rate. The triumph of the witness technique in biography may be judged complete.” 

• The Boston Globe

  “A magnificent book about a life that needs to be understood whether you care a whit about boxing or not.”