Rating: 
Summary: Ali at the height of his powers...
Review: Remnick is smart enough not to contribute just another Ali biography to the shelves, and instead focuses his efforts on Ali 1960 - 1965...from his post-Olympic days through to the second fight with Liston. These are the years when Ali became Ali...the champ at the height of his powers.But there's a special bonus in this book - a good portion of it deals with Sonny Liston. You talk about your seminal 20th Century characters. They don't get any more interesting than this guy: the abused son of a sharecropper, long stretches of imprisonment, a fight career directed by mob interests, a violent death. In short, a writer's dream. Remnick brings Liston together with Floyd Patterson (and you'll never find a greater constrast) and walks you through these two battles before turning his attention to Ali. Thus, you get a full portrait of Liston prior to encountering the force of nature that was then Cassius Clay. The effect is a curious sympathy that you have for Liston as he enters the maelstrom developing around Ali. In most retellings, Liston is cast as the personification of evil. Remnick made me see him in a different light. My advice for a great Ali study program: 1. Watch 'When We Were Kings' [Best documentary ever] 2. Read 'The Fight' by Norman Mailer 3. Read 'King of the World' 4. Buy any book featuring Howard Bingham's photography of Ali.
Rating: 
Summary: An Inspiration for All People
Review: I dislike reading biographies & autobiographies that made the central characters larger than life, or elevate them to demi-God status. This book has none of that. And yet, everything about Muhammed Ali is larger than life. The book described the circumstances & Muhammed Ali's self-belief which elevated him to a hero or anti-hero status. If the readers were David Remnick's fan, then, you would appreciate the writer's eloquent style & his in-depth research & interviews, as displayed in his work of Lenin's Tomb, which won him the revered Pulitzer's Prize. Here, Muhammed Ali (previously Cassius Clay) is depicted not simply as a boxer, but also an icon who epitomises the turbulent 60's America, a country which was divided into 2 nations, the whites & the blacks. Muhammed Ali is a symbol of defiance for his people as he refused to be drafted into the army to fight a war that's none of his concern, a symbol of beauty and skill and courage, a symbol of faith, a symnbol of racial pride, of wit, and love. He also represented boxing of the new era by not having any connection with the mobs who had the tendency to fix the fights. Moreover, Muhammed Ali disregarded the bad words that sportswriters (used to be dominated by the whites) wrote about him. As time goes on, it's fascinating to read that his undying belief changed his critics rather than the other around. He was THE man, accomplished goals that he set up to do and there were times when he doubted himself but nevertheless, with a cumulation of sheer luck and sheer persistency that he beat against all odds. Now, as he is eaten up gradually but definitely by the Parkinson's disease, he was at peace with himself thru his total devotion to Islam & its cause. To add layers or dimensions into Muhammed Ali's persona, David wrote about heavyweight champions of yesteryears particularly Floyd Patterson & Sonny Liston, & champions of the present day such as Mike Tyson & Evander Holyfield so that we would appreciate in-depth of what makes Muhammed Ali the king of the world of all times. We would also read about Muhammed Ali's life intertwined with Malcolm X's, his involvement with the Islam Nation & Elijah Muhammed, his background & relationships with his family, people that he engaged with, him being a simple & humble man behind the limelight & so forth. Nobody makes Muhammed Ali but himself, a boxer, a promoter all blended into one. It was such a touching moment to finally read of him holding the Olympic torch at the summer games in Atlanta, which was a milestone for the man himself. It was a captivating & intense book to read. The book also contains several significant black and white pictures of Muhammed Ali. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: muhammed ali discussed
Review: the author is a very good writer and his style here makes this book a good read. impressive. the location of the photographs are well placed--not all in the center as in most books--but advantageously placed at the beginning of some chapters. a good read.
Rating:
Summary: Ali as agent of social change?
Review: I found David Remnick's story of the rise of Ali quite compelling, and that's coming from someone who doesn't even like boxing. The brash young confident kid is portrayed in great detail but the portraits of the other major figures: Liston and Patterson are just as engrossing. Remnick writes well, mixes the story with telling anecdotes and chronicles Ali's rise in the context of the social changes of the time. The book is accurately called 'the rise'; you don't get a lot of the mature Ali and his fights after his comeback. My main question about the book, and it's one the book doesn't answer; exactly HOW did this sometimes loathed figure; an outsider in a religious and racial sense from the authorities, become such a modern day hero? Exactly how did that happen? There's a book there waiting to be written. In the meantime enjoy this one.
Rating:
Summary: well documented and entertaining
Review: This book captures the context in which Ali first gained notoriety.It clearly describes how Ali broke the mold relative to sports figures by contrasting his style both in and out of the ring to that of his immediate predecessors Sonny Liston and Floyd Patterson. Ali was "THE GREATEST" in many ways. His influence on not only his own sport but on the entire culture is evident throughout this well documented and entertaining book. It is remarkable how much has changed in 35 years. Remnick brings many of the events of the early 60's clearly into focus. I found it fascinating to think about the proximity in time of such events as the Kennedy assassination, the Clay-Liston fight, and the Beatles invasion. Not that any of these things are necessarily related, but it WAS an amazing time. The writing here is crisp and the numerous quotes from eyewitnesses enhance the narrative. Well worth the time.
Rating:
Summary: The Titans Reigned Supreme
Review: The Titans Reigned Supreme Fantastic book - more than just the Ali Story - This is one of the best-written and thought out books of the happenings amongst a small circle of the greatest heavy weights. You get a rare insight into the lives and minds of Floyd Patterson, Sonny Liston and Cassius Clay - and the awakening/becoming of Muhammad Ali I went into this book wanting to feed my hunger for knowledge of Muhammad Ali and came out of with a craving for more Sonny Liston - I now want to know all I can about him. Only a brief period in time is covered - but it's an in-depth look at that time and the people and the places that made up boxing and some of the world outside boxing. This is a great book for anyone interested in these titans - for anyone interested in Patterson, Liston and Ali - for anyone interested in the history of legends. One of the best books I've experienced - I truly felt like I was there at times - in that era - that energy of the people and the times This is one of those books where you wish there was a part 2
Rating:
Summary: Being on Top
Review: David Remnick was an amazing author when it came to writing this book. He used great details including interviews for people, stories about fighters, and Muhammad Ali's life and career. The book begins with days before Ali discussing Floyd Patterson and Sonny Liston. In great detail, Remnick talks about those two fighting and then he works into Muhammad Ali's career. The author's veracity was never called into question by me. Remnick's many references and thoughts made me seem like I was in the story. Remnick captures the legacy of Muhammad Ali and really portrays his life well. Remnick explains how Ali came to be and the road he took as he battled his way through life as well as in the ring.
Rating:
Summary: Good book, even if you don't like to read
Review: This book I would recommend to all the people who either like boxing or Muhammed Ali. I would also recommend this to people who don't like to read because you would enjoy it and keep reading until its done. This book is about Ali at his best. From his childhood days to his greatest boxing match ever. This a nonfiction book that tells about Ali's career and the other boxers of his time, which include Floyd Patterson and Sonny Linston. Their fights took place in the 1960's. The best fight ever in this book was held in Miami Beach against Sonny Liston. This fight was exciting because Ali was the underdog of the fight and won it when Sonny Liston just gave up. The worst thing about this book is that it didn't fully describe all the other fights in his career.
Rating: 
Summary: Liston, Patterson.
Review: Covers three fights: Liston, Liston, Patterson. Much discussion of those opponents. More sport and less deadening Black Muslim/Malcolm X would have been better. Mentions Patterson's "vacances au soliel." Who the hell do you think is reading this book?
Rating:
Summary: A VERY PLEASING AND INSIGHTFUL BIOGRAPHY
Review: Like me, even if you do not particularly like the "sport" of boxing, you should find this a very well written and insightful work, examining part of the life of one of the more important persons making up or recent history as a society. I have always had great admiration for Muhammad Ali, and after reading this work, the admiration has grown. The author takes a simple, yet comprehensive look at our American "fight game," and gives if a very realistic face, the good, bad and ugly. The book is well written. The book is a credit to both Ali and the author, Remnick. Would love an expanded, all inclusive biography of Ali by Remnick some day. Well done!
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