Rating: 
Summary: quality book
Review: i bought this book to find out a little more about muhammad ali and when it arrived and i saw how thick it was i thought it would be quite heavy-going. i am 15 and easily bored but this book is very good and detailed, although i think it focuses a little too much on other boxers at the beginning, however this is good background and demonstrates muhammad ali's rise to the top more. i would recommend it to anybody to read because it is interesting.
Rating:
Summary: Shows the kind of person Muhammad was
Review: I've heard many people say that this book isn't very well written due to that fact that it isn't on his whole life. There are things left out like the Thrilla in Manilla and the Rumble in the Jungle. You could say that (because it is true) but that isn't the point of the story. David Remnick didn't want to go into Ali's entire career and life because of the point he was trying to make. All he needed to do was to do that first part of his life to make the point. I think that Remnick does the best job at writing about Ali's life and what he did for Americans. I gie this book 5 stars.
Rating:
Summary: A Symbol and his Time
Review: David Remnick's biography of Muhammad Ali covers not just the career of one extraordinary fighter, but the widely encompassing sweep of his historical time. The book begins by sharply examining heavyweight champion Floyd Patterson and the unique qualities he brought to the America of his day, a quiet, soft spoken man who carried himself with dignity. Remnick then traces the rocky road to the championship for Sonny Liston, which was achieved after a stop at a federal penitentiary. Liston longed for acclaim from the public, and hoped he would get it after dispatching Patterson in their 1962 title fight in Chicago. A restless, brooding man, Liston would move from St. Louis, to Philadephia, then west to Denver and ultimately Las Vegas. Ali's brash behavior in demanding a shot at Liston's title was part calculated strategy, part show business, boosting his recognition level all the while, building on the name value he began achieving after winning a gold medal in the light heavyweight class at the 1960 Rome Olympics. Eventually his loud bravado would convince Liston that he was actually crazy. When Ali won the title from Liston in 1964 in Miami Beach many boxing authorities and fans thought his win a fluke. He then defeated Liston in a controversial rematch in Lewiston, Maine, a one round knockout many believed resulted from Liston lying down on the job. Remnick disagrees, quoting Ali's trainer Angelo Dundee and others in accepting that Liston happened to walk into a well-placed blow that traveled a short distance, but was substantial enough to accomplish its objective. Remnick also points out that Liston bore the fate of reaching the title after his prime, and might well have achieved a longer, more far reaching destiny as champion had the fates been kinder. The high point of Remnick's dramatic account of a highly colorful American figure arrives when he tackles Ali's refusal to be drafted into the Army. Remnick does an excellent job of presenting and analyzing with sharp critical intelligence the forces at work during the sixties who admired Ali's stand along with those who opposed it, some of whom bitterly hated him. He does an excellent job of describing how African-Americans reacted to Ali as a fighter and a man, particularly at the critical moment when he stood up to political forces who sought to pressure him to be drafted into the Army during the highly controversial Vietnam War. This is a book that provides a sociological panorama of Ali and his time. As such, this broad landscape is an invaluable work which enhances reader understanding of a controversial period of American history.
Rating: 
Summary: Wasn't There a Thrilla in Manila
Review: David Remnick's King of the World barely skims the surface of the spectacular life of Muhammad Ali. The only fights that Remnick discusses is two of the battles with Sonny Liston. What about Fraizer? What about Foreman? Heck, what about Spinks? Wasn't there a Rumble in the Jungle? And I know there was a Thrillia in Manila. Didn't Ali get knocked silly in MSG thanks to the soup bone of Joe Fraizer? The first part of this book isn't even about Ali. When are we going to get the full, uncut story of Ali?
Rating: 
Summary: Especially good as background to the movie "Ali"
Review: While I enjoyed the movie "Ali" very much, its narrative drive does get a bit foggy at times. This is an excellent book that covers the times in which Ali grew up and effectively uses the differences between Patterson, Liston, and Ali as a way of illustrating the diverse atmosphere of race relations in America in the forties, fifties, and especially the sixties. The author gives us important insight into why Ali is so special as an athlete and as a cultural icon. He shows us not only his physical powers, but also his inner strength and resolve. This is all shown without glossing over Ali's weaknesses and failings. However, Ali's weaknesses and failings are simply part of the human condition. His desire to be a force for good in this world, to help others, and above all, to be free, are inspiring to read about and to contemplate. That he was able to remain true to himself and his beliefs in the face of incredible pressure from all sides is proof of his historical worth. This is a book worth reading and especially now as background to the movie "Ali". There are also wonderful pictures that show how remarkable Ali really was in his prime.
Rating:
Summary: The True King is David Remnick
Review: I absolutely loved this book. I am reading it for my English class. Mr. Remnick does a superb job at capturing the glory and sorrow of Muhammad Ali. Not only is Ali the greatest fighter ever, but he is also a human, and Mr. Remnick captures that aspect of Ali's life.
Rating:
Summary: Greatest Boxing Book Ever Written
Review: What else can I say -- David Remnick scores a knockout with this book. I picked it up in Harvard Square and devoured it in a day. The central figure of the book is Muhammad Ali, no doubt. However, after reading Remnick's book, you realize the pivotal roles both Floyd Patterson and Sonny Liston played in building up Ali's mystique. Remnick gets you to love Ali, pity Liston, and empathize with Patterson by getting you the inside details on who these men were and what they were all about.
Rating:
Summary: A great book for the GREATEST
Review: This is a truly a deserving book about one of the centuries greatest sportsman,civil rights activist, personalties and people. As a zealous historian (also Im not a boxing fan) this book shows how rarely has an individual had such universal appeal like this remarkable man.Its a dire shame there has not been more like him. Outstanding book for an outstanding man.
Rating:
Summary: A Good Read Even for Non Boxing Fans
Review: Well written, even handed, King of the World gives the reader an excellent taste of the boxing world during Ali's era and provides many inside anecdotes and descriptive accounts of just how the world of professional boxing operates. I hightly recommend it to even the most casual boxing fan..JW
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.
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