Sound and Fury: Two Powerful Lives, One Fateful Friendship

by Dave Kindred

A dual portrait of the relationship between the boxing champion and iconic television commentator describes their markedly disparate racial, educational, and religious backgrounds, offering insight into their sometimes controversial and mutually respectful friendship. By the author of Around the World in 18 Holes. 50,000 first printing.

Genres: Sports, Biography, Nonfiction, History, Audiobook, Biography Memoir

384 pages, Hardcover

Published February 28, 2006

Reviews

[Malbadeen · Rating 5 out of 5]

First, the book then why I read this book:

The book:
I loved this book so much! The author did a great job of portraying the men as people rather than icons (or at least while being icons). I found out things about both Ali and Cossell that made me dislike then and things that made me like them more. And I thoroughly enjoyed the memories of sports as entertainment, that seeped into our house and cars when I was little. It's probably a mis-remembrance but it all seemed so much more spectacular then.

Why I read it:
Sometimes I feel bad about being such a goof-off for so much of my education. I think maybe I did my self a disservice but jumping hoops and letting myself hang on the edge of all this "knowledge" everyone else was gaining. Sometimes I'm in Graduate school at the age of 40 and I think, "what is this Western Cannon" that you speak of? So I occasionally pick up a classic: something I was either never assigned, because my schedule was filled with remedial math and science classes, or I was assigned but I was too busy skipping class or reading my own books to consider doing the assigned task.

When I saw this audio book spine, I misread it as The Sound and Furry by Faulkner (a book a do kind of sort of actually remember reading) and thought I'd have another go at it via audio.
oops.
then I got all these warm gushy feelings about Cossell and Ali and I thought, screw Faulkner, let's face it, I want some memory lane candy. And I'm glad I did.

[Adam Morel · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you were a small boy as I was in the early to mid-seventies, Howard Cosell and Muhammad Ali were larger than life, twin towering giants who formed you and made your ears perk and your eyes grow wide with awe. They made your boy heart jump with excitement. Together - and apart, they made you what you remain today. A sports fanatic. A grown man who still pines for the fabled prizefights and nods his head in time with the theme from Monday Night Football. Dave Kindred captures both titans with an intimacy borne of his own journalistic memory as much as research. He was there with them, fascinated and puzzled by them. And he's written a hell of a book about them. This is not hero worship or demagoguery but nuance to match Ali's footwork, Cosell's oratory. Cosell and Ali were like two supernovas each caught in the other's gravitational pull, orbiting each other for almost forty years, until Cosell's star finally gave out and Ali's slowly but surely dimmed from view. And Kindred's writing is the perfect complement, a finely ground lens exquisitely focused, allowing us to see them both in a way we never have before.

[Steven · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t know if there is a more interesting figure of the Twentieth Century than Ali and there is certainly not one that I find more compelling to read about. This book is a biography not only of Ali, but also of Howard Cosell, the man forever linked with Ali. Although there was not a whole lot new that I learned from this book (Ali has been well covered elsewhere and I have also seen a fascinating HBO piece on Cosell), but I still found the book to be remarkable. They say that the heroes of our parents are the ones we most admire. Cosell and Ali are both of my parents era and not mine, and maybe that has something to do with why I find their story to be so interesting, but I think anyone interested in the 1960s in this country and its legacy, not only sports fans, would wnjoy this book.

I don’t really know where to begin with this book, but I guess my favorite part of the story is the whole Ali legacy. As we all know, Ali is today viewed as a (perhaps our only) living saint. No other athlete is more identified with their time period than Ali. He is synonymous with the 1960s and 1970s in this country. From his gold medal performance in the Rome Olympics of 1960 until his third fight with Frazier in 1975, nobody was better and nobody personified the spirit of the time more. As for his personal legacy, one of the greatest riddle is that Ali has come to represent all that is romanticized about the time period when he stood in such sharp contrast to so many of those ideals, but this book is certainly not a hatchet job – Kindred is clearly a fan and a confidant of Ali. The book does not gloss over Ali and his beliefs (the Nation of Islam in the 1960s was not quite the bastion of 1960s ideals, even ignoring the whole assassination of Malcolm X thing) that you see in so many Ali portraits (I am looking at you nearly every popular culture portrayal of Ali, especially the Will Smith movie). I will leave it to other readers to decide whether the explanation provided for Ali’s actions are compelling.

Putting aside his legacy as a social figure, the legacy of Ali as a boxer is almost equally as compelling. I have seen tapes of his fights and when he was on, there was quite simply no one better. Whether they were fixed or not, you cannot watch the fights against Liston and not be convinced that you are watching the greatest athlete you have ever seen, bar none. A lot of people think boxing is dead in this country, but until MMA produces human drama like the Rumble in the Jungle or the Thrilla in Manila, I don’t think it can be considered a worthy successor.

Cosell is almost as interesting a figure to me as Ali. The debt that modern sports journalists owe to win will never be properly tallied. His ability and talent has never been close to replaced and perhaps it is a bit foolish of ABC to keep trying. There is no denying that he was crusty, moody, wildly overestimated his abilities as an entertainer, and must have been a nightmare to work with, but he was brilliant.

There is much more I could write about and I feel I have not given this book the proper attention it deserves, but read it yourself. Quite simply, you cannot really understand America and life in the 1960s without knowing about Ali and this book is as entertaining to begin that process as any out there, plus you get the added bonus of the mini-biography of Cosell, who is well worth the time.

[Will · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are a fan of Ali or of Cosell... or just plain sports broadcasting or writing you will enjoy this book. You may think you have heard it all when it comes to these two men... I fall into that category myself. However this book enlightened and exposed me to details about both and filled in so many blanks and holes I never knew.

The author is the only person that could have written this book, this way, and this well. He had a relationship with both going back well before they became the two most well known people in their chosen fields.

How a black muslim from the poor side of Louisville, KY ever came to not only befriend but also become a confidant in a much older, white, jewish guy from the northeast is a story within itself.

This book does a better example than most of explaining Ali's ties to the nation of Islam and his defiance of the Vietnam War.

Having met Ali years ago it showed me more about his decline from the greatest of all time to a man left silent, shaking, and yet viewed as a saintly figure and one of the most recognizable people in the world. It's not a tragedy, yet even with the torch lighting in Atlanta there are moments in this book that are tough to read as an Ali fan.

While health problems have robbed him of many things, this book and myself can attest that there is still just a kid at heart inside that giant of a body. He could take on (and did) the baddest fighters of a golden era of the sport and yet there is an impish figure who just wanted to live life to the fullest and is always willing to welcome anyone into his circle, an impulse that as the book explains has led to more than a few problems in his life.

[Tom Schulte · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this dual biography, the largeness and significance of The Greatest eclipses that of commentator and fan Cosell. Ali's rush to join the military to be stopped by entry written tests and then refusal to be inducted later becomes one of the many acts of an Ali as marionette to Nation of Islam's Elijah Muhammed. This includes voluntarily withdrawing from fighting for a year and expressing trepidation that the assassination that befell Malcom X could happen to Ali if he, too, crossed Elijah. Also interesting is the intersections with organized crime. Did the mafia fix the Muhammad Ali vs Sonny Liston 1965 fight?

[Ian Allan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clever idea, combining these two biographies into one book.

The author has an inside track on these stories. Previously known to me as a columnist for the USA Today, he began as a reporter in Louisville, so he was on the Cassius Clay beat early. Later he was a columnist in New York City, putting him in the same circles as Howard Cosell.

Solid effort, with plenty of insights on these guys that I was unaware of.

[James Koenig · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve seen and heard just about everything regarding Muhammad Ali, and this is the most honest and articulate book I’ve ever read about “The Greatest”. Considering it is a duo-biography of both Ali and Howard Cosell, it’s getting the best of two worlds - Ali the GOAT and Cosell the oft-times pompous, verbose maverick of ABC Sports.

Immediately upon starting this book, I recognized in Author Dave Kindred, a man with an immense talent for words. Kindred’s writing is utterly superb! I often speed read novels, but Kindred’s writing is so memorable that I slowed down to catch and savor every sentence. I truly enjoyed this book from start to finish. I laughed and at times I cried, Kindred bringing out the deep-felt emotion of Cosell memorializing Jackie Roosevelt Robinson on his radio broadcast, and of Ali, weak and trembling with Parkinson’s, lighting the Olympic flame in Atlanta. Kindred expertly and tenderly weaves the intertwining narrative of Cosell and Ali.

While not “friends” in the sense that they eagerly shared quality time together, Ali and Cosell had a deep fondness for each other. They brought out the best in each other, each elevated by the other. Cosell stood beside Ali when he refused admission to the army on religious grounds. Few, if any writers sided with Ali, but Cosell believed Ali was being deprived of his rights, and he fiercely took up his cause. Cosell endeared himself to Ali, and in and through Ali, Cosell rose to public prominence.

As an ardent fan of boxing and of course, Ali, I witnessed the many moments of Ali and Cosell verbally sparring on TV. It was in a sense an act, yet truthful at the same time. They played off each other and it was wonderful to see and hear.

Unlike many football fans, I enjoyed Cosell in his role in Monday Night Football. The trio of Don Meredith, Frank Gifford, and Howard Cosell playing off each other, bringing levity and insight to the games.

I especially treasured Cosell at ringside for heavyweight fights! Who can forget, “Down goes Frazier, down goes Frazier!!!”

Ali and Cosell in the decade of the Seventies, were superstars in their own right. They each paved a remarkable path of innovation and excellence that few others have matched. They are legends of their respective fields of endeavor, and legends in life. Their sad and somewhat parallel decline will touch your heart.

I highly recommend this lovely and endearing book. You won’t want it to end, and when it does, you’ll say to yourself as I did, ‘This is one of the best written books I’ve ever read’.

Superb.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can’t remember why I added this to my Audible collection, but I’m really glad I did. I often say that I’ll read anything that’s well written (except thrillers… they make me too tense). I am not a fan of boxing, didn’t watch Monday Night Football, and knew nothing of Howard Cosell and Muhammad Ali’s friendship/ working relationship, but of course as a kid in the 1970’s-‘80’s knew of both men.

This double biography was so well-written that it didn’t matter that I’m not a superfan of either of their fields. I learned about who they were, what forces shaped them, and how they shaped American and world culture. I love that it was able to follow the men through their whole lives, and not just from childhoods through the pinnacle of their careers. I remember seeing Ali light the Olympic torch at the 1996 Atlanta games, and had whole new context to that memory to understand who he was as a person, rather than just know that he was 3x heavyweight champion.

Anyone else think that given the descriptions in this book, it sounds like Ali might meet the criteria for Autism? I read about toe walking and fists as a small child, struggles with math and literacy (frequent co-occurring diagnoses), constant 2-line rhymes, monologues rather than conversations, and a comparison to Peter Seller’s Chance the Gardner. The self-aggrandizement before he was actually a champion sounds like the very straightforward/ “blunt” way that Autistic people speak (landing them with an allistic label of having poor social skills, when really Autistic people do fine when they are communicating with each other). His father’s artistic/ untraditional career and charismatic charm might indicate a genetic link. Do I know? Of course not. But this book, to me, points in small ways to an interesting question.

I immediately recommended this to my sports-loving partner.

It's a great book, made even better on the audiobook by a superb narrator.

[Karol · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've had on my mind to read this book, about the unusual relationship between Mohammed Ali and Howard Cosell, ever since it was published in 2006. Interesting that it took me this long to get to it, but it lurked in the back of my mind for 18 years.

The writer, David Kindred, covered Mohammed Ali's career from the very beginning, first for the local Louisville, KY newspaper. (Louisville was Mohammed's home town). Over the years, he also met Howard Cosell and wrote two of Cosell's four memoirs. So, it makes sense that we would write this dual biography of these famous men.

The author doesn't hold back in his writing about the character flaws of both men, nor the characteristics that made them both "great" in their career accomplishments. Ali and Cosell both were very complicated men.

He also takes us to the scene of Mohammed's boxing matches, detailing key turning points in each one - with a bit about how Mohammed trained (or sometimes chose not to train) for them. He shows how amazing Ali was in the ring early in his career at his full strength, and how - sadly - his matches were difficult and even agonizing at the end.

All in all, the book was informative and entertaining, with a lot of insight on how these two men operated professionally, and lived personally.

[Chip Rickard · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are of a certain age you grew up with these two on your TV quite a bit. When they weren't together they were great. When they were, it was usually a major event. This book takes us behind the scenes with them. Kindred brings up stuff that wasn't known and debunks legends - especially about Ali. While presenting Ali as intelligent and personable, he also shows how much of a pawn he was to those around him. From Elijah Muhammed who basically told Ali to refuse entry to the draft to shysters in his later years who used him for their illicit purposes.

Not many new things were revealed about Cosell. Kindred believes that his reputation for asking the tough questions - especially to Ali - was greatly exaggerated. He thinks Cosell's heavy drinking led to his decline in his later years. I would have liked to have seen Kindred go into a little more depth about why Cosell was so hated. Overall I would highly recommend this book.

[Umar Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liked this book way more than I thought I'd would. Some minor mistakes regarding Muhammad Ali and the Nation of Islam, but even as I thought there was nothing more to learn on Ali, I learned a lot in this book. I feel this book was much stronger in the Howard Cosell sections and Dave Kindred probably had a better cultural and social framework in which to view the life of Cosell. Two legendary men of the second half of the 20th Century who both achieved greatness despite being tragic figures.

[Brig · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven't read another book quite like this, before. Drawing the parallels between these two personalities and their career arcs has helped me see new sides to both the boxer and the broadcaster. Somehow, this interpretation of their lives has been among the most honest I've ever encountered; particularly regarding Ali. At least, that's how it felt.

[Tori Matejovsky · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m not a sports fan, but was pleasantly surprised by how interesting this story was. The author was able to draw parallels to both men’s lives, that were not a stretch, while also reminding us that not everything about Ali and Cosell was all roses.

[Edward Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book! The book humanizes Ali and Cosell. I went back in time reading this as I grew up watching these two men on television. The book also revealed warts in both men, not as celebrities.

[Anthony Yodice · Rating 4 out of 5]

The subtitles of this book should be: don't meet your heroes. By painting a complete picture of these two men Kindred exposes the dark spots on their character. I'm sure I know them better, but I'm not sure I'm happy about it.

[Greg Lamothe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Started well but dragged a bit in the end.

[Anita · Rating 5 out of 5]

A dual biography of Howard Cosell and Muhammed Ali. A great history of the times and interesting insights into their friendship.

[Ron Cutright · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have always been a fan of “The Greatest,” and I believe that he was!

[Gary Shapiro · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recently reread this book. How many books do you return to a dozen years later for a second read? It’s that great.

[Koralleen Stavish · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting account of two people who were important cultural figures in recent history. The author's fondness for both was appealing.

[Jennifer Stavish · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well researched book about the intertwined lives of two sport icons.

[Joshua · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great bio of two great men. Worth it for any fan.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you David Kindred for writing this compelling and illuminating book about these two great contributors to the world of entertainment and the definition of what it means to be a friend. Both Ali and Cosell were masters of their craft. During the time of Ali's ascendancy, he could not have accomplished his amazing success without the equally amazing ingenuity of Cosell. Despite their differences in apparent characteristics, they shared a common identity that they each recognized. Our culture today would do well to read this book as an inspiration for racial and social reconciliation.

[Todd Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Much like he exists in life, this book eventually is taken over by Ali. While the story arch of his life is pretty familiar at this point, the book does a great job of talking about both the good and the bad (which seems to have been lost a bit over time).

The Cosell portion of the book is interesting, and is well positioned along side the Ali story. Ultimately though, the sportsman will always be more compelling than the sportscaster who covers him. The book wraps up tackling the interesting idea of whether Ali is a remarkably complex athlete ahead of his time or a remarkably simple athlete who founds himself rising to prominence in a remarkably complex time. Both points are argued and it's left up to the reader to decide.

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sound and Fury: Two Powerful Lives, One Fateful Friendship by Dave Kindred is an engrossing look at the friendship between Mohammad Ali and Howard Cossell. This work follows the highs and inevitable lows of both careers and beautifully highlights the biographer's affection for each of these remarkable and difficult personalities. It also illustrated how each interaction benefited their careers creating a symbiotic relationship. I really enjoyed this a great deal.

[Bax · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much better than I expected.

The author does a fine job on Cosell, who I knew nothing about, but also tills new ground on Ali, who I would have bet my house had no secrets left to uncover.

An interesting portrait of the sport during the greatest heavyweight era of all time.

[Vaughn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audible version - Enjoyed reliving some of my earliest memories of the "Golden Age" of heaveyweight boxing and Monday Night Football. I was fairly oblivious to the racial and societal tensions that were manifest in the attitudes of society towards the friendship of Cossell and Ali.

[Danny Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book about Ali and Cosell. It showed insight into both of them and provided a look at Cosell that I have never heard before.
Ali is shown with both his greatness and his flaws. It left me with good feelings about both of them.

[Luis Perez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Biography of Muhammad Ali and Howard Cosell and how their relationship shaped each other and society.

Good one.

[Joseph Young · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mostly interesting account of Muhammad Ali and Howard Cosell. The book does tend to drag on after the first third.