Muhammad Ali: A Tribute to the Greatest

by Thomas Hauser

Pulitzer prize nominee and William Hill award-winning writer Thomas Hauser’s tribute to Ali, the greatest sporting icon the world has ever seen.

Few global personalities have commanded an all-encompassing sporting and cultural audience like Muhammad Ali. Many have tried to interpret in words his impact and legacy. Now, Muhammad A Tribute to the Greatest allows us to more fully appreciate the truth and understand both the man and the ways in which he helped recalibrate how the world perceives its transcendent figures.

In this companion volume to his seminal biography of Ali, New York Times bestselling author Thomas Hauser provides an updated retrospective of Ali’s life. Relying on personal insights, interviews with close associates and other contemporaries of Ali, and memories gathered over the course of decades on the cutting edge of boxing journalism, Hauser explores Ali in detail inside and outside the ring.

Muhammad Ali has attained mythical status. But in recent years, he has been subjected to an image makeover by corporate America as it seeks to homogenise the electrifying nature of his persona. Hauser argues that there has been a deliberate distortion of what Ali believed, said, and stood for, and that making Ali more presentable for advertising purposes by sanitising his legacy is a disservice to history and to Ali himself.

Muhammad A Tribute to the Greatest strips away the revisionism to reveal the true Ali, and, through Hauser’s assembled writing and hitherto unpublished essays, recounts the life journey of a man universally recognised as a unique and treasured world icon.

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

352 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 2, 2016

About the author

Thomas Hauser (b. 1946) is the author of forty-two books on subjects ranging from professional boxing to Beethoven. His first work, Missing, was made into an Academy Award–winning film. Muhammad Ali: His Life and Times earned numerous awards for its author, including the prestigious William Hill Sports Book of the Year. In 2004, the Boxing Writers Association of America honored Hauser with the Nat Fleischer Award for Career Excellence in Boxing Journalism.

Reviews

[Geoff · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disappointing review of the great man's life.

[Sam Motes · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great collection of essays from an insider with a front row seat through the years is Ali's life. From the up and coming years through the years of invisibility with an ego larger than life through the long slow decline.

[Bindu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Through the narration of various events, the author has successfully revealed the true Muhammad Ali to the readers. The authors admiration to this legend is obvious and that makes the reading a very positive experience.

[Sarah Logan-Reynolds · Rating 2 out of 5]

Repetitive and poorly organized. If this is a follow up to another book, why not just redo the original one?

[Carl Osato · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another bargain find at Chapters. Always been a fan of Ali and learning about more of the history of some boxing.

Didn’t know too much about the author so this book is more of highlight version of Hauser’s full book on Ali.

Fascinating on what Ali could do as an athlete in the times when he was coming up in the sports world.

I read this during the summer which is tough to read what he had to go through and see the same racism happening in real time.

What really made an impact is what other said about Ali. How so many found their own strength from seeing a strong confident black man say that black is beautiful. How much representation matters to so many. He allowed so many to believe they can work to achieve what they want and haters be damned.

I have another Ali book in the wings for 2022. Excited to get into his life again this year.

Great read.

#6of12of2021
#MuhammadAli
#Boxing
#OsatoReads

[Nhlanhla Radebe · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book about Muhammad Ali that taught me a lot of things I didn't know about him. It Includes essays that were written in different times, most were prior to 2000, and famous quotes by the champ himself and other people. The book talks about Ali's strengths and weaknesses and how he lead his life from when he was young till later on, very sad towards the end because it talks about his health deterioration and ultimate demise. It's very heartbreaking that a man like him who was so good inside was manipulated by people for their own good. I enjoyed the book, very touching

[Al Redman · Rating 5 out of 5]

An insight it would be very difficult to get outside of this book. Hauser conveys an intimate and honest portrayal of a man who was iconic, intense and complex. I gained the most value from contextualizing Ali's place in history outside of the ring. Civil rights trailblazer, religious figurehead , inspiration for the disabled and those affected by Parkinsons. A very educational book for those who did not live through the times of Ali.

[Zack Applewhite · Rating 3 out of 5]

As many reviews will tell you, this is indeed repetitive. It is a collection of articles from the same author, much of what is said is similar or the same.
There is value in it as a walk through the continued historical significance of Muhammad Ali, but there are more interesting resources if that is your desire.

[Legens · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice collection of writing about various aspects of Muhammad Ali's life - from boxing over his relationship with Congress to quotes by himself and others - as well as tangential topics (Ali and Elvis, Joe Frazier...). The book explains the Ali mystique and why he meant so much to so many people. It is, however, pieced together from previous pieces the author wrote, and somewhat repetitive.

[Claire Trumbull · Rating 4 out of 5]

For a millennial, this is a short read that will really give you insight as to how much Muhammad Ali meant to our elders back in the day. Great quotes from hundreds of people in his life and how they viewed him. Hauser weaves it all together in interesting chapters!

[Amir Khattak · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mohammad Ali a courageous, principled and a hero.

[Abdallah karam · Rating 1 out of 5]

Very boring and repetitive.

[Ilyana Selamat · Rating 5 out of 5]

As good as a memoir gets

[♡ amina ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a brilliant dive into such a charismatic complex man. Even better it was written by someone close to Muhammad Ali himself

[Niraj Khandwala · Rating 3 out of 5]

it's just about ok ok book. A compilation of articles written by the author over years. I also found author to be totally on Ali's side and wrote only good things about him

[Joe Marsiglia · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 very repetitive

[Jeff Johnston · Rating 3 out of 5]

1964. Muhammad Ali wins the Boxing World HeavyWeight Championship and I am born. Did I know who this man was? What he symbolised? For me living in country NSW Australia, he was this black guy from American who talked a lot and could box. My memory extends to at least the following, that he seemed to be super cocky, he predicted the round he would knock his opponent out and his colourful boasts like "Float like a butterfly sting like a bee – his hands can’t hit what his eyes can’t see.”

The book provides you with a quick cursory look into his life and his legacy. It doesn't delve deeply into the reasons as to why he became muslim or his refusal to participate in the Vietnam war. It doesn't explain his verbal attacks on Joe Frazier and why he boxed on well past his expiry date.

It has however, piqued my curiosity to pick up his auto biography and seek these answers.

[Teguh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Saya kira ini biografi Muhammad Ali, ternyata ini lebih ke tulisan² pendek karya Thomas Hauser atas pertemuan²nya dengan Sang Legenda. Tetapi benar apa yang dikatakan, bahwa Ali melampaui Juara. Karena dia lebih dari Itu. Dia adalah aktivis sosial, agamis, dan idola segala bangsa.

Memang dia arogan dan jumawa, tapi melihat prestasi dan sejarah hidupnya, itu tidak menjadi soal.

Sayang Parkitson menjarah kebebasannya.

[Kate · Rating 2 out of 5]

Opportunistic.

[Ellison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Through first-person contact the author shares tales of Championship boxer, impact upon society/legacy, notes from another fighter's manager, governmental contact and more. Swearing unrelated to the subject appears. Includes quotes form other people and concludes with ring record. No pictures or index.