Barnes & NobleAli- A Life by Jonathan Eig

This is THE biography of Muhammad Ali!

When I saw this book in a local bookstore, my first thought was, "No way. I have far too many books about Muhammad Ali!" Owning thirty-two books on the fighter already, I figured the last thing I needed was another one. Was I wrong!! After reading this wonderful tome by Jonathan Eig that was always a chore to put down, I could only wonder. "Ali: A Life" is far and away the best book I have ever read about the late boxing legend. In fact, if a person only reads one book in their entire life about the man, it has to be this one! The author conducted hundreds of interviews and exhaustive research in putting together this account. I probably learned three times more about him in this work than I ever knew before - really! For instance, other Ali bios only touch on his youth, while this book fleshes it out in sharp detail. And, what I could have told you about people like Gene Kilroy, Luis Sarria, and Belinda Ali, prior to completing Eig's book, would have been minuscule compared to what I have since learned. Eig pulls no punches in displaying Ali's virtues, as well as his foibles and flaws. This is about the life and career of a man, not a myth and an illusion. This is THE biography of Muhammad Ali, not the hagiography that many earlier accounts proved to be. I am proud to have this book in my boxing library, and I believe it should be a major part of any sports collection.