A review by jeffw
Ali: A Life by Jonathan Eig

4.0

First of all the book: well written narrative bio of Ali. I liked that it was even handed for the most part. The author told the bad along with the good. The author was obviously a fan and occasionally let that overtake his analysis, but thankfully this was not too frequent and brief so it did not detract too much. Recommended.

I have mixed emotions about Ali. One of the chapter titles summed it up nicely I thought, "He's human, like us"

Spoiler

He was capable of great kindness to people he didn't know and some friends, but at the same time he often treated his close friends and family badly. He would drop everything to visit hospitals and schools, but turned his back on his friend Malcolm X and treated Joe Frazier despicably. He was not a good husband or father.

Personally, I am not convinced his draft refusal was for honorable reasons. Just my opinion.

In a nutshell, I think Ali had great charisma and a talent for boxing. History has shown that charisma is a powerful force.

Is he the best heavyweight boxer of all time? I'm not a boxing expert and not really a fan so I don't know. Most lists say he is. Not sure if that is true or if he proclaimed it so often people believe it is true. I did notice that the latest ESPN list has Joe Louis at the top.

I did bristle at the "Greatest athlete of the 20th Century" proclamation. Just opinion, but not in my top five.