Ali on Ali: Why He Said What He Said When He Said It

ALI ON ALI                                                      HANA ALI

Muhammad Ali was a champion, a poet, a prophet. Sports Illustrated called him “the greatest athlete of the twentieth century.” And yet he was even more than all of that, “a whole greater than the sum of its parts . . . bigger, brighter, more original and influential than just about anyone of his era” (Barack Obama). He got there with his fists, with his actions, and above all, with his words.
    Compiled and written by his daughter Hana Ali, with sportswriter Danny Peary, Ali on Ali brings together a remarkable mix of Ali’s 70 most humorous, poignant, inspirational, political, and philosophical quotes, all with their origins. Here’s Ali’s enduring boast, “I am the greatest!”—and how it was inspired by professional wrestler Gorgeous George. The story behind one of the most memorable poetic lines of the century—“Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.” The heard-round-the-world defiance of “I ain’t got no quarrel with them, Viet Cong,” and its moving context. And the stories behind quotes ranging from outrage—“We been in jail for 400 years,” to inspiration—“I hated every minute of training, but I said ‘Don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion,’” to that infectious combination of humor and bravado—“If you even dream of beating me you better wake up and apologize.”
    Included are powerful photographs throughout, from iconic fight scenes to never-before-seen Ali family snapshots; quotes about Ali, from Martin Luther King Jr. to Billy Crystal; a career timeline; and a personal introduction by Hana Ali.

PAT'S REVIEW

A wonderful book and all of the quotes inside of the book I remember Ali saying at one time or another. His famous “Float like a butterfly sting like a bee. Rumble young man rumble”. Before the Sonny Liston fight in 1964, but we only remember the first part. “I ‘m the king of the world!” After defeating Sonny Liston. In 1966 “I ain’t got no quarrel with them Vietcong”. Why he refused to serve in the Army. There are more quotes in this book but for me, these were the ones that stood out. I remembered them growing up in the sixties and watching him box. This book is filled with more and with pictures some never seen before and a few stories. Overall a good book. I received this book from Netgalley.com I gave it 4 stars. Follow us atwww.1rad-readerreviews.com