The Story of Muhammed Ali

This fast-paced biography pulls no punches as it traces the often controversial but always fascinating life of the famous boxer. Denenberg is quick to point out that Ali's life is best understood in the context of the two most important social events of the 1960s and the 1970s, the civil rights movement and the Vietnam War. Ali's triumphs and setbacks are covered, including the bitter irony of being welcomed home as an Olympic Gold Medalist and local hero while being refused service at a Louisville lunch counter. Ali's conversion to the Muslim faith and the outcry surrounding his conscientious objector stance to the Vietnam War are also well presented. Boxing fans will enjoy all the gritty details of his early training, his exciting bouts, and the intense physical demands of a career in the ring as well as his struggles with debilitating Parkinson's Syndrome. Ages 8-12. (Jan.)