King of the World: Muhammad Ali and the Rise of an American Hero

When Cassius Clay burst onto the sports scene from his native Louisville in the 1950s, he broke the mould.

He changed the world of sports and went on to change the world itself. As Muhammad Ali, he would become the most recognised face on the planet. Ali was a transcendent athlete and entertainer, a heavyweight Fred Astaire, a rapper before rap was born. He was a mirror of his era, a dynamic figure in the racial and cultural battles of his time.

This unforgettable account of his rise and self-creation, told by a Pulitzer Prize-winning writer, places Ali in a heritage of great American originals.

King of the World takes us back to the days when his life was a series of battles, inside the ring and out. A master storyteller at the height of his powers, David Remnick has written a book worthy of America’s most dynamic modern hero.