Muhammad Ali in Perspective

It wasn't easy, doing what Ali did in Atlanta. But this is a man who, all his life, has come up with one incredibly gutsy performance after another. There was no way he could beat Sonny Liston. So he went out and beat Sonny Liston. There was no way he'd give up his title. So as an act of principle, he gave up the heavyweight championship of the world. He beat George Foreman, when everyone knew he couldn't. He won the heavyweight crown for a third time, against Leon Spinks, when he was too old to win. Each time the world thought Ali was out of miracles, he performed another miracle. That's Muhammad Ali, In Perspective. And what you had in Atlanta was a wonderful reaffirmation of just how much Muhammad Ali means to the world. Three billion people were watching. Three billion people were in love with one man. Three billion people, even if it was just for a moment, had all the hate and petty prejudices removed from their hearts, and felt nothing but love. That's a miracle.

In this affectionate look at Muhammad Ali, Thomas Hauser makes a good case that Ali might be the most loved person in the world. Certainly, it's difficult to think of an athlete who is more revered, as Ali's appearance at the 1996 Olympics demonstrated. Muhammad Ali in Perspective is illustrated with hundreds of photographs, many by longtime Ali photographer Howard Bingham. It is a stunning look at a man who was not only one of the best fighters and athletes ever, but who also showed the courage of his convictions when he refused to register for the draft and transcended his sport to become a world spokesman for human rights.