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Muhammad Ali
"I refuse to be inducted into the armed forces…" That simple statement, made on April 28, 1967, changed Muhammad Ali from being simply the heavyweight boxing champion of the world to being a rebel, taking on the mighty United States government. His protest against serving in the Vietnam War had political, racial, and religious undertones, and it led to nationwide discussion of all of these issues. Ali's passion to speak his mind and stand up for his beliefs stood as a hallmark throughout a boxing career that spanned more than twenty years. Decades after his boxing career ended, he continued to tour the world promoting peace and spreading goodwill even as his own health deteriorated. Over the years, he truly earned the nickname he first bestowed upon himself way back in 1964 when he first won the heavyweight crown: "The Greatest." Your readers will love the story of this exceptional talent.
* Reviews *
This book, a logical biography to be featured in the “American Rebels” series, is aimed at high school students. Although only 130 pages of well-chosen photographs and text, it succinctly details Ali's life from his birth as Cassius Clay to his becoming a legend whose name is still recognized worldwide even though his last fight was in 1981. Chapter one begins with his decision to follow his conscience and refuse to be inducted into the armed forces even though it meant not boxing for three and a half years at the height of his career. A historical review of the Vietnam era puts Ali's decision in context and explains the “tidal wave of reaction” that followed because of his decision's “political, racial, and religious undertones” (p. 8). The book continues with the personal history of Clay's childhood in the segregated south, rise to fame, conversion to the Muslim religion, name change to Muhammad Ali, four marriages and children, causes he embraced, including some that were risky, and penchant for publicity that effectively upped the odds of winning in his favor. Told with factual honesty, the primary theme of his intense love for boxing, the sport that pushed him to continue fighting longer than his body should have, shines through. Backmatter includes a chronology of his life, glossary, extensive list of reference citations, additional books and Internet resources, and an index., Children's Literature
