Teens - Biography, Teens - Sports

The Greatest: Muhammad Ali

Name: The Greatest: Muhammad Ali
Author: Walter Dean Myers
ISBN: 9780590543439

by Walter Dean Myers

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Overview

Award-winning author Walter Dean Myers presents the amazing story of Muhammad Ali's childhood, his rise as a champion, his politics, and his battles against Parkinson's disease. Packed with dramatic black-and-white photos, this critically acclaimed biography is the perfect choice for both young adult sports fans and fans of Walter Dean Myers in general.

Synopsis

Muhammad Ali has long been a source of inspiration. In this new book from Walter Dean Myers, we see a story of determination, energy, pride, and strength. From a daring young boxer to man at war with a disease, Myers covers Ali's life with prowess and honesty.

VOYA

Mention of Muhammad Ali makes most young people today recall the man named the Greatest Athlete of the Twentieth Century by Sports Illustrated magazine. As a young African American searching for racial pride in the turbulent 1960s and 1970s, Ali's influence extended beyond the boxing ring into arenas of race, politics, and religion. This public Ali touched Myers most. The Vietnam War and the Civil Rights movement affected Ali's life tremendously. Ali, born Cassius Clay, would not confine his remarks to boxing. In 1964, after becoming world heavyweight champion, he stunned America as he changed his religion and his name, joining the Nation of Islam. Harshly criticized for this affiliation, he openly opposed the Vietnam War and refused to be inducted into the army in 1967. As a result, he was stripped of his heavyweight title and was banned from boxing for two and a half years. Ali came back, but unfortunately, he was not the same. His legs were older, and he could no longer "float like a butterfly, sting like a bee!" The Frazier and Foreman fights would exact a tremendous toll, forcing him to adopt the "rope-a-dope" tactic in which he rested against the ropes while his opponent wore himself out swinging. After losing his last boxing match in 1981, Ali faced an even deadlier opponent Parkinson's disease. Readers will enjoy the fast-paced action, crisp writing, photographs of significant events and personalities, and the vivid fight scenes. Myers paints an unforgettable Ali here. Although the boxer could have taken the easy route, Ali instead exhibited the courage to follow his convictions and his heart, becoming a symbol respected by all races, religions, and ideologies. VOYA CODES: 4Q4P M J S (Better than most, marred only by occasional lapses; Broad general YA appeal; Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12). 2000, Scholastic, 155p, Photos. Ages 12 to 18. Reviewer: Bill Mollineaux VOYA, February 2001 (Vol. 23, No.6)

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Editorials

Children's Literature

Every school child should be required to read this outstanding biography from award-winning writer Walter Dean Myers. Ali's accomplishments, both in and out of the ring, present him as a motivated man of principal, willing to take risks to achieve his goals. Myers carefully crafts Ali's tale from his Clay family roots in Louisville, Kentucky, to his struggles today with Parkinson Disease. Myers weaves the events of Ali's personal life with those occurring in our country during the twentieth century, thus providing a look at both Ali and his importance to history. Delving into the civil rights movement, the Nation of Islam, conscientious objector status during the Vietnam war, and the dangers of professional boxing, Myers presents a man of courage and inspiration. Black-and-white photographs, interspersed throughout the text, bring "The Greatest," his life and importance in history to a new generation of readers. Includes a bibliography, fight chronology and index. 2001, Scholastic Press, $16.95. Ages 10 up. Reviewer: Mary Sue Preissner

VOYA

Mention of Muhammad Ali makes most young people today recall the man named the Greatest Athlete of the Twentieth Century by Sports Illustrated magazine. As a young African American searching for racial pride in the turbulent 1960s and 1970s, Ali's influence extended beyond the boxing ring into arenas of race, politics, and religion. This public Ali touched Myers most. The Vietnam War and the Civil Rights movement affected Ali's life tremendously. Ali, born Cassius Clay, would not confine his remarks to boxing. In 1964, after becoming world heavyweight champion, he stunned America as he changed his religion and his name, joining the Nation of Islam. Harshly criticized for this affiliation, he openly opposed the Vietnam War and refused to be inducted into the army in 1967. As a result, he was stripped of his heavyweight title and was banned from boxing for two and a half years. Ali came back, but unfortunately, he was not the same. His legs were older, and he could no longer "float like a butterfly, sting like a bee!" The Frazier and Foreman fights would exact a tremendous toll, forcing him to adopt the "rope-a-dope" tactic in which he rested against the ropes while his opponent wore himself out swinging. After losing his last boxing match in 1981, Ali faced an even deadlier opponent—Parkinson's disease. Readers will enjoy the fast-paced action, crisp writing, photographs of significant events and personalities, and the vivid fight scenes. Myers paints an unforgettable Ali here. Although the boxer could have taken the easy route, Ali instead exhibited the courage to follow his convictions and his heart, becoming a symbol respected by all races, religions, and ideologies. VOYA CODES: 4Q4P M J S (Better than most, marred only by occasional lapses; Broad general YA appeal; Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12). 2000, Scholastic, 155p, Photos. Ages 12 to 18. Reviewer: Bill Mollineaux VOYA, February 2001 (Vol. 23, No.6)

School Library Journal

Gr 7 Up-An introduction to Ali's life from his childhood to the present day, focusing on his career and the controversies surrounding him. Both his talent in the boxing ring and his showmanship earned him international fame, while his refusal to accept the stereotypical role of a black athletic star in the 1960s and his membership in the Nation of Islam brought him notoriety. Myers interweaves fight sequences with the boxer's life story and the political events and issues of the day. He doesn't shy away from reporting on the brutality of the sport and documents the toll it has taken on its many stars. Ample black-and-white photographs of the subject in and out of the ring illustrate the book. Covering Ali is a daunting task, especially since dozens of books and hundreds of articles have been written about him in the last 40 years. Fortunately, young adults have their own award-winning author, one with the perspective of being a young African American in Harlem during the height of the boxer's fame, to tell his story. Myers's writing flows while describing the boxing action and the legend's larger-than-life story.-Michael McCullough, Byron-Bergen Middle School, Bergen, NY Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

From The Critics

While this was written with young adult audiences in mind, The Greatest Muhammad Ali is featured here for its wider attraction to any interested in boxing history. This provides a dual focus on the boxer Ali and the hazards of boxing. Black and white photos pepper the account, which does an excellent job of blending boxing history and issues with an overall survey of Ali's life and actions.