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Title details for Sting Like a Bee by Leigh Montville - Available

Sting Like a Bee

Muhammad Ali vs. the United States of America, 1966-1971

by Leigh Montville
JD Jackson
Audiobook
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An insightful portrait of Muhammad Ali from the New York Times bestselling author of At the Altar of Speed and The Big Bam. It centers on the cultural and political implications of Ali's refusal of service in the military—and the key moments in a life that was as high profile and transformative as any in the twentieth century.
With the death of Muhammad Ali in June, 2016, the media and America in general have remembered a hero, a heavyweight champion, an Olympic gold medalist, an icon, and a man who represents the sheer greatness of America. New York Times bestselling author Leigh Montville goes deeper, with a fascinating chronicle of a story that has been largely untold. Muhammad Ali, in the late 1960s, was young, successful, brash, and hugely admired—but with some reservations. He was bombastic and cocky in a way that captured the imagination of America, but also drew its detractors. He was a bold young African American in an era when few people were as outspoken. He renounced his name—Cassius Clay—as being his 'slave name,' and joined the Nation of Islam, renaming himself Muhammad Ali. And finally in 1966, after being drafted, he refused to join the military for religious and conscientious reasons, triggering a fight that was larger than any of his bouts in the ring. What followed was a period of legal battles, of cultural obsession, and in some ways of being the very embodiment of the civil rights movement located in the heart of one man. Muhammad Ali was the tip of the arrow, and Leigh Montville brilliantly assembles all the boxing, the charisma, the cultural and political shifting tides, and ultimately the enormous waft of entertainment that always surrounded Ali. Muhammed Ali vs. the United States of America is an important and incredibly engaging book.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    May 16, 2017

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781524781033
      • File size: 418395 KB
      • Duration: 14:31:39

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Narrator JD Jackson takes great care to articulate the story of Muhammed Ali and his refusal to serve in the military during the Vietnam War. Though he could have quickened his pace in some areas, his ability to consistently alter his voice for the various men and women quoted throughout is noteworthy and makes this controversial biography an enjoyable and informative experience. He is especially skilled at delivering the quotes from Ali and Howard Cosell, both of whom had distinctive voices. Jackson doesn't attempt to soften the body blows to the provocative Ali. Furthermore, his ability to simply read the facts with no noticeable interpretation makes this audiobook a better experience than reading it in print. T.D. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine
    • Publisher's Weekly

      May 15, 2017
      In this revealing history, sports writer Montville (Ted Williams) portrays Muhammad Ali, one of the most celebrated athletes of the 20th century, during the tumultuous 1960s. The day after felling Sonny Liston to win the 1964 heavyweight championship, 22-year-old Muhammad Ali pledged allegiance to the Nation of Islam. The hysteria that followed grew ever louder as the fighter went on to reject his “slave” name and refuse draft induction, saying “I don’t have no personal quarrel with those Viet Congs.” After a series of court battles, Ali was convicted and given a five-year sentence for refusing to be drafted. Stripped of his passport and boxing titles, Ali scraped by on speaking gigs and performing as a lead for a Broadway musical, Buck White, as his lawyers fought to keep him out of prison. With dry humor, Montville portrays the central figures of Ali’s life—mostly hustlers and religious idealists—as well as the controversies surrounding an African-American who both condemned racial injustice and praised George Wallace. Montville only touches on the brutality of the NOI and the megalomania of Elijah Muhammad. Before his battle with the U.S. government, Ali was a unique talent; afterward, he was a pariah who became a hero. Montville shows how Ali earned the title he came up with for himself: “The Greatest.”

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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