Liston and Ali by Bob Mee
Sport can offer catharsis in times of crisis, but not this time. Liston was a mob fighter with a criminal past, and rumours were spreading that Clay was not just a noisy, bright-eyed boy blessed with more than his share of the craziness of youth, but a believer in a shadowy cult: the Nation of Islam. Instead of a hero and a villain, boxing had served up two bad guys. Against this backdrop of political instability, of a country at war with itself, in a time when ordinary African American people were still being maimed and killed for the smallest acts of defiance, Liston and Clay sought out their own individual destinies. Liston and Ali follows the contrasting paths these two men took, from their backgrounds in Arkansas and Kentucky through to that sixteen-month period in 1964 and 1965 when the story of the world heavyweight championship centred on them and all they stood for. Using original source material, it explores a riveting chapter in sporting history with fresh insight and in rare detail.
"One of the most comprehensive books about a solitary ring saga. . commendably exhaustive" * Daily Mail *
"Mee has provided a fascinating insight into Liston's rise and demise, the end of Clay and the birth of Muhammad Ali" * The Sun *
"There are hundreds of books about Muhammad Ali, but very little good writing about Sonny Liston. Liston and Ali . . . is very good writing about Liston" -- Thomas Hauser
"[The] two-fight saga and its aftermath are diligently researched and recaptured . . . the first book to dissect and debate two of the most controversial heavyweight fights in history" * Independent on Sunday *
"Impeccably researched and wonderfully written . . . [Liston & Ali] transports you back to an era when things were so different, while dramatic social and cultural changes were being made" * Boxing News *
"Mee has provided a fascinating insight into Liston's rise and demise, the end of Clay and the birth of Muhammad Ali" * The Sun *
"There are hundreds of books about Muhammad Ali, but very little good writing about Sonny Liston. Liston and Ali . . . is very good writing about Liston" -- Thomas Hauser
"[The] two-fight saga and its aftermath are diligently researched and recaptured . . . the first book to dissect and debate two of the most controversial heavyweight fights in history" * Independent on Sunday *
"Impeccably researched and wonderfully written . . . [Liston & Ali] transports you back to an era when things were so different, while dramatic social and cultural changes were being made" * Boxing News *
Bob Mee is the boxing analyst and commentator for Eurosport TV. He has previously written on boxing for the Daily Telegraph, the Independent on Sunday and Boxing News. His other books include The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Boxing, The Heavyweights and Bare Fists.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9781845966225 |
| ISBN 10 | 1845966228 |
| Title | Liston and Ali |
| Author | Bob Mee |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | Transworld Publishers Ltd |
| Year published | 2010-08-05 |
| Number of pages | 336 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |