King of the World: Muhammad Ali and the Rise of an American Hero book by David Remnick

There were mythic sports figures before him–Babe Ruth, Joe Louis, Joe DiMaggio–but when Cassius Clay burst onto the sports scene from his native Louisville in the 1950s, he broke the mould. He changed the world of sports and went on to change the world itself. As Muhammad Ali, he would become the most recognized face on the planet. Ali was a transcendent athlete and entertainer, a heavyweight Fred Astaire, a rapper before rap was born. He was a mirror of his era, a dynamic figure in the racial and cultural battles of his time.This unforgettable story of his rise and self-creation, told by a Pulitzer Prize-winning writer, places Ali in a heritage of great American originals. Published By on 2000