The Mammoth Book of Muhammad Ali

From his gold medal at the 1960 Olympic Games to his defeat of Sonny Liston to claim the world heavyweight championship in 1964, the unforgettable 'Thrilla in Manila' against Joe Frazier and the 'Rumble in the Jungle' against George Foreman, 'The Greatest of All Time', Muhammad Ali, has captured the attention of the world. His conversion to Islam, his refusal to serve in the in the Vietnam War ('I ain't got no quarrel with them Vietcong') and his speaking tours in the 1960s have all contributed to his status as one of the most revered sporting figures ever. Here, drawn from books, specialist periodicals, newspapers, college magazines (covering his speaking tours) and the work of major literary figures such as Norman Mailer and Thomas Hauser is the biggest and best collection ever of writing on 'The Greatest'.

David West is a freelance writer who has been covering combat sports since 2003. He was the British correspondent for the US magazine Full Contact Fighter for six years and his work has appeared in MMA Unltd, Fighters Only, Fight Sport, Fighting Spirit and many more. His feature writing includes an article exploring the legacy of the London Prize Ring for Fighters Only and a look at Britain's forgotten wrestling heritage in MMA Unltd. David is the author of the book Chasing Dragons - An Introduction to the Martial Arts Film (IB Tauris, 2006).