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The Greatest

Written by: Muhammad Ali, Richard Durham
Narrated by: Dion Graham
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Publisher's Summary

Audie Award, Autobiography/Memoir, 2017.

In his own words, the heavyweight champion of the world pulls no punches as he chronicles the battles he faced in and out of the ring in this fascinating memoir edited by Nobel Prize-winning novelist, Toni Morrison.

Growing up in the South, surrounded by racial bigotry and discrimination, Ali fought not just for a living, but also for respect and rewards far more precious than money or glory. He was named Sportsman of the Century by Sports Illustrated and the BBC. Ali redefined what it meant to be an athlete by giving hope to millions around the world and inspiring us all to fight for what is important to us.

This is a multifaceted portrait of Muhammad Ali only he could render: sports legend, unapologetic anti-war advocate, outrageous showman and gracious goodwill ambassador, fighter, lover, poet, and provocateur, and an irresistible force to be reckoned with.

Who better to tell the tale than the man who went the distance living it?

©1975 Muhammad Ali, Herbert Muhammad, Richard Durham (P)2016 Graymalkin Media
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What the critics say

"It's uncanny how much narrator Dion Graham sounds like Ali. He has the same rhythm, inflection, and passion that The Champ had.... Graham makes us feel the pain Ali felt, both from the fights and from the world." ( AudioFile)

What listeners say about The Greatest

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The greatest

Dion did a FANTASTIC job bringing Muhammad to life. I loved EVERY second. RIP to the greatest of all time. The butterfly lives on

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Amazing

hands down the best book and performance! loved every second of this, dont hesitate, even if you don't know boxing or much about Ali, this was perfect

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Ali Ali Ali

He is formidable because he is truth...truth ain't always pretty....still the greatest of them all!

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Phenomenal performance. Sent shivers down my body

The content is a good insight into what drove Ali. What his thinking was. The performance is excellent. Adds a lot of action where it is needed.

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Amazing

One you will not forget. Great voice. You will be able to understand who the champ was and how he lived

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The greatest!

This book is the greatest! Written by the champ and read so well that of the hundreds of books I've listened too, this one is the best. Listen and love this audiobook.

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If not the best, definitely one of top 2

If not the best, definitely one of top 2 autobiographies of all time. Thank you Ali, The Greatest. May Allah grant you eternal peace brother.

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Excellent Biography

This was everything I had hoped it would be. Muhammad Ali in his own words and setting the record straight, correcting other 'biographers' along the way.

The narrator did a fantastic job as well. I was extremely impressed and very engaged. 5 stars all around!

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timeless

a timeless story that needs to be heard by all. the great one! 10 out of 10

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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Unique Biography

This life story reads like a screenplay. The important events in Ali's life are described in dramatic detail. Encounters and dialogue *reveal* the story rather than merely telling what the champ was thinking as jaw-dropping life episodes happened (e.g. throwing his Gold Medal into the Ohio river; defying the draft & exile; his conversion to Islam). The result is a thoroughly captivating chronicle. The book exudes realism as any good biography should, but by the end of it, the reader has not only been edified but entertained. I have read quite a few biographies and was somewhat surprised - despite the different approach in this book - that I had just listened to a drama... but now know who Muhammed Ali was - not stereotypically heroic but startlingly human - confident (+/- arrogant), principled (+/- inflexible), and steadfast (+/- obstinate).
The main drawback of the book is that it "ends" at the fight in Manilla. The later events in the man's life (Parkinsonism, global recognition, etc.) are equally incredible. I wish this fantastic book had kept going.

Dion Graham *performs* this book, rather than reading it. He presents the life episodes with admirable emotion - where the text is angry, Graham nearly shouts.. where the text is sorrowful, Graham nearly cries. His pacing is spot-on and his tone is nearly perfect. The main problem with the reading is that his Kentucky accent, while accurate, sometimes makes the dialogue hard to understand. I had to concentrate quite hard at times... but I didn’t have to repeat sections - as sometimes happens. This is an above-average reading.

Altogether, the great performance and unique approach to telling the story is incredibly effective. Ali did well to enlist the aid of Richard Durham in presenting his story. This book is dramatic, but also informative and enlightening. An epilogue would be amazing. This is a Five-star presentation of an incredible life story.

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