Redemption Song: Muhammad Ali and the Spirit of the Sixties

"Among the slew of recent Ali books, here's one that returns the political sting to 'The Greatest'... As Marqusee portrays him, Ali is still the righteous outlaw, as badass as ever and still in the eye of a global storm."-- Time Out New York "Fascinating, well-written, entertaining and significant. Redemption Song provides rare and important insights into Muhammad Ali and his immense global impact on a turbulent and ground-breaking era." -- Leon Gast, director of When We Were Kings "As Marqusee charts how Ali helped create a global consciousness, he succeeds in knocking Ali off the respectable pedestal on which American culture had placed him, resurrecting him as the radical figure he truly was... a vibrant historical essay." -- Publishers Weekly "A thrilling book about a true and enduring hero ... Mike Marqusee has done him, and us, proud." - John Pilger "Excellent ... Reminds us just how explosive and divisive a figure Ali was." - Independent on Sunday

Shortlisted for the 1999 William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award and voted one of the twenty-five "Books to Remember 2000" by the New York Public Library. In this timely antidote to the apolitical celebration of Muhammad Ali as 'a great American', Mike Marqusee puts the boxer back in his true historical context to explore a crucial moment at the crossroads of popular culture and mass resistance. And, in a new afterword for this second edition, he reflects on Ali's legacy in the era of the 'war on terror'.