The Greatest: Muhammad Ali

Written by Walter Dean Myers

Narrated by JD Jackson

"Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee." This was one of the most famous catch-phrases of boxing legend Muhammad Ali. Rising from poverty-stricken Louisville in the 1950s he became one of the world's greatest athletes. Beginning life as Cassius Clay, Ali would struggle against opponents both in and out of the ring. Segregation and racism stood as obstacles in his path, but as he climbed the boxing ranks, his social conscience grew. He refused to be pigeonholed as a stereotypical black athlete in the 1960s and changed his name to Muhammad Ali after converting to Islam. Fighting for social justice even as his brutal profession took its toll on his body and mind, his spirit was never defeated. Best-selling author of the Coretta Scott King Honor book Monster, Walter Dean Myers pens this inspirational biography of a true champion. Acclaimed narrator JD Jackson adds the perfect voice to this triumphant true story. "... the kind of universal story that needs a writer as talented as Myers to retell it for every generation."-Booklist

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Apr 24, 2009
• ISBN: 9781436153195

Walter Dean Myers

Walter Dean Myers was the New York Times bestselling author of Monster, the winner of the first Michael L. Printz Award; a former National Ambassador for Young People's Literature; and an inaugural NYC Literary Honoree. Myers received every single major award in the field of children's literature. He was the author of two Newbery Honor Books and six Coretta Scott King Awardees. He was the recipient of the Margaret A. Edwards Award for lifetime achievement in writing for young adults, a three-time National Book Award Finalist, as well as the first-ever recipient of the Coretta Scott King-Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement.

Reviews for The Greatest

[br14bifa · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I thought the book The Greatest Muhammad Ali by Walter Dean Myers was a fantastic book and would recommend it to everyone. It was action packed and had me waiting on the edge of my seat the whole time.I thought this book was great because of some of the stuff that Muhammad Ali had to face and overcome. One of the big things that he had to overcome was where he grew up. Muhammad grew up in a bad city. And when he grew up, most young black kids fell into a bad path with drugs. But when Muhammad was little he found a role model that would give him someone to look up too and someone to help him train in the gym. So this helped him stay off the streets and in the gym. Now, not only did Muhammad have to worry about staying off the seats but he also had to worry about fighting some of the best boxers in the world when he was still just a teenager. He when the Olympics when he was just sixteen! That means he was training harder then anyone else in thew world.I think this book inspired a lot of young kids no matter if they were rich or poor because it showed kids that they can accomplish anything they set their minds too. So i think this book was more then just telling the fight of Muhammad but also gives people hopes. This is why I loved this book so much!

[br14hasm · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

The greatest muhammed ali was a book. thats really all i can say about it considering i am a girl reading about a boking book. It was acceptional but yet again because i am a girl it got boring and confusing at many parts. overall it was a acceptional book that would be better for a guy to read. 

[br13mifi · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

 The Greatest Muhammad ali by Walter Dean Myers. Ali was known as one of the greatest boxers ever his favorite most used quote was “Float like a butterfly sting like a bee.”Throughout Muhammad Ali life he changed his name to Cassius Clay so he could focus on boxing and not have to go to the military. in summer 1960 Cassius won a gold medal at the Olympics. In Cassius early life it was rough growing up as a kid going through racism, politics, and religion. He didn't let any of that into his life and became a star in the worlds eyes.This book was a good read to catch up on the early life of sports history. I recommend this book to kids that like to watch or take the sport boxing. Walter Dean Myers wrote this book for younger grades 7-9 grade.I believe that Walter tied writing this book to catch the eye of many boxing fans to pick the sport back up because mma is taking over.