Ali on Ali: Why He Said, What He Said, When He Said It by Hana Ali

Ali on Ali: Why He Said, What He Said, When He Said It by Hana Ali With Danny Peary || Muhammad Ali Books || Greatest Quotes From “The Champ” || Boxing Legends Books

The Greatest – And in his own unforgettable words. This collection of quotes is accompanied by family photographs and the stories behind the sayings by Ali's daughter and biographer, Hana Ali. A book of inspiration, humor, and Ali’s inimitable way with words, it’s a unique look at a unique and beloved person.

Muhammad Ali was a champion, a poet, a prophet. Sports Illustrated called him “the greatest athlete of the twentieth century.” And yet he was even more than all of that, “a whole greater than the sum of its parts . . . bigger, brighter, more original and influential than just about anyone of his era” (Barack Obama). He got there with his fists, with his actions, and above all, with his words.

Compiled and written by his daughter Hana Ali, with sportswriter Danny Peary, Ali on Ali brings together a remarkable mix of Ali’s 70 most humorous, poignant, inspirational, political, and philosophical quotes, all with their origins.

Here’s Ali’s enduring boast.

“I am the greatest!”

And how it was inspired by professional wrestler Gorgeous George.

The story behind one of the most memorably poetic lines of the century.

“Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.”

The heard-round-the-world defiance.

“I ain’t got no quarrel with them Viet Cong”

And the stories behind quotes ranging from outrage

“We been in jail for 400 years”

Inspirational

“I hated every minute of training, but I said; Don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion”

And that infectious combination of humor and bravado!

“If you even dream of beating me you better wake up and apologize.”

Included are powerful photographs throughout, from iconic fight scenes to never-before-seen Ali family snapshots; quotes about Ali, from Martin Luther King Jr. to Billy Crystal; a career timeline; and a personal introduction by Hana Ali.