"At Home with Muhammad Ali" - a different biography about a great athlete

"At Home with Muhammad Ali" - a different biography about a great athlete

Unadulterated stories from the more intimate life of a loving and extraordinary father

Muhammad Ali is more than an athlete, more than a famous, if not the greatest, boxer of all time. He is a historical figure that no one will forget. You can read a lot about him, hear a lot or watch a lot, but nothing compares to his biography written by his daughter Hannah. Her memories are supported by the vast archival materials that her father seems to have deliberately left behind. These include tapes of every phone call made from his home, letters, photographs and entries in Ali's diary. All this is collected in the book "At Home With Muhammad Ali", or in English "At Home With Muhammad Ali".

The boxer is aware that he is making history and so he consciously leaves behind a wealth of documentation to be turned into a beautiful creation. Hannah Ali's book strikes the perfect balance between the deep affection of the great athlete's daughter, the intimacy in all these details that are revealed to the readers, honesty, tenderness and truthfulness. In it, you will not read anything bad or mean about the great competitor, which is actually completely understandable, and you will see what his personality is like outside the ring.

It's hard to abstract from the author's name and not approach with doubt about the sincerity of the writing, but with each page you feel that Hannah is completely sincere in what she writes. Ali's brash confidence, his refusal to look down when interviewed by white journalists, his fiery speeches in the name of the Muslim faith, and his attitude toward the Vietnam War create an image that may not sit well with many Americans. and from the people of the rest of the world, but reading this creation you will immediately understand that everything he did in this regard was completely normal and with only a good purpose, with the idea of equality between all. His involvement in the civil rights movement, which sought to change the racial contours of American society not only in the South but throughout the nation, is highlighted.

Reading the pages Hannah wrote in tribute to her father, you learn a lot more about the boxer's career, which began when he was just 12 years old. You can tell by the time he's old enough to start shaving, he's already a built athlete with a clear vision for boxing. If you haven't watched one of his matches, Hannah's book will make you watch at least one of his fights on YouTube. You will understand what the idea of the sport at that time really was, that it was not only about violence and rough treatment of the opponent. Boxing requires a lot of skill, both physical and mental. You can definitely tell how a competitor's talent combined with his mind makes him a huge historical figure of incredible importance in every way.

The side of Muhammad Ali shown in the book has not been seen by anyone. He is one of the few men looking for a smart, independent woman by his side, with whom he can form a parental couple, who will never physically harm his children during their upbringing. Yes, part of his condescending nature is also due to his faith, but also part of it is due to the deep fear that someone would try to hurt him by kidnapping his daughters. From the descriptions of her childhood, we understand that Hannah was not among the well-liked students, that she had reprehensible behavior. She often allowed herself to act aggressively towards other children who did not accept her well. However, Ali's behavior is not harsh towards her. He is remembered as a loving, gentle father, ready to devote all his time to his children, despite his very busy career.

Hana often overhears conversations between her father and world leaders such as Brezhnev, Gaddafi, Deng Xiao Peng, who asks Ali to train Chinese boxers and others. You'll find out that Muhammad even offered his services to President Jimmy Carter in the 1980s, hoping he could use his religion as a link to the Iranians holding American citizens hostage.

You will also read about a story in which Ali talks a man out of suicide. Photos can even be found on the Internet of him holding a man trying to jump from a tall building, whom he dissuades from his intentions to end his life with just a few words. You can see that Ali is not one of those celebrities who complains about their lack of personal space. On the contrary, he is willing to spend time with each of his fans because he loved to leave his home to meet and talk to any of them.

However, some of his actions have been strange to the family. An example of this is the times when Ali took homeless people home until he found them shelter. Something that Hannah doesn't describe how her mother reacted to, but it's clear that it's not one of the phenomenal boxer's best moves.

In this piece, you will also see many photos in which father and daughter seem to express themselves with the same body language. There are also many narrations that reveal Ali's behavior towards religion. Hannah's pain from her parents' divorce is also shared. She reveals that Ali is a person who likes to write poetry, read a lot of books, although until his last day he had problems with spelling and grammar.

The end of the book is perhaps the most poignant of all. Hannah remembers her father as an elderly man in his seventies, weakened by Parkinson's, watching footage of himself after the Foreman fight and uttering the words: "Man, I was something!".

Reading this book may not be a very easy task, but what you can learn is worth the emotions, excitement, and hardships you may go through. Especially if you like the history and personality of Muhammad Ali.

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