MUHAMMAD ALI: The Fight for Respect

A new biography of the foremost boxer of our time emphasizes Ali's stubborn unwillingness to fit the low-profile ""Credit to His Race"" mold of his predecessors: his loud (and eminently quotable) self-promotion; his conversion to the Nation of Islam; and, especially, his refusal to be drafted, which cost him years of court battles, much of his career, and (temporarily) his title and boxing credentials. The author focuses on Ali's public career and major bouts rather than on his private life; except for Ali's 1990 appeal to Iraq to free hostages, he closes with his retirement in the early 80's. Several pages of notes; chronology; brief, well-chosen booklist; index. B&w photos not seen.