Muhammad Ali: A Thirty Year Journey

This photograph journal traced Muhammad Ali's 30 years journey thru life. It started with introductory notes written by the Man himself & his wife (Lonnie Ali), Bill Cosby, Nelson Mandela, Henry Cooper (just to name a few), mainly discussing the bond between the photographer & the man himself, how they percepted the great boxer on & off the limelight. Muhammad Ali wasn't simply the loud mouth, the lover, the Islam, the winner, the loser, but truth to be told, he's also a devoted son to his parents, a loving father to his children, a dedicated husband to his wives, the charitable one to the downtrodden, the funny bone, the generosity one towards humankind, a courageous fighter who's fighting the greatest battle of his life against the Parkinson Disease, but mostly, he's like one of us, a mortal who needs a friend during his most fragile hour and that friend he found in Howard Bingham. Thru his lens, & without censorship from the Man, we caught a glimpse of Muhammad Ali that we rarely saw from other footage & only then, we realised he's not that icon that we grew up with but he's simply one of our kind. This journal is compiled with much thoughts & sensibility & it's such a joy & heart warming to browse thru. A complementary journal that goes well with the book, King of the World written by David Remnick. Highly recommended.

Howard Bingham's wonderfully intimate photographs tell a fine story not only of the life of Muhammad Ali, but also of the tightly-woven texture of his friendship with "The Greatest". The photos capture fresh visual perspectives on events already familiar to many Ali fans, and provide welcome peekaboos into other, perhaps lesser-known occurrences (such as Ali in a leg cast looking none-too-pleased after an ill-fated match with a Japanese wrestler). One of my personal favorites is a photo of the champion standing together with three women, each of whom would be his wife. This book is a treasure which could and should be enjoyed by anyone who appreciates photo essays. As for Ali fans, it is essential! Mr. Bingham will no doubt find himself with many new admirers -- count me as one of them