Bob Mee

One of the most comprehensive books about a solitary ring saga . . . commendably exhaustive

Mee has provided a fascinating insight into Liston's rise and demise, the end of Clay and the birth of Muhammad Ali

There are hundreds of books about Muhammad Ali, but very little good writing about Sonny Liston. Liston and Ali . . . is very good writing about Liston

[The] two-fight saga and its aftermath are diligently researched and recaptured . . . the first book to dissect and debate two of the most controversial heavyweight fights in history

Impeccably researched and wonderfully written . . . [Liston &amp; Ali] transports you back to an era when things were so different, while dramatic social and cultural changes were being made

As a snapshot of a tumultuous era and a portrait of two legends, this is frequently fascinating

Mee goes into every detail in his meticulously researched book

Does a great job of examining not only the fighters, but the wider social and political implications of their meeting. Detailing the story with clarity, depth and insight, it's a fine account of a tumultuous time

The Ugly Bear and the Boy Who Would Be King

Sport can offer catharsis in times of crisis, but not this time. Liston was a mob fighter with a criminal past, and rumours were spreading that Clay was not just a noisy, bright-eyed boy blessed with more than his share of the craziness of youth, but a believer in a shadowy cult: the Nation of Islam. Instead of a hero and a villain, boxing had served up two bad guys. 
 
Against this backdrop of political instability, of a country at war with itself, in a time when ordinary African American people were still being maimed and killed for the smallest acts of defiance, Liston and Clay sought out their own individual destinies. 
 
Liston and Ali follows the contrasting paths these two men took, from their backgrounds in Arkansas and Kentucky through to that sixteen-month period in 1964 and 1965 when the story of the world heavyweight championship centred on them and all they stood for. Using original source material, it explores a riveting chapter in sporting history with fresh insight and in rare detail.

Bob Mee

Praise for Liston and Ali

One of the most comprehensive books about a solitary ring saga . . . commendably exhaustive

Mee has provided a fascinating insight into Liston's rise and demise, the end of Clay and the birth of Muhammad Ali

There are hundreds of books about Muhammad Ali, but very little good writing about Sonny Liston. Liston and Ali . . . is very good writing about Liston

One of the most comprehensive books about a solitary ring saga . . . commendably exhaustive

Mee has provided a fascinating insight into Liston's rise and demise, the end of Clay and the birth of Muhammad Ali

There are hundreds of books about Muhammad Ali, but very little good writing about Sonny Liston. Liston and Ali . . . is very good writing about Liston

One of the most comprehensive books about a solitary ring saga . . . commendably exhaustive

Mee has provided a fascinating insight into Liston's rise and demise, the end of Clay and the birth of Muhammad Ali

There are hundreds of books about Muhammad Ali, but very little good writing about Sonny Liston. Liston and Ali . . . is very good writing about Liston

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