Sports writing, and boxing in particular, isn't really my thing. But I was attracted to this after hearing a recent Tim Ferriss podcast which featured someone who'd interviewed Muhammad Ali and Ali sounded like a fascinating character so I resolved to read something about him when I got the chance.This book is a collection of magazine articles and as a result there's some overlap, even repetition of phrasing - and my overall impression is that I gained most insight into the author. But the writing is as times beautiful e.g. on Ali, Miller writes:
"He no longer aches with the ambition and the violence of a young god.
About a third of the book is devoted to Ali - and the last essay sadly describes a falling out and subsequent distancing between the author and Ali's entourage which leaves a bitter-sweet taste.
The rest of the book is a selection of essays on Sugar Ray Leonard, Bruce Lee (a critique of a drama documentary which serves as framing device for a short biography of Lee's life) as well as the author's own fiction and memoirs. The best of these is a poignant story of an early romantic interest which manages to capture all of the hope and awkwardness that is characteristic of teen love.
I can't say it transformed me into a fan of the sport of Kings but I did gain a new appreciation of the mindset, dedication and beauty of those taking part in it.
Verdict: Not entirely successful experiment (on my part)
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