Greatest of All Time. A Tribute to Muhammad Ali
Taschen Editors
Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee
The epic Muhammad Ali tribute GOAT in a bantamweight edition Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee
Greatest of All Time: A Tribute to Muhammad Ali is not just a book; it is a testament to the extraordinary life of one of the world’s most famous athletes. GOAT delves into the intricate layers of Ali’s existence, tracing Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.’s journey from his humble beginnings navigating segregation and financial hardship in Louisville, Kentucky, to his evolution into the legendary boxer Muhammad Ali.
Beyond boxing, GOAT weaves together Ali’s historic moments with his resilience against discrimination and his determination to confront racial inequities. His triumph at the 1960 Rome Olympics was marred by hostility, underscoring the racial tensions he faced; Ali boldly challenged these prevailing biases. The boxer’s embrace of Islam became a cornerstone of his moral standards, guiding his principles against racism, inequality, and undue violence, with the latter informing his staunch opposition to the Vietnam War.
nterspersed between these accounts are thousands of historical documents and images of Ali, including the boxer’s documentarian-turned-confidant Howard Bingham’s intimate snapshots, Neil Leifer and Flip Schulke’s iconic pictures, and Hank Kaplan’s archival contributions. Stills from Leon Gast's film ‘When We Were Kings’, which told the story of Ali’s pivotal 1974 fight, are also included in the volume.
,br>GOAT is a heartfelt homage to a boxing legend, exploring Muhammad Ali’s indomitable spirit and celebrating his enduring impact on civil rights, sports, and culture.
Benedikt Taschen began seriously building his personal collection in 1985, through his involvement in the contemporary art world. His collection is limited to a small number of artists by whom Taschen owns a great number of pieces. This concentration both traces the development of the work of a few over time and allows us to explore their scope and vision in greater depth. Among the best-represented artists of the collection are Germans Albert Oehlen and Martin Kippenberger, with more than a hundred works each, and the American artists Jeff Koons and Mike Kelley