Muhammad Ali

Today, as symbolized by his lighting of the Olympic torch in Atlanta in 1996, Muhammad Ali is an ambassador to the world. What few people realize, all these years later, is that the legend first took shape in the steamy perpetual summer of Miami. It was the place of his apprenticeship and youth, the place where he rose to fame and glory, the place where the world came to see the beautiful boxer who spun hilarious doggerel about his opponents and himself. They were wild and fantastic tales and, as we look back we realize, they all came true. Photographer Flip Schulke is more than just a silent observer; he is a witness to a unique event in American sports: the transformation of Cassius Clay into Muhammad Ali. From the opening picture of Clay wearing the T-shirt he had printed with his name -- something unheard-of at the time -- these photos show a very young but very savvy, ambitious athlete who deliberately sets out to create an image. Schulke's photographs show a technical expertise and beauty unmatched in ordinary sports photography, and his commentary gives penetrating insight into Ali's character. -- back cover.