ALI, Muhammad. The Greatest: My Own Story. (Signed first edition by Muhammad Ali)

With Richard Durham. New York: Random House, 1975. First edition. .pp. 416. Publisher’s two-tone cloth boards, spine lettered in gilt, with the author’s name stamped in red on the upper cover. A very good copy, the binding firm and bright. Some scattered foxing to the preliminaries and margins of a few leaves, otherwise clean internally.

Signed by Muhammad Ali on the half-title, with the date “91” added in his hand.

An important autobiographical work by Muhammad Ali (1942–2016), widely regarded as one of the greatest heavyweight boxers in the history of the sport and one of the most influential sporting figures of the twentieth century. Written with journalist Richard Durham, the book traces Ali’s life from his childhood in Louisville, Kentucky, through his meteoric rise to the world heavyweight championship, his conversion to Islam, and his refusal of military service during the Vietnam War.

Blending sporting memoir with political and personal reflection, the work captures the voice and charisma that made Ali a global cultural figure. His defiance of the draft and subsequent legal battle—resulting in the temporary loss of his title—transformed him into a symbol of civil rights and principled dissent.

Signed copies of Ali’s autobiography remain highly sought after, particularly examples bearing clear signatures.

[WR sport]