Research Catalog

Title

Blood brothers : the fatal friendship between Muhammad Ali and Malcolm X / Randy Roberts and Johnny Smith.

Author

Roberts, Randy, 1951-

Publication

New York : Basic Books A Member of the Perseus Books Group, [2016]

Items in the Library & Off-site

Details

Additional Authors

Smith, Johnny (John Matthew)

Description

xxiv, 362 pages : illustrations; 25 cm

Summary

• In 1962, boxing writers and fans considered Cassius Clay an obnoxious self-promoter, and few believed that he would become the heavyweight champion of the world. But Malcolm X, the most famous minister in the Nation of Islam--a sect many white Americans deemed a hate cult--saw the potential in Clay, not just for boxing greatness, but as a means of spreading the Nation's message. The two became fast friends, keeping their interactions secret from the press for fear of jeopardizing Clay's career. Clay began living a double life--a patriotic "good Negro" in public, and a radical reformer behind the scenes. Soon, however, their friendship would sour, with disastrous and far-reaching consequences. Based on previously untapped sources, from Malcolm s personal papers to FBI records, "Blood Brothers" is the first book to offer an in-depth portrait of this complex bond. Acclaimed historians Randy Roberts and Johnny Smith reconstruct the worlds that shaped Malcolm and Clay, from the boxing arenas and mosques, to postwar New York and civil rights-era Miami. In an impressively detailed account, they reveal how Malcolm molded Cassius Clay into Muhammad Ali, helping him become an international symbol of black pride and black independence. Yet when Malcolm was barred from the Nation for criticizing the philandering of its leader, Elijah Muhammad, Ali turned his back on Malcolm--a choice that tragically contributed to the latter's assassination in February 1965. Malcolm s death marked the end of a critical phase of the civil rights movement, but the legacy of his friendship with Ali has endured. We inhabit a new era where the roles of entertainer and activist, of sports and politics, are more entwined than ever before. "Blood Brothers" is the story of how Ali redefined what it means to be a black athlete in America--after Malcolm first enlightened him. An extraordinary narrative of love and deep affection, as well as deceit, betrayal, and violence, this story is a window into the public and private lives of two of our greatest national icons, and the tumultuous period in American history that they helped to shape.--Dust jacket.
• In 1962 Malcolm X, a minister in the Nation of Islam, saw the potential in Cassius Clay, not just for boxing greatness, but as a means of spreading the Nation's message. The two became fast friends, keeping their interactions secret from the press for fear of jeopardizing Clay's career-- but eventually their friendship soured, with disastrous and far-reaching consequences. Roberts and Smith reconstruct the worlds that shaped Malcolm and Clay, and reveal how Malcolm molded Cassius Clay into Muhammad Ali, helping him become an international symbol of black pride and black independence.

Subject

• Ali, Muhammad, 1942-2016 > Friends and associates
• X, Malcolm, 1925-1965 > Friends and associates
• Ali, Muhammad, 1942-2016
• X, Malcolm, 1925-1965
• African Americans > Biography
• Black Muslims > Biography
• African Americans
• Black Muslims
• Friendship

Genre/Form

• Biographies.
• Biography.

Bibliography (note)

• Includes bibliographical references (pages 315-322) and index.

Contents

Preface: A dream deferred -- Prologue: Behind the veil -- The mother ship in Miami -- God's angry man -- "Who made me is me" -- In cold blood -- The winter of boxing -- Apollo -- Hide your cat -- The great pretender -- Back to the grave -- Trouble in Miami -- The crusade -- Free to be me -- The shakeup -- An American nightmare -- King of the world -- The Muslim champ -- Worthy of death -- Epilogue: Once the hate is gone.

Call Number

Sc E 16-579

ISBN

• 9780465079704 (hardcover : alk. paper)
• 0465079709 (hardcover : alk. paper)

LCCN

2015043982

OCLC

933386080

Author

Roberts, Randy, 1951- author.

Title

Blood brothers : the fatal friendship between Muhammad Ali and Malcolm X / Randy Roberts and Johnny Smith.

Publisher

New York : Basic Books A Member of the Perseus Books Group, [2016]

Type of Content

text

Type of Medium

unmediated

Type of Carrier

volume

Local Note

Schomburg copy with dust jacket.

Bibliography

Includes bibliographical references (pages 315-322) and index.

Added Author

Smith, Johnny (John Matthew)

Research Call Number

Sc E 16-579