My Brother, Muhammad Ali

SUNDAY TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR

More words have been written about Muhammad Ali than almost anyone else. And yet, until now, the one voice missing has been the one belonging to the man who knew him best.

Muhammad Ali was, without doubt, the world's most-loved sportsman. At the height of his celebrity, he was the most famous person in the world. And no-one was closer to him than Rahaman Ali, his only sibling and best friend.

Born Cassius and Rudulph Valentino Clay, the two brothers grew up together, lived together, trained together, travelled together, and fought together, in the street and in the ring.

A near-constant fixture in his famous sibling's company, Rahaman saw Ali at both his best and his worst: the relentless prankster and the jealous older brother, the outspoken advocate and the devoted family man. From time spent relaxing together behind closed doors, to encounters with kings, presidents, and celebrities, he is able to offer an insider's perspective on all the well-known stories as well as never-before-told tales.

In My Brother, Muhammad Ali, Rahaman paints an evocative, rich, and intimate portrait of Muhammad Ali—of both the legend and the man. Full of poignant, moving, and surprising memories, it will show readers the icon through a different and more honest lens, painting a portrait of an affable, sweet, proud, and yet relentlessly polarising man.

Many books have been written about Ali, but most have focused on a particular period of his life or a key fight. In this extraordinary, unrivalled memoir on life with the great man, Rahaman tells a much bigger and more personal story—that of two brothers, almost inseparable from birth to death. It is the final and most important perspective on one of the most iconic figures of the last century.