Sting Like A Bee

"An absorbing portrait of Ali during his years of vilification and exile from the ring . . . Somehow Mr. Montville has managed, in a sympathetic but not hagiographic fashion, to find a fresh angle on the Greatest—by showing him embattled, as one might expect, and yet outside the ring." --Wall Street Journal "Meticulously researched . . . The inventory of Ali books is indeed long. But put this one on the short list." --Newsday "A fresh, ambitious book about one of the most written-about men in the history of sports or anything else . . . He’s a writer who never disappoints." --The Boston Globe "Sting Like a Bee is a valuable, indeed essential, addition to the growing library on Ali, offering a broader understanding of the enigma known as 'the Greatest.'" --The Washington Post "A fast-paced account of Muhammad Ali's struggle as a conscientious draft objector, a flashpoint for a tumultuous era. . . A dramatic, pleasing tale of a sports iconoclast fighting for his rights." --Kirkus "Montville has given fans and boxing historians a thoroughly enjoyable and informative read." --Library Journal (starred review) "Fascinating backstory . . . the result is a book that belongs in the top tier of Ali literature." --Booklist "Revealing . . . With dry humor, Montville portrays the central figures of Ali’s life—mostly hustlers and religious idealists—as well as the controversies surrounding an African-American who both condemned racial injustice and praised George Wallace . . . Montville shows how Ali earned the title he came up with for himself: 'The Greatest.'" --Publishers Weekly "In Sting Like a Bee, Montville has put together an exhaustively researched and deftly written account of that stretch. The portrait of Ali is rendered with rich, meticulous detail . . . there’s no denying that Sting Like a Bee will give the reader a new appreciation for the difficulties of Ali’s journey." --The Maine Edge "Montville has conducted serious research into the legal maneuvering and legal issues surrounding Muhammad Ali and the draft, and brought the source material together in a way that makes it more easily accessed and more fully understood. That’s a valuable service." --Ring Magazine