- A rare signed copy of Muhammad Ali’s 1976 autobiography The Greatest: My Own Story
Three time World Heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali is one of the most iconic figures of the 20th century. Born Cassius Clay in a poor district of Louisville, Kentucky in 1942, he fought his way to the very top of the sport.
In the mid-1960s he converted to Islam and became a key figure in the civil rights movement. His refusal to fight in Vietnam in 1966 saw him stripped of his titles and banned from boxing. Four years later he made an astonishing comeback, eventually regaining the heavyweight title in 1974.
Ali retired from boxing in 1981 and devoted the rest of his life to humanitarian work. He died in June 2016.
Muhammad Ali signed this first edition, second impression copy of The Greatest: My Own Story (1975) at Selfridges on March 11, 1976.
An enormous crowd turned out to see him and the situation soon started to get out of control. Ali signed around eight books (including this one) before he had to be led to safety out of a back window and into a waiting car.
The book is from the collection of Selfridges' then press officer and includes a letter of provenance.
This 9.5 x 6.2 inch book is accompanied by three photographs taken during the event, including one of Ali signing this very book.
The superb signature can be found on the title page. The overall condition of the book is excellent, with its original dust jacket intact and undamaged.
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