Recognized by Sports Illustrated as still the best known athlete in the world, Muhammad Ali has played a fascinating role in American culture, with an influence that has reached far beyond sports. As the first book by scholars on the significance of his life and times, Muhammad Ali, the People's Champ is a fresh appraisal of the place of a giant sports idol and the role he has played in American history. Ali both shaped and reflected the times in which he lived. He touched the lives of people in a way unprecedented by almost any sports figure before or since. The contributors conclude that we can have no full understanding of our era without recognizing the enormous influence of "the people's champ".