Muhammad Ali: Fighter's Heaven 1974

In this previously unpublished photo-essay, the legendary boxer Muhammed Ali is captured up close and unguarded in the run-up to the "Rumble in the Jungle"

In October 1974, Muhammad Ali attempted to regain the world heavyweight boxing championship title that was stripped from him when he refused the Vietnam draft seven years earlier. He faced the brutal, undefeated George Foreman in Zaire, Africa, the fight he had dubbed "The Rumble in The Jungle." Only weeks before, on August 11-12, photographer Peter Angelo Simon was invited to experience the private world of one of the most famous people on the planet as he prepared mentally and physically for the biggest challenge of his life.

This two-day photo-essay includes many previously unpublished photographs and captures Ali the man, unguarded, away from the glare of the media spotlight at his Pennsylvania sanctuary. It includes a foreword by D.A. Pennebaker, the foremost chronicler of American counterculture in the 1960s, and an introduction by Peter Angelo Simon, who writes: "I shot 33 rolls in the two days. Ali said nobody had ever taken so many pictures of him. I believe these photographs reveal aspects of Ali's fascinating character not previously seen." Few photographers got as close to the boxer behind the legend. This extraordinary book reveals the preparation for a seminal moment in cultural and political history.

Intimate and candid shots of Ali, most of them previously unseen...--The Guardian
Ali was never merely a subject of photographers, or writers, or of the dreams of the people who idolized him. He was vitally present, like a magician, conjuring all the amazing sights himself.--Ian Crouch "The New Yorker "
Collectively, the photographs speak to one of the most affectionate components of the Ali mystique.--Danny King "Village Voice "
Ali was right about one thing when he proclaimed "I'm pretty!" His charisma and physicality shine through this collection of pictures from August 1974, when he was at the height of his force and fame... Completed just as the champ passed away, this book is a time-capsule reminder of Ali's unique powers.--Jack Crager "American Photo "