Norman Mailer

The Fight

£80

Introduced By Hana Ali, Michael Mailer

Step into the ring with The Fight by Norman Mailer. This 50th-anniversary edition features an introduction by Michael Mailer and Hana Ali, photographs by legendary sports photographer Neil Leifer. This Folio edition captures the legendary ‘Rumble in the Jungle’ like never before.

The Fight

£80

Book Details

Presentation Box & BindingBound in printed cloth
Printed slipcase

DimensionsSized at 9¼ inches x 8¼ inches

FontSet in Garamond with Early Edition as display

Pages248 pages

AuthorNorman Mailer

IllustrationPrinted with colour integrated photographs throughout

Publication Date15/10/2024

PrintingFirst Printing

Editor's Notes

In 1974, Muhammad Ali prepared to face the formidable heavyweight champion George Foreman. Held in Zaire and dubbed the 'Rumble in the Jungle’, what unfolded became one of the greatest events in sporting history. But this was more than just a boxing match, this was a battle of wills, a clash of cultures, and a moment where a man’s spirit becomes as crucial as his strength.

Norman Mailer's words have been paired with the legendary photographs of Neil Leifer, and his large-scale images capture the crackle and tension of the atmosphere both in and out of the ring. To complete this 50th-anniverary edition, we have a pair of wonderful introductions. Michael Mailer's piece explores the background to the fight and his father's part in it, and Hana Ali writes movingly of her father's later friendship with George Foreman.

Synopsis

Norman Mailer brings readers into the heart of one of the most iconic boxing matches in history where the legendary Muhammed Ali prepares to face the formidable George Foreman in the “Rumble in the Jungle.” With his sharp eye for detail and keen insight into human nature, Mailer goes beyond the ring, capturing the atmosphere of Zaire, the psychological warfare between the fighters and the cultural significance of the event. This is more than just a boxing match, this is a battle of wills, a clash of cultures, and a moment where a man’s spirit becomes as crucial as his strength. In Mailer’s hands, The Fight becomes a gripping tale of strategy, resilience, and the indomitable force of character.

About the Photography

Neil Leifer

Neil Leifer, born in 1942 in New York City, is an acclaimed American sports photographer and filmmaker. His career began in his teens, capturing the 1958 NFL Championship Game, and he soon became a regular contributor to major publications like Sports Illustrated and Time. Leifer's iconic 1965 photograph of Muhammad Ali standing over Sonny Liston is widely regarded as one of the greatest sports images ever taken. Over six decades, he has covered 16 Olympic Games, four FIFA World Cups, and numerous other major sporting events. Leifer has published 17 books and has been honored with multiple awards, including the Lucie Award for Achievement in Sports Photography

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Norman Mailer was a towering figure in American post-war letters. He wrote numerous best-selling novels, won the Pulitzer Prize twice, and helped found The Village Voice. He was the editor of Dissent from 1952 to 1963 and was jailed in 1967 for his part in demonstrations against the Vietnam War. He wrote more than 40 books including the novels The Naked and the Dead (1948), The Deer Park (1955), Why Are We in Vietnam? (1967), The Executioner's Song (1979), and Harlot's Ghost (1991), and the non-fiction works The Armies of the Night (1968) and A Fire on the Moon (published in the USA as Of a Fire on the Moon, 1970). Mailer was a fan of boxing for 40 years, practicing the sport himself, and wrote extensively on the subject. He died in 2007.

Hana Ali is the daughter of Muhammad Ali and Veronica Porché. She is the author of three books about her father’s life and legacy – At Home with Muhammad Ali(2018), The Soul of a Butterfly (2004), and More Than a Hero(2000) – and has been featured in several documentaries and television spotlights on him, most notably I Am Ali and The Trials of Muhammad Ali.

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