The ‘greatest’ weighs in…

GOAT — GREATEST OF ALL TIME: A TRIBUTE TO MUHAMMAD ALI

Edited by Benedikt Taschen

Taschen, $3,000, 792 pages, illus.

REVIEWED BY J. ROSS BAUGHMAN

Picture a 75-pound box of candy wrapped in white and pink silk. That’s how the past 60 years of Muhammad Ali’s life have been layered into this book, some kind of cross between a Valentine and an atlas.

That Mr. Ali is worthy seems beyond question nowadays. His Olympic gold, his world-champion titles, his courage of conviction and his unstoppably brash charm all pile up to make him bigger than life. He fought 46 times, including several comebacks, on his way to being one of the most famous people in the world and one of the most photographed ever.

Each memento in this heartfelt scrapbook — every fight poster, front-row ticket stub and magazine cover — was originally saved for its outlandish, over-the-top appeal, just like the man himself. Three thousand images are gorgeously printed here across 792 gilt-edged pages, the biggest measuring 80 inches by 20 inches. Twin, double-page foldouts will take over any coffee table and most of the sofa, too.

Mr. Ali’s face often appears at twice life-size, alternating from handsome to sweaty to very loud-mouthed. His hands alone, even when they curl into fists, remain colossal. After all, an undisputed world heavyweight boxing champ can tower over the rest of the human race physically and, provided that he is an honorable man, in spirit as well.

The drawback is that this record-breaking book offers little in the way of narrative pacing. In a life that has held considerable struggle and pain and plenty to think about, the contributors have stuck with repeating the “I am the greatest!” moment far too often.

German publisher Benedikt Taschen has bitten off this massive tribute and titled it “Greatest Of All Time” (or “GOAT” for short). From the beginning, Mr. Taschen wanted “GOAT” to be seen as “the most comprehensive piece of work ever done on anybody in the history of mankind, period.”

Naturally, we see the champ with Elvis, the Beatles and Nelson Mandela. Also piling onto the free-for-all are contributors Howard Cosell, Elliott Erwitt, Philippe Halsman, Yousuf Karsh, William Klein, Jeff Koons, Annie Leibowitz, Neil Leifer, Danny Lyon, Norman Mailer, Leroy Neiman, Gordon Parks, George Plimpton, Gay Talese, Hunter S. Thompson, Andy Warhol, Bruce Weber and Tom Wolfe.

The reaction of most people seeing the $3,000 book in person for the first time is a smile of stunned disbelief. Obviously, no expense has been spared. The leather for the binding came from Louis Vuitton. For those who want something truly special, including signed prints and a companion sculpture by Mr. Koons, there is also the Champ’s Edition for $7,500.

Admittedly, there is logic and beauty to this milestone in publishing history. If the Taj Mahal or the Great Pyramid of Cheops had been scaled back to the size of, say, a three-bedroom house, they would never rise above the vanity that lies inside them. The same goes for the Statue of Liberty or the Eiffel Tower. If either had been built to sit comfortably in a small town square, neither would today deserve a special visit.

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