For years recognized as the world's best-known athlete, Muhammad Ali played a fascinating role in American culture, with an influence that reached far beyond sports and, in many ways, defined his times. Ali the boxer stood side by side with Ali the vocal Black Muslim, Ali the cultural force, Ali the anti-war protestor, Ali the celebrity, Ali the narcissist, and more. In Muhammad Ali, the People's Champ, experts unpack Ali's various incarnations to build a vivid portrait of an iconic figure in the ring of public history and reveal how he touched people's lives in ways unprecedented by any sports figure before or since.

Elliot J. Gorn is the Joseph A. Gagliano Chair in American Urban History in the Department History at Loyola University. His books include Let the People See: The Story of Emmett Till and The Manly Art: Bare-Knuckle Prize Fighting in America.