The Greatest Of All Time — "A documentation of Ali’s life that reflects the scale of his achievements”

Frankfurt, Germany — Muhammad Ali stole the show at the Frankfurt Book Fair on October 9th, 2003, the world’s largest such event. He was there to announce the launch of ‘GOAT’™ (Greatest Of All Time), the most comprehensive ever assimilation about The Man and perhaps about any celebrity ever. GOAT--published by Benedikt Taschen-- tips the scales at 35 kgs, is 50 cm x 50cm in size and has over 800 pages of photographs, contemporary and newly commissioned articles and graphic artwork from across six decades of Ali’s life.

The book is offered in a limited-edition print run of 10,000 copies, all of which are signed by Muhammad Ali and by the celebrated American pop-artist, Jeff Koons. Much of the work is previously unpublished, giving it an even more unique edge. To cap it all, the project takes place with the participation of Ali himself and those members of the inner circles who have been closest to him over his lifetime.

GOAT will retail at $3,000 (in an edition of 9,000) and an even smaller print run of 1,000, featuring an artwork created by Jeff Koons and including four limited edition prints by Howard L. Bingham (and signed by Ali and Bingham), will retail at $7,500.

Lonnie Ali talked in Frankfurt about what it was like to share her life with "a big brother, an icon and a husband." She added, "Muhammad never looks back, he looks forward. There's never any boredom, each day there's something that comes along. It has been a wonderful, wonderful, wonderful experience to be able to be with him and around him and to experience the love people have for him around the world," she told the packed press conference.

The launch of the book in the U.S. takes place at the Art Basle in Miami in December.

Read more:

Taschen Press Release

About Taschen 

(all photos by Ovais Naqvi)