Return of the king : the rebirth of Muhammad Ali and the rise of Atlanta / Thomas Aiello.
Return of the King tells the story of Muhammad Ali's return to the ring in 1970, after a more than three-year suspension for refusing his draft notice as a conscientious objector during the Vietnam War. With Ali's career still in doubt, he found new support in shifting public opinion about the war and in Atlanta, a city still governed by white supremacy, but a white supremacy decidedly different from that of its neighbor cities in the Deep South. Atlanta had been courting and landing professional sports teams in football, basketball, and baseball since the end of 1968. An influential state politician, Leroy Johnson, Georgia's first Black state senator since Reconstruction, was determined to help Ali return after his exile. The state had no boxing commission to prevent Ali from fighting there, so Johnson made it his mission for Ali to make a comeback in Georgia. Ali's opponent would be Jerry Quarry, the top heavyweight contender and, more important, a white man who had spoken out against Ali's objection to the war. In Return of the King, Thomas Aiello examines the history of Muhammad Ali, Leroy Johnson, and the city of Atlanta, while highlighting an important fight of Ali's that changed the trajectory of his career. Although the fight between Ali and Quarry lasted only three rounds, those nine minutes changed boxing forever and were crucial to both the growth of Atlanta and the rebirth of Ali's boxing career.
Record details
- ISBN: 9781496244185
- ISBN: 1496244184
- Physical Description: x, 312 pages, 22 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations ; 24 cm
- Publisher: Lincoln : University of Nebraska Press, [2025]
- Copyright: ©2025
Content descriptions
- Bibliography, etc. Note:
- Includes bibliographical references and index.
- Formatted Contents Note:
- Class, race, and the rise of Leroy Johnson in Atlanta: 1895-1968 -- Black power, black sport, and the fall of Muhammad Ali: 1942-1968 -- Growing pains: 1969 -- The politics of race (and boxing): January to July, 1970 -- The politics of boxing (and race): August to September, 1970 -- Return of the king: October 1970 -- After October: 1970-1996
Search for related items by subject
- Subject:
- Ali, Muhammad, 1942-2016.
Johnson, Leroy, 1928-
Boxers (Sports) > United States > Biography.
Boxing > United States > History.
Boxing matches > Georgia > Atlanta > 20th century > History.
Atlanta (Ga.) > History. - Genre:
- Biographies.
Available copies
- 10 of 10 copies available at NC Cardinal. (Show)
- 1 of 1 copy available at Onslow County Public Library.
Holds
- 0 current holds with 10 total copies.
Show All Copies
| Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Status | Due Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jacksonville Main Library | 796.83 AIE (Text) | 36015000760047 | Adult Nonfiction | Available | - |
Accessibility Features
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| 100 | 1 | . | ‡aAiello, Thomas, ‡d1977- ‡eauthor. ‡0(CARDINAL)853347 |
| 245 | 1 | 0. | ‡aReturn of the king : ‡bthe rebirth of Muhammad Ali and the rise of Atlanta / ‡cThomas Aiello. |
| 264 | 1. | ‡aLincoln : ‡bUniversity of Nebraska Press, ‡c[2025] | |
| 264 | 4. | ‡c©2025 | |
| 300 | . | ‡ax, 312 pages, 22 unnumbered pages of plates : ‡billustrations ; ‡c24 cm | |
| 336 | . | ‡atext ‡btxt ‡2rdacontent | |
| 337 | . | ‡aunmediated ‡bn ‡2rdamedia | |
| 338 | . | ‡avolume ‡bnc ‡2rdacarrier | |
| 504 | . | ‡aIncludes bibliographical references and index. | |
| 505 | 0 | . | ‡aClass, race, and the rise of Leroy Johnson in Atlanta: 1895-1968 -- Black power, black sport, and the fall of Muhammad Ali: 1942-1968 -- Growing pains: 1969 -- The politics of race (and boxing): January to July, 1970 -- The politics of boxing (and race): August to September, 1970 -- Return of the king: October 1970 -- After October: 1970-1996 |
| 520 | . | ‡aReturn of the King tells the story of Muhammad Ali's return to the ring in 1970, after a more than three-year suspension for refusing his draft notice as a conscientious objector during the Vietnam War. With Ali's career still in doubt, he found new support in shifting public opinion about the war and in Atlanta, a city still governed by white supremacy, but a white supremacy decidedly different from that of its neighbor cities in the Deep South. Atlanta had been courting and landing professional sports teams in football, basketball, and baseball since the end of 1968. An influential state politician, Leroy Johnson, Georgia's first Black state senator since Reconstruction, was determined to help Ali return after his exile. The state had no boxing commission to prevent Ali from fighting there, so Johnson made it his mission for Ali to make a comeback in Georgia. Ali's opponent would be Jerry Quarry, the top heavyweight contender and, more important, a white man who had spoken out against Ali's objection to the war. In Return of the King, Thomas Aiello examines the history of Muhammad Ali, Leroy Johnson, and the city of Atlanta, while highlighting an important fight of Ali's that changed the trajectory of his career. Although the fight between Ali and Quarry lasted only three rounds, those nine minutes changed boxing forever and were crucial to both the growth of Atlanta and the rebirth of Ali's boxing career. | |
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| 600 | 1 | 0. | ‡aJohnson, Leroy, ‡d1928- |
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| 650 | 0. | ‡aBoxing matches ‡zGeorgia ‡zAtlanta ‡y20th century ‡xHistory. | |
| 651 | 0. | ‡aAtlanta (Ga.) ‡xHistory. | |
| 655 | 7. | ‡aBiographies. ‡2lcgft ‡0(CARDINAL)326681 | |
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