Sound and Fury: Two Powerful Lives, One Fateful Friendship

Muhammed Ali and Howard Cosell, a legendary athlete and a television icon, were individually interesting, but together they were mesmerizing. They were profoundly different—young and old, black and white, a Muslim and a Jew, Ali barely literate, Cosell an editor of his university’s law review. Yet they had in common forces that made them unforgettable: both were unprecedented performers who covered enormous insecurities by demanding, loudly and often, public acclaim. Theirs was an extraordinary alliance that produced drama, comedy, controversy, and a mutual respect that helped shape both men’s lives. Dave Kindred draws on his experiences with Ali and Cosell over nearly four decades, as well as new reporting and interviews, to break new ground in our understanding of these two giants who changed sports and television forever.