Reviews

This was a GREAT gift! I purchased it for my husband, framed it, and it was the BEST gift ever! Plus everyone that comes over comments on how nice it is!

I got it. I love it. My friends love it. What else would you need to know?

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if your an ali fan, or a boxing fan this one you need. its a classic!

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I have nothing to add to the sentiments others have expressed with regard to the broadcast, all the performers did their best, on short notice, to express common feelings. Watching it , as year 2010 begins, I am impressed by the impact of the musical performers, with none of the paraphernalia and electronic enhancements utilized in concert sites and recording studios, and by the actors, who stepped forward, with little or no rehearsal time, and spoke their few lines with dignity and simplicity. As others have pointed out, the broadcast preserves memories of the disaster, as well as of the response it evoked from the American people. Whether you buy it at the modest price, rent or download it, you should make it a point to see and/or hear this permanent bit of Americana.

I was looking forward to rewatching the tribute, as I saw it back in 2001 when it was first aired. However, the DVD stopped midway through the playing of it. I contacted the seller immediately & because they had no more of this DVD, I was refunded my money. Even though I would have preferred to have the DVD, I was satisfied with the transaction, because I was refunded my money very quickly.

We enjoy this DVD. Watch it often. As advertised. Will go back to this company.

A 9/11 program to try to heal a nation. Maybe if you watch it today, you'll regain the feelings we all felt when we saw the twin towers fall? Patriotic!

I remember watching this telecast thinking America will rise up from the ashes of the 9/11 stronger and more determined to spread the ideals of democracy than ever before. Sadly, due to this horrific event and the panic it caused, Americans have had give up certain freedoms in the name of national security. But that's neither here or there when discussing this stellar concert DVD. Many of the performances are just as powerful and revealing as they were in September of 01'. Some of the highlights for me are: Bruce Springsteen - "My City of Ruin" Beautiful harmonies and classic Springsteen lyrics...full of imagery and faith in humanity. U2 - "Walk On" "You got to leave it behind..." Bono at his anthemic best. Faith Hill - "There Will Come a Day" One of Mississippi's finest...what a powerful voice. First to use the gospel choir to uplift. Enrique Iglesias - "Hero" I know a lot of people dislike/hate this performance, but aside from his dramatic grand gestures, the song is beautiful. I feel like he tried to put a lot of passion into his performance that comes across sometimes as cheesy. Enrique's "Hero" is a lot more geniune than the Mariah "Scary" version. Another good use of the gospel choir. Billy Joel - "New York State of Mind" The quintessential New Yorker pledging his allegiance to his beleaguered city. A saxaphone accompanist (Dave Koz, Steve Eisen?) hits the right note for the melancholy performance. Dixie Chicks - "I Believe in Love" Natalie Maines sings with a plantive wail and the Chicks harmonies are sad and sweet. Martie Seidel's fiddle is a fine 6th man. Dave Matthews - "Everyday" One man, one voice, one guitar. "All you need is love"...indeed. Bon Jovi - "Livin' On a Prayer" I always liked this song but after this performance I LOVE this song, Bon Jovi's arrangement is excellent, Jon Bon Jovi vocals were inspired along with the great musicianship as well. Also another awesome violin accompaniment. Bon Jovi did Jersey proud. All in all this is a outstanding concert DVD to own, although the tone is relective and somber, it is ultimately hopeful as well.

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This is one of the greatest (pun intended) compilations of all times. Great variety and most songs would stand alone fine. There might be a couple of novelty tracks (Ali was not the most gifted vocalist), but the other stuff is super-rare and you would search the crevices of obscure vinyl stores forever to get all these songs together.

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The reviews say it all. The series is very comprehensive and well balanced, showing all aspects of the Cold War, with a lot of unique film material, telling interviews with witnesses and a competent commentary. An incredible amount of money, research and thought has been invested into this series, comprising 24 sequels. If only Warner Bros. or whoever now owns the rights would reissue this fantastic series on DVD! There's so much crap being reissued on DVD while this masterpiece lays buried in the archive. It's a shame! CNN, Warner Bros. or whoever it may concern - PLEASE MOVE!

This is an excellent series, done in a similar style to the WWII documentary "World at War" (both were produced by Jeremy Isaacs--Ted Turner had seen that earlier program and asked Isaacs to produce a cold war documentary). Unfortunately it's never been put on DVD, and the VHS version has long been out of print, with used copies typically fetching over a hundred dollars. So if you want to see it and don't care too much about video quality, I recommend going to video dot google dot com and doing a search for something like "cnn cold war", or "cold war" plus a specific episode title--most or all can be found online.

WE NEED THIS TO BE RELEASED ON DVD, THE WORLD IS INCOMPLETE WITHOUT THIS GEM OF HISTORICAL FILMMAKING! PLEASE RELEASE IT ON DVD!!!!!!

This is beyond a shadow of a doubt the best documentary I have ever seen on the Cold War, but it will never be released on DVD, at least not for the forseeable future, much to the chagrin of many. This film series first aired in 1998 and was released on VHS after DVD's came into vogue, but before the explosion of movies and documentaries released on DVD in 2001-2002 -- so CNN at the time would have been in no initial rush to get it out on DVD since prior to 2001, documentaries on the new medium were an anomaly rather than the rule. Then 9/11 occured. After 9/11, the Bush Administration had many documents and much declassified film footage reclassified -- specifically those documents and clips which potentially compromised U.S. military operations then underway in Afghanistan (Nov. 2001) -- incidently the same month in which the CNN Cold War series went out of print on VHS, although a few copies remained in stores for purchase out of warehouse stocks until mid-2002. Episodes 19 and 20, "Freeze" and "Soldiers of God," contain footage and evidence of the U.S. as a result of Cold War tensions supplying the Mujahadeen (a.k.a. Taliban & Islamic Fundamentalists of which Osama Bin Laden was a part of) with hundreds of millions of dollars of military aid through Pakistan as an intermediary. Mujahadeen leaders, soldiers, as well as ordinary Afghan citizens are interviewed, and many clips of Afghan warriors, including the way and style in which they fought the Soviets, were shown, with an explanation of just how they defeated them time and time again in those rocky mountains and the deserts down below -- those same rocky mountains that in 2001, as now, Osama Bin Laden is presumed to be hiding out with the help of those like the people interviewed on these episodes. Incidently, "Soldiers of God" includes a scene with Former Sec. of State Zbigniew Brezizinski in 1980 telling the Islamic Fundamentalists that "God is on their side," urging them to fight on with the assurance that America was behind them. State Department officials are interviewed as well to confirm that the United States turned a blind eye (like it is now) to the human rights violations, Islamic radicalism, and totalitarian regime within Pakistan for the sake of its own interests in Afghanistan. With the Middle Eastern film footage reclassified, CNN quit manufacturing the series because it would have meant selling an incomplete product to a potential consumer who it was assumed would not otherwise purchase it unless complete (kudos to this faithful and traditionalist outlook). Who would want a VHS series on the Cold War in which two episodes covering the years 1977 to 1988 had to essentially be deleted? They couldn't really be redone properly without the reclassified footage, but since Ted Turner -- the reason the Cold War was made in the first place -- was no longer at the helm of CNN in 2001, why would the Time-Warner Board of Directors want to waste the time and effort to make two replacement episodes to "glorify" the narcissistic tendencies of the guy they had just pressured to resign from the V-P slot? Considering that only recently there has been talk that Ted Turner might be trying to gain the Board Chairmanship through backchannel means, one can only guess that, assuming its either untrue or he fails, the Time-Warner Board is not particularly interested in reissuing, even in part, a series that was the brain child of the man they are trying to fight off a potential takeover bid from. So you see, there really is little chance that this documentary will be released on DVD anytime in the near future, not unless the "War on Terror" is miraculously won and the film footage from Iran and Afghanistan declassified, which probably won't happen anytime soon. The point of all this is, BUY THIS SET USED OR HOWEVER YOU CAN OBTAIN IT. IT IS WORTH VIEWING AND WILL BLOW YOUR MIND EVEN IF THE GOVERNMENT DOESN'T WANT YOU TO SEE EVERYTHING ON IT.

This is a superb series that details the entire Cold War begining just after WWII through the Gorbachev years. I remember watching it on cable almost a decade ago, and have been waiting for it to be released on DVD, but unfortunately it is only available on (useless) VHS. Time-Warner, please release this on DVD!!!1

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In High School I had to read Howard Fast's novel "Freedom Road" and thought it was very good and had me reading it in one setting. I watched the "mini-series" when it came on, and while I enjoyed it I felt the acting wasn't very good and felt that Muhammad Ali wasn't quite ready to be an actor and wasn't the best choice to play in this. Other than the acting(I felt the whole cast wasn't into the movie like they should have been) that this was just fine.

This is the best movie I've ever bought. I definitely recommend you this movie. Muhammad Ali's best movie and a fine performance by Kris Kristofferson

Reviews

This docu-musical is a treasure. A time-capsule, even. Folks, if you're like me, and you like the artists, and you Love Ali, then "Soul Power" is a must see! I give it a 10.

The tale of this film is the film, which makes it doubly fascinating. It tells the whole story of the concert, which, considering it mainly uses the stars and players to tell it, is a chance to see these artists before they come on stage, and their interactions with each other Their respect for each other is rich, and heartfelt. It doesn't take long to start feeling something while watching this film, and then to have that feeling just get stronger as the story progresses to finally amazing concert footage. Once you see the solo Bill Withers song, you may agree with me that is simply the best vocal of anyone you have ever seen. It just seems to get stronger and better, and then Mr. Brown's incredibly tight show at the end just power punches you right out of your seat. Just marvelously human and wonderful entertainment. The extras have a kind of hidden layer to find the extra concert material as opposed to just extra scenes...so be sure to bump around those extras layers to find them...there's more james brown... Man, what a great film. I'm lucky, I watched this on my front projection system with a 72 inch screen and a great surround sound system with all Paradigm speakers...I tell you, the cost was justified.

1974. The year that record producer Stewart Levine and South African trumpeter came up with an idea to bring together African-American and African music artists for a three day music festival. The festival would also consist of a major heavyweight boxing championship between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman (who was the current heavyweight champion). In addition to the music festival and boxing championship, a movie would document the creation of this event which would be known as "Zaire 74" and the documentary which would be known as "Soul Power" would be directed by Jeffrey Levy-Hinte would be released in 2008. The documentary covers the music festival while the fight was covered in the 1996 documentary "When We Were Kings"(producers of this documentary also produced "Soul Power") which featured the championship match between Ali and Foreman. "Zaire 74" looked very promising until the last minute when George Foreman had an injury which would postpone the boxing match for three weeks and thus the audience of expected international tourists was eliminated. So, now the creators of the event have a difficult decision. To go on with the music festival or not? Featuring talent such as James Brown, BB King, The Spinners and African performers such as Miriam Makeba, TPOK Jazz, Tabu Ley Rochereau and many other performers such as Celia Cruz and the Fania All-Stars to other celebrities including Muhammad Ali and Don King. With so much invested, stages have been built...there was only one decision that could be made. The show must go on! "Soul Power" documents the festival from what took place before the event, the challenges the crew faced especially hearing from the Foreman camp, to the meeting between the talent and the performers performing a song onstage. VIDEO & AUDIO: "Soul Power" is presented in 1080p High Definition (1:78:1 aspect ratio). One thing that I did notice that this film, now over 35-years later appears with a lot of grain. Personally, this was no problem for me as a lot of music-based concerts from the 70's have this look and personally, I would have it with the grain than without (ala DNR - Digital Noise Reduction). Of course, there are people who are going to complain about the amount of grain (ie. "The French Connection) but personally, I rather have a grainy look than a waxy, cloudy look due to DNR. But for the most part, it was great to see everyone during this time period. A time capsule of a time of seeing a music festival being created in Zaire. You see quite a bit of earth tone colors and a good amount of detail of the people up front and close especially with Muhammad Ali and James Brown. As for audio, the documentary is featured in English and Portuguese 5.1 DTS-HD MA and Spanish 5.1. The first half of "Soul Power" is dialogue driven. Many of the crew and talent building the set, communicating to each other, talking on the phones, to the camera, etc. Dialogue is clear and understandable (albeit people talking over each other at times). I noticed even surround usage for crowd ambiance and other effects. Of course, it's when you reach the second half and that is where the film shifts to the music performances. Audio sounds fantastic and there is good amount of bass. Good use of the entire soundscape as the lossless audio just sounds vibrant and crisp. Overall, people interested in this film should be happy with the lossless audio. Subtitles are presented in English, English SDH, French, Spanish and Portuguese. SPECIAL FEATURES: "Soul Power" comes with the following special features presented in standard definition in stereo with optional Portuguese and Spanish subtitles: * Commentary with Director Jeffrey Levy-Hinte and Music/Festival Producer Stewart Levine - The commentary by both Jeffrey Levy-Hinte and Stewart Levine is quite interesting. If anything, the film is definitely nostalgic as they see themselves back in 1974 and reminisce about certain scenes and discuss the creation of the music festival and the talents that performed at the music festival. Pretty much an informative commentary especially from Levine who gives some detail on the actual music festival itself. * Deleted Scenes - (42:11) A total of nine lengthy deleted scenes including additional performances from other artists featured in the film. * Theatrical Trailer - (1:57) The original theatrical trailer. JUDGMENT CALL: The release of "Soul Power" is quite interesting. Especially with a lot of music festivals on DVD and Blu-ray were typically rock-based releases. This is the first documentary/film I have seen covering soul music. I've always heard and seen footage from "Zaire 74 but mainly about the actual events leading up to the "Rumble in the Jungle" boxing match between Ali and Foreman. Of course, there was another concert that took place in Ghana and was released on DVD titled "Soul to Soul" feature Ike and Tina Turner and many other talent which has not been released on Blu-ray but to see "Soul Power" look and sound so good on Blu-ray is fantastic. The first half for me was very enjoyable as we see the challenges that the crew had to face in putting on this festival but also seeing Muhammad Ali being himself and just producing this continuous flow of words that he just doesn't even hesitate as he talks about America's perception of Africa and then what he saw in Africa and how peaceful it was versus what he has experienced in New York. It was also great to see James Brown because so much footage we have seen is of a later James Brown but what a great opportunity to see him and many other musical talented perform but also to hear it in lossless audio. Memorable scenes include BB King performing "The Thrill is Gone", The Spinners, Celia Cruz and the gang just jamming on the airplane ride to Zaire and a wonderful performance by Miram Makeba and a wonderful ending performance as James Brown performs "Say It Loud (I'm Black and I'm Proud)". Audience was definitely into the performance and for the most part, an energetic vibe on the concert end but a seemingly stressful side on the production end as the crew had their hands tied up on making this festival happen. Many may be wondering if there is a big difference between the "Masters of Cinema" Blu-ray release and the Sony Pictures Classic version. The MoC (UK) version comes with an exclusive video interview with the director plus extra concert footage of James Brown, Sister Sledge and the Pointer Sisters. These additional performances are featured in the deleted scenes of the US release but the MoC version also includes a 36-page booklet which are not included in this Sony Pictures Classics Blu-ray release. Overall, it's wonderful to have this documentary released on Blu-ray. With so much attention on the Ali and Foreman fight featured in the "When We Were Kings" documentary, it was great to see that there was a lot of footage from the Zaire 74 festival especially behind-the-scenes on the production end. If you are a big fan of soul music, "Soul Power" is a Blu-ray worth owning!

Less a concert film than a time capsule of Black music in the 1970s In 1974 Muhammad Ali was scheduled to fight George Foreman in Zaire to to regain the Heavyweight title. The promoter of the fight was the always-colorful Don King. In conjunction with the fight a large concert was planned featuring American and African and Latin pop stars. A few weeks before, Foreman cut himself and the fight had to be postponed. But there was money to be made on the concert so - with private financing from some Liberians - the concert went on. This film is a documentary on the staging of the concert. Its making its DVD debut here. If you are looking for a "Woodstock" experience or even "Wattstax", you might be disappointed. Less than 40% of the screen time is devoted to musical performances. In fact, except for an opening number by James Brown, there is no music footage for the first 33 minutes of this 93-minute film. There is a lot of the planning - especially when the "money man" has some issues - and setting up the stage. And there is Ali talking about the race issue in the US (in his trademark rhymes). When we get to the concert, things kick in with some incredible - and sometimes unusual - performances. Bill Withers plays a solo acoustic guitar in a strong vocal performance. Miriam Makeba explains her "Click Song". The Fania All Stars (with Celia Cruz) and the Crusaders do their thing and B.B. King does his "Thrill is Gone" for the umpteenth time. Surprisingly the performers are never identified until the closing credits! Some of the performers are not known in the US and, even those that are (Withers, for example) will be new to younger viewers. No performer gets more than one song - except Brown, who gets two. Bonus features include a commentary track by the Director and Festival Producer and 42 minutes of Deleted Scenes. These scenes include five minutes of rehearsals (mostly Cruz) and one performance by Sister Sledge (who do not perform in the released film). And then there is the best three minutes on the whole disc: James Brown, in a hot and SWEATY performance of "Try Me". Why this was deleted is a mystery to me but it's a classic moment and captured in amazing close-ups. So, as a documentary this film serves its purpose of capturing this period in time and place. But there is less music than some might hope for so know that you probably won't be watching it through multiple times (like "Woodstock" or "Wattstax"). But its great to have it available. Steve Ramm "Anything Phonographic"

Reviews

This is a great documentary! I love sports documentaries and this ranks as one of the tops, but of course behind "hoop dreams" in my opinion. If you love boxing back in the glory days when this sport was at the top, this is the film to buy. If you love Ali and Foreman, this film is well put together to tell you the story of one of the greatest boxing matches. Loved it!

This documentary covers the boxing event of Ali Vs. Foreman. This even was huge because it is between two of the best boxing fighters in the world at that time. Mohammed Ali was the experienced one, however Foreman was the younger and faster one. Many people expected Foreman to win this fight. Even though this documentary is focused on one event in Ali's lifetime, however it explains to you why Ali is such a legend. It will teach you a lot on Ali's character and personal values, which contributed a lot to his legacy.

This video documentary was incredible. To be able to watch Ali during an impressive beginning to his career was enlightening. We later watched the Ali movie with Will Smith -- and there is nothing better than seeing Ali living it out.I am not a boxing fan, but this is about life during changing times, and as a child of those times, even I learned new things.

I liked this if nothing else to see Ali, Foreman, James Brown, Don King and every black celebrity who was anybody young. I know the back story on this and there was so much material that the filmmaker was afraid to cut anything so just kept everything for nearly 30 years. I would have liked to see the entire fight but I really enjoyed it and have shown it to several people. I was actually more interested in George Foreman after this and would like to see another documentary focusing more on him. I had the good fortune to meet Mr. Foreman in Houston a few years ago and he was very charming and articulate. It's nice to NOT be disappointed in a celebrity athlete for once.

This is truely one of the best movies I've ever seen. If you were lucky enough to grow up in the seventies and witness this amazing event, I was [..] at the time, you will not be dissappointed. In my opinion Ali vs Foreman is a David and Goliath story. Ali was expected to get destroyed by Foreman but cut him down with character and sheer will. It doesn't get any better than this!

Reviews

Simply the best documentary you will ever see detailing the life of a legend.He WAS the greatest!

And if you doubt me, watch this video. Worth the price even without the fights. This man is so incredibly entertaining, such an amazing fighter. So far ahead if his time in every way. Im a true ali fan. This collection is better than any dvd or book on Ali. Footage of him at 15 saying "I'm the Greatest"! hilarious Boxing history and American history. Show it to anyone who will watch. They will thank you.

I gifted this to my dad, who is a boxing fan. He absolutely loved it. 6 hours of great boxing. I would recommend this to anyone who like boxing or ALI or both.

This three-disc documentary about the career of Muhammad Ali is amazing, worth more than 100 miscast biopics put together. It tells the whole story, from his youth to his gold medal to his ascension to the championship to his exile from the sport and right through to the end of his fighting days and his later-life bout with Parkinson's. It works for fans of Ali, obviously, but it also works if you want a general primer on boxing history or even an overview of the social, cultural, and political tumult of the 60's. Love him or hate him, the man is an icon, and this has all the footage and all the interviews with all the people who know and were there. An absolute must-have.

When you pose with Muhammad Ali for photographs what he likes to do is have you make a fist and put it up against the side of the face while he assumes a boxing pose, so you look like you are landing a heavy blow against the only man ever to win the heavyweight boxing title three times. However, when it was my turn to pose there was no way on earth I was going to pretend I was beating up on the Champ, so I just wanted to shake hands. This gave Ali a chance to give me bunny ears. "Muhammad Ali: The Whole Story" is a six-part documentary that chronicles legendary career: (1) "The Beginning: Olympic Gold" covers his years as an amateur. There is very little about Ali's career before he began boxing (one of the stories his mother tells is how as a baby he hit her in the mouth and loosened a tooth: "his first knockout" she says proudly). (2) "The Youngest Heavyweight" looks at the start of Cassius Clay's professional career, leading up to his winning the heavyweight crown from Sonny Liston. (3) "Exile" contrasts Muhammad Ali's title defenses with the rises problems tied to both his conversion to Islam and his refusal to be drafted, which ends with him being stripped of his title. Disc B begins with (4) "The Road Back," where it takes three years for Ali to get another fight, culminating in losing his first fight to Joe Frazier. (5) "The Rumble in the Jungle" ends with Ali winning back the title from George Foreman, after breaking his jaw and losing to Ken Norton. Finally, (6) "The Thrilla in Manila" makes the third and final fight with Joe Frazier the centerpiece for the end of Ali's career, with less attention being paid to Ali losing and winning back the title from Michael Spinks than to the final title fight with Larry Holmes, after which Ali was diagnosed with Parkinson's Syndrome. Ali is not interviewed for this documentary, although he appears in some shots at the end. Talking about the champ is left to the men who worked in his corner (e.g., Angelo Dundee), the men that he fought (e.g., Ken Norton), the reporters who covered the fights (e.g., Howard Cosell), and the women that he married (e.g., Lonnie Ali). Their recollections and insights are offered in between, and sometimes during, film and video of Ali's fights, news footage, and television appearances (including Ali singing on "The Ed Sullivan Show" with the cast from the Broadway musical he did while in exile). For most of the key fights in Ali's career there are extended sequences and not just highlights. By the time you get to the Foreman and final Frazier fights it seems odd that there are commentators talking throughout the fight because most of the early fights are without commentary, and while directors Joseph and Sandra Consentino sometimes like the likes of Ali's trainer Angelo Dundee provide some insight, more often than not they just add nothing to what we are watching. The strength of this documentary is that we get to watch Ali fight and listen to him talk more than we do the others. Even when we get to the talking heads we hear more from Dundee and journalist Jerry Izenberg than we do from Howard Cosell (which reminds me of an interesting omission: we do not get to the point following the first Liston fight when Clay yells, "I'm a bad man!"). Also, what they have to say is usually descriptive, telling what they remember, rather than trying to offer explanations for the subject. That is until the end, when there is an obvious attempt to put Ali in perspective. This is led primarily to Lonnie Ali, which is a smart move because there is nobody who is going to be more articulate on that score than Ali's wife. The one thing I wanted more of from this 1996 television documentary was an explanation of Ali's fighting technique. At one point Angelo Dundee is talking about how Ali had three main punches with the left jab setting up his right upper cut and his left hook. So I really wanted to see some examples of this from some of these fights. But there are only a couple of times when a specific knockout punch is looked at in any detail (e.g., the "phantom" punch from the second Liston fight and the four-punch combination that dropped George Foreman). Overall the lesson is that when he was young Ali was too quick too hit, and later on when he slowed down he discovered he could take a punch. Add that throughout his career Ali was usually in better condition and was always smarter, and that is the legacy with which we are left. Clearly with Ali we are talking about the "art" of boxing, but a bit more of the "science" of the sport would be nice too.

Reviews

One of the questions which puzzled the ancient Arabs was, "Where did the sun go when night time came?" The Qur'an gave them Allah's answer. He [i.e. Zul-qarnain] followed, until he reached the setting of the sun. He found it set in a spring of murky water. (Surah XVIII ( Kahf) vs. 85-86) We agree with Muslim scholars that Zul-qarnain refers to Alexander the Great (see Yusuf Ali's appendix on this subject in his translation of the Qur'an). According to this surah, Alexander the Great traveled west until he found out what happened to the sun. It went down into and under the murky waters of a pond. When it was completely covered by the water, darkness fell upon the earth. To the early Muslims, this surah gave the divine answer as to why darkness fell when the sun set in the West. They assumed that the sun, like the moon, was the size perceived by the human eye, about the size of a basketball. Darkness came when with a mighty hissing roar it went down under the dark waters of a pond. They boldly and proudly proclaimed that this marvelous answer proved that the Qur'an was indeed the Word of God. Today, modern Muslims are quite embarrassed by this passage and try to ignore it or to quickly dismiss it as poetry. But the passage is not part of a poem. Thus it cannot be dismissed as figurative language or poetic license. In the context, it is part of a historical narrative which relates several historical incidences in the life of Alexander the Great. The mistake was based on the erroneous assumption that the earth was flat. The authors of the Qur'an did not know that the earth was a sphere which revolved around the sun

This is probably the best translation. No doubt in my mind. If you are going to buy one, this is the book and easier to read for younger readers.

After the success of the dreary and verbose "The Bible", God (under the pen name Allah) has dished out another fantasy novel. The main characters are different, but the whole thing is really the same. Allah bosses some people around, nonbelievers should die, women suck, blah blah. To be honest, I fell asleep a few times reading this book. I always make myself finish what I'm reading, but I almost stopped to read my new copy of Balloon Farm (5 stars) about halfway through. Maybe the Qur'an fanfics will be pretty cool. I would suggest checking some of those out to get a feel for the characters and universe before purchasing this.

Very good trasltion Allah get's his points across check chapter 63 out Chapter 63: Al-Munafiqun - The Hypocrites In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. 1. When the hypocrites come to thee, they say: We bear witness that thou art indeed Allah's Messenger. And Allah knows thou art indeed His Messenger. And Allah bears witness that the hypocrites are surely liars. 2. They take shelter under their oaths, thus turning (men) from Allah's way. Surely evil is that which they do. 3. That is because they believed, then disbelieved; thus their hearts are sealed, so they understand not. 4. And when thou seest them, their persons please thee; and if they speak, thou listenest to their speech. They are like pieces of wood, clad with garments. They think every cry to be against them. They are the enemy, so beware of them. May Allah destroy them! How they are turned back! 5. And when it is said to them: Come, the Messenger of Allah will ask forgiveness for you, they turn away their heads and thou seest them hindering (others), and they are big with pride. 6. It is alike to them whether thou ask forgiveness for them or ask not forgiveness for them -- Allah will never forgive them. Surely Allah guides not the transgressing people. 7. They it is who say: Spend not on those who are with the Messenger of Allah that they may disperse. And Allah's are the treasures of the heavens and the earth, but the hypocrites understand not. 8. They say: If we return to Madinah, the mightier will surely drive out the meaner therefrom. And might belongs to Allah and His Messenger and the believers, but the hypocrites know not. 9. O you who believe, let not your wealth nor your children divert you from the remembrance of Allah; and whoever does that, these are the losers. 10. And spend out of that which We have given you before death comes to one of you, and he says: My Lord, why didst Thou not respite me to a near term, so that I should have given alms and been of the doers of good deeds? 11. But Allah respites not a soul, when its term comes. And Allah is Aware of what you do.

If one wants a detailed commentary of the Qur'an with matching Biblical references, here it is.

Reviews

This was my first time reading Mailer, and I'd never really read something written with that kind of self-important style before, and I didn't even know what to expect going in. But I enjoyed the book quite a bit for what it was and what it wasn't. The description of the fight was tremendous and Mailer's take on both fighters was so distinct and fantastic that you really felt as though you were there. There's something to be said for being able to persuade the reader toward the view of Foreman being the heavy favorite so long after the events have already been written in history. Mailer writing himself in the third person seemed perfectly fine to fit in with the African religious themes he describes, and it just gives a flavor to the book that I didn't expect going in. Definitely recommended if you have an interest in classic American authors, combat sports, or feature-length in-person journalistic accounts.

If ever two egos needed to meet, these were the two. Only Norman Mailer could've made a Muhammad Ali-centered event like "The Rumble In The Jungle" so much about himself. And yet in his way, Mailer makes one want to read and re-read every page. He crafts a tale that makes it easy to sense the chaos preceding a heavyweight title fight, as well as the almost universal expectation that Ali was simply going to get himself killed by George Foreman. I loved Mailer's attempts to draw out Ali, and loved Ali's constant tug-of-war with Mailer, "the press" and the Foreman camp. Were the small cracks in Ali's confidence real, or was it part of the show? Did he use Mailer, or did Mailer use Ali? Having watched the fight many times over the years, I knew how the book would end. And yet I was enthralled by the ebb and flow of Mailer's thoughts as the fight approached and unfolded. No newspaper account...this is a marvelous take on a legendary sporting event, and well worth reading as a fight fan or a literature fan.

Norman Mailer died today. He was my first and maybe largest influence as a writer. (Those who admire and dislike my books have often compared my voice to Mailer's.) THE FIGHT was my introduction to Mailer. It's certainly among the best writing about Ali and about the act of boxing. I wish I'd made the opportunity to tell Mailer of his influence on me. And, heck, I wish I'd had the chance to box with him. I'm sad this afternoon. I'll miss this outsized, ridiculous, singularly talented person. Davis Miller (author of THE TAO OF MUHAMMAD ALI, THE ZEN OF MUHAMMAD ALI AND OTHER OBSESSIONS, THE TAO OF BRUCE LEE: A MARTIAL ARTS MEMOIR)

Norman Mailer delivered a classic in his coverage of the October 30, 1974, "Rumble in the Jungle," in the May 20th Stadium in Kinshasa, Zaire, when heavy underdog Muhammad Ali shocked the world one more time with his 8th round knockout of champion George Foreman. Referring to himself in the third-person, Mailer captures the various angles of the fight that was oftentimes more interesting with the personalities and controversies outside the ring. There are interviews with George Plimpton and Hunter S. Thompson - the Gonzo journalist who could go toe-to-toe with Mailer in the world ego championship - along with the bitter Joe Frazier and vastly underrated contender Ken Norton. This was Don King's first boxing promotion, who got into the game with a boost from Ali. While Mailer gives perhaps the best sketch of Ali's famous cornerman, Drew "Bundini" Brown, it is nearly a throwaway comment on what appeared to be Ali struggling at times with his quick quips that may have been one of the earliest signs of what became permanent neurological damage. Going into the fight, Foreman - who earlier in his pro career enlisted Sonny Liston as a sparring partner - was considered unbeatable, with fears that Ali would get severely hurt in a heroic, but losing effort. After the loss, Foreman claimed - though later recanted - that his water bottle was tampered with & he was drugged. Foreman also claimed - but also recanted - that members of Ali's had loosened the ring ropes, so his punching power was negated by Ali leaning his upper torso & head far outside the ring. The Fight is not the typical coverage of a sporting event, but Mailer proved to be up to the task and delivered some of the best writing in his storied career.

Kinhasa Zaire...1974...One of the most publicized and adored fights of the 1970s, and what better writer to depict the settings than Mailer. This book was a tough find until '96 when the legendary documentary, "When We Were Kings" was released. Mailer's descriptions of the fight throughout the film were compelling enough to make me search out his read. Many people forget that the fight was postponed for two weeks by Foreman's camp, and the fight almost didn't go off, which leads to chaotic story. Mailer's settings in the Zaire heat and his descriptions of icons such as Hunter Thompson, George Plimpton, Jim Brown, and Don King roaming the lobby of Zaire's Inter-Continental Hotel are so good that you'll feel as if you've been thrown back for two weeks through a time-machine to 1974. A true time period when sports was straight-up for men's men Now, I'm not so into the romaticized Ali depictions seen through the eyes of Michael Mann, 'limo liberals' and other misinformed academians, and I will never adopt the modern day pre-fabbed tributes to Ali. Accompany this read with a viewing of "When We Were Kings" or with a read of Thomas Hauser's "King of the World" and Mark Kram's "Ghosts of Manila", and you'll catch my drift. Avoiding a Ali tribute, Mailer loves the sport of boxing, and it shows throughout the book. "The Fight" is a great read that depicts a chaotic time, Zaire, the characters and the life surrounding the classic fight.. Lead with a right-hand jab, and pick this read up. -BD 5/03

Reviews

This book is written by someone who is considered an apostate, a member of the ahmaddiya group on whom all muslim leaders of the world have declared to be non-muslims. Along with much of their literature, there are inaccuracies, mistakes, and outright omissions regarding Islam and muslims. This does not mean that non-muslims cannot write excellent books on Islam that muslims find useful but the intention of this author in many of his works are to introduce the unwary into his cult. Buyer Beware.

This book is a great piece of information for those who wish to get themselves familiar with the Muslim daily devotions. It's a must have, with photo pictures and transliterational lectures, again a must have.

This book is a short introduction to performing basic Muslim prayers, from physical movement aspects, to what is said during the prayers, as well as the times to say them. It also gives prayers and sacred sayings relevant to all sorts of other activities. I am sure there are more extensive and comprehensive books out there, but this is a great book for learning, or at least becoming familiar with, the essentials.

I didn't care for this handbook at all. It was not what I expected.