Going the Distance : The Ken Norton Story
Norton, the likeable former Marine whose crossed-arm, off-kilter style gave Muhammad Ali fits in their three close fights in the 1970s, was briefly heavyweight champion himself before losing in a rousing battle with Larry Holmes. Following his retirement and several movie roles, Norton nearly died when his car tumbled from the Santa Monica Freeway in 1986. Norton emerged from the TV death watch and recovered enough to tell his story and see his son, Ken Norton Jr., become a star in the NFL. This book, with a foreword by Joe Frazier, is two-thirds a narrative of his dramatic life and one-third approving testimonials from family and friends. Norton harbors surprisingly little bitterness, especially toward the impressive group of men (Ali, Foreman, Shavers, Holmes) he fought in the ring:  I!ve always liked Ali. I liked him before we fought; I liked him after we fought: Just not during.  This patchy but honest telling of his life should appeal to Norton!s fans and to large sports collections."Nathan Ward,  Library JournalCopyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.