In Kinshasa, Zaïre, the 1974 "Rumble in the Jungle" pitted the aging superstar Muhammed Ali against the young, undefeated champion George Foreman. It would prove to be an all-time classic bout, but as Norman Mailer clarifies here, it also raised important issues about race, identity, and culture that are far from being resolved today. Whether he is analyzing the fighters' moves, interpreting their characters, or weighing their competing claims on the African and American souls, Mailer—an amateur boxer, and a friend of both men—offers provocative and thoughtful commentary on the sport.