"Montville, one of the best sportswriters of his generation, vividly frames Ali's individual struggle against the backdrop of the civil rights movement and the upheaval of the late '60s."
--Chicago Tribune

"An absorbing portrait of Ali during his years of vilification and exile from the ring . . . Somehow Mr. Montville has managed, in a sympathetic but not hagiographic fashion, to find a fresh angle on the Greatest--by showing him embattled, as one might expect, and yet outside the ring."
--The Wall Street Journal

"Meticulously researched . . . The inventory of Ali books is indeed long. But put this one on the short list."
--Newsday

"A fresh, ambitious book about one of the most written-about men in the history of sports or anything else . . . He's a writer who never disappoints."
--The Boston Globe

"Sting Like a Bee is a valuable, indeed essential, addition to the growing library on Ali, offering a broader understanding of the enigma known as 'the Greatest.'"
--The Washington Post

"A fast-paced account of Muhammad Ali's struggle as a conscientious draft objector, a flashpoint for a tumultuous era. . . A dramatic, pleasing tale of a sports iconoclast fighting for his rights."
--Kirkus

"Montville has given fans and boxing historians a thoroughly enjoyable and informative read."
--Library Journal (starred review)

"Fascinating backstory . . . the result is a book that belongs in the top tier of Ali literature."
--Booklist

"Revealing . . . With dry humor, Montville portrays the central figures of Ali's life--mostly hustlers and religious idealists--as well as the controversies surrounding an African-American who both condemned racial injustice and praised George Wallace . . . Montville shows how Ali earned the title he came up with for himself: 'The Greatest.'"
--Publishers Weekly

"In Sting Like a Bee, Montville has put together an exhaustively researched and deftly written account of that stretch. The portrait of Ali is rendered with rich, meticulous detail . . . there's no denying that Sting Like a Bee will give the reader a new appreciation for the difficulties of Ali's journey."
--The Maine Edge

"Montville has conducted serious research into the legal maneuvering and legal issues surrounding Muhammad Ali and the draft, and brought the source material together in a way that makes it more easily accessed and more fully understood. That's a valuable service."
--Ring Magazine