Book Description

On April 15, 1947, Jackie Robinson stepped onto Ebbets Field as a Brooklyn Dodger and changed American baseball forever.

The first black man to play in the white major leagues, he had the courage to confront racism and fight for the rights of all black people, on and off the baseball diamond. He shattered the color barrier, and with tremendous skill and determination, he became not only one of the most legendary baseball players of all time, but also a great American hero.

Half a century later, Jackie Robinson's extraordinary story remains an important contribution to America's favorite pastime and to American history. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Stealing home
I think this book is the best because it tell`s how hard it had to be if you were black and what they go through. Jackie Robinson was one of the best player. When Jackie Robinson hit a homerun sometimes they would call it a foul ball or a singel. Not all the time they would call it a homerun. I hope you read this book because you will really see how it would be to walk in the shoes of Jakie Robinson.

Stealing home: The Story of Jackie Robinson
This book opened the eyes of 25 fifth graders to a world they new little or nothing about. I used it as a read aloud in my classroom, with outstanding sucess. The kids loved it. "Stealing Home" tells the story of Robinson, from his childhood in Pasedena, CA where his was the only black family in an all-white neighborhood, through college at UCLA and on into his career. Barry Denenberg, the author, recreates Jackie's life in a way that keeps the reader's interest throughout. In fact, this biography reads a little like a novel. In telling the story of Robinson, Denenberg also paints a portrait of all-black baseball leagues, the pressures faced as the first black man in established white baseball, and an America that excluded a huge portion of its citizens. This background is essential to young readers' ability to comprehend the true story, to be able to appreciate what Mr. Robinson faced in his career and life. However, Denenberg also focuses on the good relationships he had with his wife, Rachel, and Branch Rickey the man who took a chance and gave us one of the best players in history. "Stealing Home" is the story of Jackie Robinson, but it is also the story of the civil rights movement and of the diversification of American sports in a way that made our country richer and wiser. ... Read more

Book Description

AN INTIMATE LOOK AT JACKIE ROBINSON'S FIGHT FOR EQUALITY, FROM FORMER TEAMMATE AND LONGTIME FRIEND CARL ERSKINE

"Jackie needed to quell his anger the first couple of years, a task which only someone of this inner strength and vision could have coped with at that moment. When I reflect and wonder what it must have been like for a man who should have been at the happiest of moments in his life, to still have to deal with racial indignities on a daily basis, it is mind-boggling. Most mortal men would have cracked."--Carl Erskine, from the book

Jackie Robinson changed the game of baseball forever when he paved the way for equality in sports. In What I Learned from Jackie Robinson, former teammate and friend Carl Erskine shares his memories of Jackie's crusade in a loving social memoir.

Written with New York Times bestselling coauthor Burton Rocks and filled with personal photos, this moving portrait of friendship takes readers for the first time inside the locker room, inside the soul of Jackie, and inside the hearts of his friends, teammates, and oppressors. As a former Dodger, with access to the important people from Jackie's life, Erskine talks with Robinson's widow and also shares memories about:

Yogi Berra

Whitey Ford

Sandy Koufax

Stan Musial

Pee Wee Reese

Roy Campanella

Don Drysdale

Billy Martin

and many other players, coaches, sportswriters, and entertainers who remembered Jackie on and off the field. A retrospective on a man who fought for his cause until death, this memoir is a testament to the man and the game that brought the world together when it was falling apart.

Reviews (1)

A Book of Sincere Appreciation
Carl Erskine has written a book of sincere appreciation of former Brooklyn Dodgers' teammate Jackie Robinson for the role he played in Erskine's life and also in advancing the cause of civil rights in which baseball paved the way for the rest of the country to follow.Part of the book covers the careers both had as teammates on the Dodgers and their almost yearly quest to dethrone the Yankees as World Champions in the World Series.Some of the anecdotes can be found in other books, but there are some stories Erskine relates that I have never heard before.Erskine relates the struggle Robinson faced in gaining acceptance in baseball to his (Erskine's) son Jimmy, a Down syndrome child, faced in gaining acceptance in a prejudiced American society. As Erskine relates, the Boys of Summer are now in their autumn as many of his teammates have passed on.Carl believes that our experiences that take place early in our life are designed to prepare us for what is to come ahead.A black friend he had as a young boy prepared him for the time when Robinson would become his teammate.It's easy to see Erskine's affection towards Robinson.Sometimes what appears to be a small kindness looms large in the one who receives it.Carl Erskine pitched as a minor leaguer against the parent Brooklyn Dodgers' team, and after the game Robinson came over and praised Carl's pitching effort to him.To hear this praise coming from Jackie Robinson meant a lot to him, and was something Erskine always remembered.A chapter I especially enjoyed was Erskine relating a year 2000 trip he and his family made to New York and returned to Brooklyn to see the old neighborhood he used to live in while a member of the Dodgers.The book is only 150 pages long, but whether you are of age to remember the Brooklyn Dodgers of the 1950's or not this is a book you will find to be of interest to you. I give the book five stars for Carl's efforts to relate his experiences in trying to teach others the importance of accepting others for who they are. ... Read more

Book Description

The extraordinary life of Jackie Robinson is illuminated as never before in this full-scale biography by Arnold Rampersad, who was chosen by Jack's widow, Rachel, to tell her husband's story, and was given unprecedented access to his private papers. We are brought closer than we have ever been to the great ballplayer, a man of courage and quality who became a pivotal figure in the areas of race and civil rights.

Born in the rural South, the son of a sharecropper, Robinson was reared in southern California. We see him blossom there as a student-athlete as he struggled against poverty and racism to uphold the beliefs instilled in him by his mother--faith in family, education, America, and God.

We follow Robinson through World War II, when, in the first wave of racial integration in the armed forces, he was commissioned as an officer, then court-martialed after refusing to move to the back of a bus. After he plays in the Negro National League, we watch the opening of an all-American drama as, late in 1945, Branch Rickey of the Brooklyn Dodgers recognized Jack as the right player to break baseball's color barrier--and the game was forever changed.

Jack's never-before-published letters open up his relationship with his family, especially his wife, Rachel, whom he married just as his perilous venture of integrating baseball began. Her memories are a major resource of the narrative as we learn about the severe harassment Robinson endured from teammates and opponents alike; about death threats and exclusion; about joy and remarkable success. We watch his courageous response to abuse, first as a stoic endurer, then as a fighter who epitomized courage and defiance.

We see his growing friendship with white players like Pee Wee Reese and the black teammates who followed in his footsteps, and his embrace by Brooklyn's fans. We follow his blazing career: 1947, Rookie of the Year; 1949, Most Valuable Player; six pennants in ten seasons, and 1962, induction into the Hall of Fame.

But sports were merely one aspect of his life. We see his business ventures, his leading role in the community, his early support of Martin Luther King Jr., his commitment to the civil rights movement at a crucial stage in its evolution; his controversial associations with Eisenhower, Kennedy, Nixon, Humphrey, Goldwater, Nelson Rockefeller, and Malcolm X.

Rampersad's magnificent biography leaves us with an indelible image of a principled man who was passionate in his loyalties and opinions: a baseball player who could focus a crowd's attention as no one before or since; an activist at the crossroads of his people's struggle; a dedicated family man whose last years were plagued by illness and tragedy, and who died prematurely at fifty-two. He was a pathfinder, an American hero, and he now has the biography he deserves. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

This book cooks!
I wasn't a huge baseball fan when I started this book, but I'd heard of Jackie Robinson. I used to think I knew who he was. Well, you don't anything until you read this book! The comforting text inches over every exciting aspect of Jackie Robinson's life. It was written using information that Jackie Robinson's wife provided for the first time. The topics range from rising above racism to sharing personal family experiences. If you love baseball, this book is absolutely for you. However, if you're not really into sports (like me), then you'll still adore this true-life story that seems almost unreal.

Brings the Legend who was Jackie Robinson to life.
In his excellent biography of Brooklyn Dodgers infielder Jackie Robinson, author Arnold Rampersad has painted with a crisp and lively narrative an objective, balanced , and candid portrait of a legend. Here is seen the complex, driven man that was Jackie Robinson, "warts" and all. He was the proud and fiercely determined African American athlete, extraordinarily gifted in at least four sports; a sometimes overly sensitive man who despised racism always fought against it, even in the pre-Civil Rights era of the 1930s and 1940s, and even at the risk of conviction by military court-martial. He used an unconquerable will and ambition to became a football, baseball, basketball and track star at Pasadena Junior College; one of the greatest football running backs in UCLA history, and ultimately, under the guidance of legendary Brooklyn Dodgers General Manager Branch Rickey, the first African American professional baseball player of the modern era. Rampersad traces Robinson's struggle against racism during his early Dodger years; it is a poignant and compelling story.

The book also shows the more human side of Robinson: a quiet and sensitive man, and a political activist whose fight for racial equality was consistent throughout his life; a wonderfully loving husband but sometimes distant father; and a businessman of tremendous integrity. At Rampersad's hands, Jackie Robinson is a genuinely heroic and admirable person. This is a book which allows the reader to really get to know its subject. It is one of the finest biographies I've read in many years. Highly recommended!

Terrific Read
This biography does an outstanding job of giving an overview of Robinson's life and times, from his early, awnry but talented years in Pasadena, through UCLA, then the military, and then the Brooklyn Dodgers and beyond. It paints a picture of a strong willed gentleman with enormous pride, dedicated to his family, and dedicated to the idea of racial integration and equality. The influences of his mother on his early, somewhat (understandably) confrontational character, that allowed him to ultimately be the individual who paired with Branch Rickey to integrate "America's Pastime" are clearly laid out.

Some reviewers have faulted the author for not being more interpretive of Robinson's politics - specifically, that he was a Nixon supporter in 1960 and a Rockefeller supporter in 1968 (while also being a strong supporter of Civil Rights, active in almost every civil rights organization) and Humphrey supporter as well. I think the book lays out all the facts for the reader to see for themselves. Robinson's coming of age - in an era when a Dixiecrat from a Jim Crow state (LBJ) led the passage of the Civil Rights Act - was a time of a shifting political landscape that didn't settle out until near his death (he also broke badly with Nixon later in Nixon's career). The Republican party's mantra of self-reliance, and Robinson's determination to succeed in business in the same way he did in sports, made his attraction to the party not a big leap; the alienation of this country's African American establishment from big business was not a pre-ordained fact in the time Robinson lived.

Finally, Robinson's own family struggles were also a reflection of the confusing and troubling times in which he lived.

Robinson died too young for us all. This is a great book and I would highly recommend it..

an engrossing, human story
i'm not particularly interested in baseball, but i am particularly interested in American history from the human perspective. i could have read a much more dry account of the turmoils that dominated American race relations throughout the middle of the 20th century, but instead i've read this fascinating account of those terrible, backward days from the perspective of a true pioneer, Mr. Jackie Robinson.

of course he is looked back on now as a symbol, a mythological figure. i always knew peripherally of Jackie as the same thing most people do: the first black man to play major league baseball, a step forward & up in the painful struggle of the times. but this book presents him as a human being, a fallible man who lived most of his life not on the baseball field, but in a relentless pursuit of his ideals and desire for a better life for himself and everyone around him.

the reviewer before me questions the biographer's lack of judgement of Robinson. i am curious as to why he feels Rampersad should insert his own analysis; the biography presents analyses of Robinson by many of Robinson's contemporaries, and then presents the recorded facts available to clarify incidents & statements. yes, this is an intensely personal biography, perhaps too personal in places. it is very much centered on Jackie's private correspondences. it is absolutely told from Robinson's persepctive, as best can be reconstructed from his widow Rachel & the papers he left behind, but it feels very honest, not at all like an airbrushed bit of hero-polishing. it is in places very blunt about Jackie's shortcomings as observed by his peers & contemporaries.

before i stretch this out any longer, i'll just say that this is the most engrossing biography i can ever recall having read. it's an account of a fascinating life in an amazingly recent time, in an America that seems so long ago but is still discouragingly recent. readers will learn not just about Jackie Robinson, but about two American eras as well.

Pulls its punch
Professor's Rampersad's biography of Jackie Robinson is a book that's needed now. It's incredibly informative about the man behind the legend. (I think Roger Angell's blurb sums it up: "[the] book arrives just in time to save the man from his own legend.") However, Rampersad doesn't focus much on Robinson's baseball life, and he seems to be holding back judgment on Robinson despite the opportunities to do so.

Before digging in the dirt, I want to say that this book is crisply written and chock full o' facts about Robinson's life. Rampersad obviously had the full support of Robinson's widow, Rachel, and her views are constantly felt throughout the book. It's almost told from her point of view, in fact, and thus feels like a intimate, loving homage to the man.

But there are some issues and character flaws in Robinson that Rampersad shows or hints at, but never fully explores. For example, we never truly felt the force of the hatred leveled against Robinson during his efforts to integrate baseball. There are a few quick references to name-calling, a couple of pitches thrown his way, but what made Robinson so bitter, what filled him with the hatred that so obviously ate at him later in his career? It's implied, rather than shown, as if it were too terrible even to discuss. On the whole, the chapters on Robinson's baseball career are woefully thin. It's clear that Rampersad is not much of a baseball fan - including a few factual errors about the sport's rules and game play - and it's a shame, because baseball is as much about its stories as it is about its action.

And then there's Robinson's role as Civil Rights' leader, which Rampersad describes, but withholds all judgment on. Why exactly did Robinson favor the Republican Party, even long after it was obvious that the GOP proved to be the party of segregation and white privilege? Also Rampersad only hints at the acrimony and in-fighting between Robinson and such organizations as the NAACP and SLCC.

Presented with the facts supplied by Rampersad, it seemed that Robinson was a vain, proud, and sensitive man, who was extremely susceptible to flattery, especially from powerful whites. It also seems that his success in baseball convinced him that he would be successful in other areas, especially politics. But it seemed that he was over his head in that area, always a tool of the professionals, Nixon and Rockerfeller.

Notice I say "seem" a lot! That's because Rampersad never states any of this outright, he only hints at it - enough to acknowledge these characteristics, but fails to explore them. Rampersad never digs into Robinson's psychology, never explains or contemplates motivation, cause, or effect of any of Robinson's endeavors. It's so easy on Robinson that I suspect Rampersad wrote this book for Robinson's widow - or maybe her approval of the book was necessary as part of some deal for use of her letters. Or perhaps Rampersad was too aware of Robinson's near-saint-like stature in our nation's culture to find any fault with the man. In any case, he definitely pulls all punches, and the book, though informative, feels incomplete.

Yes, Robinson was a hero. Yes, he was courageous. But he was also a man, full of frailties and inconsistencies, just like the rest of us. To withhold judgement does him as much diservice as it does us... ... Read more

Book Description

Sharon Robinson shares memories of her famous father in this warm loving biography of the man who broke the color barrier in baseball. Jackie Robinson was an outstanding athlete, a devoted family man and a dedicated civil rights activist. The author explores the fascinating circumstances surrounding Jackie Robinson's breakthrough. She also tells the off-the-field story of Robinson's hard-won victories and the inspiring effect he had on his family, his community. . . his country! Includes never-before-published letters by Jackie Robinson, as well as photos from the Robinson family archives. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Kept Promises and Social Change
Promises to Keep: How Jackie Robinson Changed America

In this wonderful biography,Sharon Robinson shares her father with us as a daughter who held her father in high regard not only for his achievements in breaking the color barrier in baseball, but also for his hard won victories in politics, busines, civil rights and as a family man. Through love letters to his wife Rachel, photos from the family's archive and Sharon's deft writing hand, readers get to spend time with Jackie Robinson and come to understand how he navigated his way through the treachery of racism to become an integral part of creating another important chapter in the social contract with America.

As the Vice President of Educational Programming for Major League Baseball and an author, Sharon Robinson continues to preserve her father's legacy--well. ... Read more

Book Description

Jackie Robinson was the first African American to play baseball in the modern major leagues. That may not seem like a big deal today -- but in 1947 it was a very big deal. Until Jackie stepped up to the plate, African Americans couldn't play on most professional sports teams.

TIME For Kids® Biographies help make a connection between the lives of past heroes and the events of today. Because of Jackie's courage and perseverance, people of all colors now participate in America's favorite pastime. Jackie worked hard and proved to the world that it's your character and talent -- not the color of your skin -- that really matters.

Reviews (1)

learned alot
This is a biography for kids on Jackie Robinson.He was a famous African american baseball player.He had to work really hard and ignore rude comment from many fans.Most people in his days did not like black and whites playing together.He took the bad and pushed it aside and became a better person and player!


The book was not too long and not too short. It contained the right amount of information for kids.



I would recommend this book to kids who are learning about the Jackie Robinson. I learned a lot from reading this book.He is a great role model for kids today. ... Read more

Book Description

In 1997 the American people will celebrate with great fanfare and publicity the fiftieth anniversary of Jackie Robinson's explosive entrance into major league baseball. Robinson has become a national icon, his name a virtual synonym for pathbreaker. Indeed, much has transpired between this young African-American's first bold strides around the baseball diamonds of a segregated America and General Manager Bob Watson's pride in assembling 1996 World Champion New York Yankees. Recognizing this monumental event in America's continuing struggle for integration, Jules Tygiel has expanded his highly acclaimed Baseball's Great Experiment. In a new afterword, he addresses the mythology surrounding Robinson's achievements, his overall effect on baseball and other sports, and the enduring legacy Robinson has left for African Americans and American society.

In this gripping account of one of the most important steps in the history of American desegregation, Tygiel tells the story of Jackie Robinson's crossing of baseball's color line. Examining the social and historical context of Robinson's introduction into white organized baseball, both on and off the field, Tygiel also tells the often neglected stories of other African-American players--such as Satchel Paige, Roy Campanella, Willie Mays, and Hank Aaron--who helped transform our national pastime into an integrated game. Drawing on dozens of interviews with players and front office executives, contemporary newspaper accounts, and personal papers, Tygiel provides the most telling and insightful account of Jackie Robinson's influence on American baseball and society. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Exceeds Expectations
I purchased this book to learn more about Jackie Robinson and his relationship with Branch Rickey. Jules Tygiel gave me that (in an unbiased, thorough manner with great historical perspective) and then some! I gained an increased appreciation for the role of the Negro Leagues in the development of Major League baseball. I gained insight into the changing perceptions of baseball management, players and fans toward African-Americans and their contributions to the game. I was momentarily transported to that time, not as long ago as I would have thought, where non-white players were treated as second-class citizens. It was really an eye-opener. In addition, Mr. Tygiel's style was so honest and even-handed that I can't wait to read his book, "Past Time: Baseball As History," which I ordered today!

Well Done
This scholarly yet readable look at baseball integration from 1947-1959 goes well beyond the inspiring story of Jackie Robinson and Branch Rickey. Author Jules Tygiel also informs about such secondary figures as Larry Doby, Bill Veeck, Hank Aaron, Pumpsie Green, etc. Tygiel shows that integration proceeded slowly and in the face of strong resistance - the Boston Red Sox didn't add a black player until 1959, three years after Jackie Robinson retired. We also see how baseball integration spurred civil rights, while hastening the end of the Negro Leagues. I'd have liked more coverage of baseball's declining attendance after 1949 (probably caused by television), and the suspected correlation between athletic dominance and underclass poverty. Still, BASEBALL'S GREAT EXPERIMENT is a well-researched look at an interesting period in sports history.

A book that increased my understanding
I have a better understanding of integregation and how it affected every American no matter what his race or beliefs. Baseball was a pioneering vechicle for social questioning and challenged many men other than Branch Rickey and Jackie Robinson into greatness. They were courageous men who had to fight convention and who lead other Americans to follow their example. I realize the impact integration had on everyone involved Black or White: the team owners, the players, broadcasters, vendors, and families. Many individuals sacrificed to improve their freedom and the freedom given to other humans. Mr. Rickey and Mr. Robinson are not portrayed as mythological figures but rather as real men I can respect more because they are like all of us. I am convinced that Mr. Robinson endured because he had strong character and determination and he believed in "the experiment." I feel I know him better now that I know more about his struggles and triumphs. I kept reading because everything was explained simply and with logic and with an absence of bias.

Definitive book on Robinson and civil rights
Professor Tygiel's book is the definitive work on the importance of Jackie Robinson to American history. Tygiel writes a well-researched, dynamic narrative that illustrates Robinson's incredible achievements and strength of character. This book, unlike others on Robinson, focuses on the years before and after 1947 as well. By doing this, Tygiel reveals the impact of Robinson's achievement in the context of the emerging civil rights movement. Jackie Robinson's story was not his alone- it was the story of the ballplayers who came after him. The book also shows how Robinson's courageous seasons personified the changing American conscience regarding race in the post-war era.

After reading this book you will want to change the world.
The early twentieth century saw baseball achieve almost mythical proportions in popularity. In 1947 Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier and became a myth himself. He forever changed the way the game was played and helped the cause of civil rights everywhere. Tygeil writes passionately about Robinson's character and achievements and puts them in perspective with the time he lived. After reading this book, you will never look at baseball or civil rights the same. This is not just another book on baseball. This book shows how baseball changed humanity. ... Read more

Book Description

Before Barry Bonds, before Reggie Jackson, before Hank Aaron, baseball's stars had one undeniable trait in common: they were all white. In 1947, Jackie Robinson broke that barrier, striking a crucial blow for racial equality and changing the world of sports forever. I Never Had It Made is Robinson's own candid, hard-hitting account of what it took to become the first black man in history to play in the major leagues.

I Never Had It Made recalls Robinson's early years and influences: his time at UCLA, where he became the school's first four-letter athlete; his army stint during World War II, when he challenged Jim Crow laws and narrowly escaped court martial; his years of frustration, on and off the field, with the Negro Leagues; and finally that fateful day when Branch Rickey of the Brooklyn Dodgers proposed what became known as the "Noble Experiment" -- Robinson would step up to bat to integrate and revolutionize baseball.

More than a baseball story, I Never Had It Made also reveals the highs and lows of Robinson's life after baseball. He recounts his political aspirations and civil rights activism; his friendships with Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, William Buckley, Jr., and Nelson Rockefeller; and his troubled relationship with his son, Jackie, Jr.

Originally published the year Robinson died, I Never Had It Made endures as an inspiring story of a man whose heroism extended well beyond the playing field.

Reviews (10)

A man who lived A dream...or did he?
When I think about someone like Jackie Robinson, I think of someone who had an easy life of playing baseball and making lots of money. He was first the first African-American to play in the professional Major League level and was highly respected by everyone. After having read his autobiography, I Never Had It Made, I realized that I was totally wrong. Besides the glory and the fame for having been the first African-American to play in the major leagues, Jackie had to go through many hardships to get where he got. Jackie uses this book to tell the reader of all the different trials and hardships he had to go through before, during, and after his professional career as the 1st and 2nd baseman of the Brooklyn Dodgers. Jackie also tells of all the other things that he did besides baseball. I didn't know it, but Jackie went to UCLA and while he was there, he did many great things. Not only was a great baseball star at UCLA, he was also a big star in football, basketball, and track. After college, he went into the Army and became a lieutenant for the U.S. Army before he signed with the Montreal Royals (a minor league baseball team) in 1945. Jackie gives a lot of the credit to Mr. Branch Rickey, the general manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers for having the guts to bring him into the team and making the transition as easy as possible. Jackie promised to take in any insults thrown at him while he was in baseball uniform and not to respond to them for two years. This was to pave the way for other black players to be brought into the major league. I personally don't think that I can play a game while people are yelling and making fun of me. Jackie describes what he had to go through in the book. Jackie also discusses the hate mail he got and even the threats people placed on his life. He also tells of his wife and the kind of positive impact she had on him as well. Many people think of Jackie Robinson as being only a baseball player, but he did much more. After retiring from baseball, he did many things in regard to the civil rights issue. He influenced many issues and was even the political scene, helping President Nixon and President John F. Kennedy during their stay in office. He was even apart of the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People). In the book, you learn more about his relationships with Jesse Jackson, Martin Luther King Jr., Malcom X, and many others. Jackie Robinson accomplished many things and had endured many problems even within his own family. He talks about the drug problems that plagued his oldest son and all the hardships his children had to go through being the sons and daughter of a famous African-American figure. Jackie changed the way of life for many people and gave hope to the African-American community. After all of this, Jackie learns that no matter what his successes were in the white world, he would always remain a black man. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in knowing about Jackie Robinson. You wouldn't expect for a baseball player to be a good enough writer to write a three hundred page autobiography, but I thought Jackie did a great job. The book flowed and it never got boring. I didn't even want to put it down, just kept turning the pages. This book gave great insight into the kind of life African American faced in the early to mid nineteen hundreds and what they had to endure. Jackie Robinson is not only a great icon in the world of professional sports, but in other aspects as well and I think that he did awesome job in writing this book.

I Never Had It Made
This book tells of the struggles Jackie Robinson faced as he made a name for himself in the game of baseball. This is a wonderfully writen autobiography that tells the emotion and physical hardships he faced not only in the major and minor leagues while playing baseball but also in his everyday life as well.While perservering through all this, he succeeded to a degree of breaking the color barrier in the United States. As a child he witnessed constant racism from neighbors, children, and many others that came into contact with him. His mother brought him up to be very strong and independent because when Jackie was about one or two his father went to the city and never returned. He left her with nothing but thier five children who were all too young to work and support the family. Eventually after being forced to move, they went to live with Jacies uncle in California.
This book really showed me how hard he had it. Not only did he have the pressures of playing in the major leagues but also have to worry about prejudist on the field and in the stands. You will see how he didnt have a friend to talk to unless his wife, Rachel Robinson, would travel with him during the season. There was no one who even dreamed of having a black man in baseball until the dodgers took on Jackie. Baseball has never been the same because of the influence this one man has had on the sport itself and many if not all other sports indirectly.
"I Never Had It Made" tells Robinson's early years and influences such as his college experience at UCLA, where he became the school's first four-letter athlete;World War II , playing with the Negro Leagues; and when Branch Rickey of the Brooklyn Dodgers asked Jackie Robinson to play, which was known as the "Noble Experiment".The league itself recieved a lot of critism from fans during the timethis "experiment" was unvealed.Jackie Robinson expesses his deppest feelings in this book and writes of his relationship's with individual player's and managers. He also talked of the few he had arguments and different views in many areas. There is many accounts of important games such as the 1955 World Series, when jackie Robinson and the Dodgers won against thier rivals.
This book is a great story of one man's determination and detication to a sport he loved to play through thick and thin. He did this in the faces of all those people who said it could never happen,.it would never happen, and blacks will never say in major league baseball in the United States.Jackie Robinson was a true hero

Everyone in America should read this book
This is a very important book. It documents one man's struggle against terrible odds. It should be assigned reading in every junior high school in America. I know that I'll be giving a copy to my kids so that can read the story of a man who said what he believed & fought for his ideals.

I Never Had it Made
"I Never Had It Made" by Jackie Robinson is an amazing biography of one of the most remarkable figures in the history of baseball. There is much more to Robinson than just baseball. From his fight for respect in the US Army to his support of Rockefeller, Robinson deserves much respect for this and is probably one of the best symbols of everything this country should represent. Much of the baseball critics doubted that he could even hit a big league pitch. Tom Candiotti said major league pitchers would "knock the bat right out of his hands." Robinson's critics claimed he couldn't hit because "he was all tied up at the shoulders and could never get around on the pitches inside." Jackie Robinson gave all of us, not only athletes, but every person in this country, a sense of our own strength. However, because I am an athlete, I looked at Jackie a little differently. This is not all about baseball; it's about the deep commitment that Robinson made to achieve justice for himself and all Americans. In 1947 Robinson broke the color line in the major leagues and suffered terrible abuse for doing so. He discusses his relationships with the sports figures he admired, and also recalls his run-ins with those he did not like. It is later about political involvements after his career ended in 1956 and his friendships with Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, William Buckley, and Nelson Rockefeller.

I Never Had It Made
This is an inspiring book that talks about the life of a great sports figure named Jackie Robinson. Who was the man who broke the color barrier in baseball. Despite all odds he does what many people thought was impossible. He had went through many hardships but never gave up. He gave hie people hope and something to shoot for now that he did the impossibe. Jackie Robinson was a hero ... Read more

Book Description

This inspiring collection pays tribute to baseball legend and civil rights hero Jackie Robinson.Jackie¹s daughter, Sharon, acts as a personal tour guide through the nine heartfelt, hard-won values that helped her father achieve his goals. Jackie¹s values are brought to life through the powerful words of other heroes and pioneers, including Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Oprah Winfrey, and Christopher Reeve. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

The values by which Jackie Robinson lived his life
It is Jackie Robinson's daughter Sharon who first came up with "Jackie's Nine" as part of an educational program called "Breaking Barriers: In Sports, In Life," an in school program supported by Major League Baseball, which used baseball-themed activities as teaching tools. These nine values are the ones that Sharon Robinson sees as being instrumental in her father's life, a subject which she has written about previously in her family biography "Stealing Home: An Intimate Portrait of Jackie Robinson." She picked nine because a baseball team has nine players and a game is nine innings long.

As far as I am concerned Jackie Robinson and Babe Ruth are the two most important sports figures of the 20th century from the perspective of their impact on society. My argument would be that the popularity of other athletes like Muhammed Ali and Michael Jordan are separate issues from their social significance. You can claim such stars are, in a way, the Babe Ruths of their day, and while Ali and Jordan may well be more popular around the world than the Babe ever was, Jackie Robinson has a legacy that can not even be approached, let alone be equaled (I remember that Larry Doby was the first African American to play in the American League, but I could not tell you who broke the color barrier in the NBA or NFL.). We can argue about who is "best," but who is "first" is a much easier argument to make.

"Jackie's Nine" is essentially an anthology, which includes autobiographical passages from both Jackie Robinson and his daughter as well as profiles of people she sees as carrying on her father's legacy in terms of each of the nine values: (1) Courage: Elizabeth Eckford; (2) Determination: Christopher Reeve; (3) Teamwork: Pee Wee Reese and David Robinson (her brother, not the basketball player); (4) Persistence: Roberto Clemente; (5) Integrity: Muhammed Ali; (6) Citizenship: Marian Wright Edelman; (7) Justice: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.; (8) Commitment: Rachel Robinson; and (9) Excellence: Michael Jordan and Oprah Winfrey. This book also includes the eulogy for Jackie Robinson delivered by the Reverend Jesse Jackson.

"Jackie's Nine: Jackie Robinson's Values to Live By" is what I think of as a nightstand book, where you read a section each night before going to sleep because it is beneficial to mull over each of the values and how they manifested themselves in the public careers of Jackie Robinson and these others. Of course, then it becomes impossible not to consider how your own live exhibits these values (or fails to). This is not a book that preaches, but rather one that tries to makes it point by example. Do not be surprised if after reading "Jackie's Nine" you are not interested in reading all of "I Never Had It Made" by Jackie Robinson, "Stealing Home" by Sharon Robinson, "Still Me" by Christopher Reeve, " or any of the dozen books from which excerpts are drawn for this volume.

Jackie's Nine
Jackie's Nine is broken down into values rather than chapters. Each is a true value that Jackie Robinson lived by. His daughter, Sharon, also lived by them after his death. Jackie was a great baseball player of all time who fought for his rights to play. Sharon shares his stories and many other people's stories of courage, determination, teamwork, persistence, integrity, citizenship, justice, commitment, and excellence. Sharon uses flashbacks of when Jackie first started playing ball and of her childhood days to explain some of the values. I feel this would be a good book for baseball lovers and young adults. It is a good book that helps people understand what Jackie's family went through when he started to play Major League baseball. This book is unique because it not only tells about Jackie's values, but it demonstrates other famous people who share similar values. I enjoyed this book because I learned a lot more about Jackie Robinson and other celebrities such as Muhammad Ali and Michael Jordan. Athletes of all kinds can come to enjoy Jackie's Nine.

I seldom read a book in one sitting, ...
but I also seldom read a book this good. With chapters on Courage, Determination, Teamwork, Persistence, Integrity, Citizenship, Justice, Commitment and Excellence, this book can be read in one sitting or by the chapter (as each is an individual story). Some of the writing is Sharon's and some of it is Jackie's. Others contribute, including Roger Kahn, Christopher Reeve & Jackie's wife, Rachel. Baseball fans will enjoy stories detailing Jackie's initial meeting with Branch Rickey, stealing home in the World Series and his relationship PeeWee Reese. This is a great book to read with your children or to your children.

A Must-Read for Kids and Adults to Read with their Kids
In a thoughtful, sincere, approachable tone, Sharon Robinson offers young adults wonderful examples of character-building values based on nine by which her father lived his life in baseball, business, civil rights and at home. She has compiled this anthology of writings based on her own stories, her father's writings, and also writings by and about other notable individuals who she feels also embody Jackie Robinson's values. For any young adult looking for guidelines by which to model good behavior and for any parent looking for another means of imparting values on their children, this book is a welcomed addition to the family library. I would give it to any young adult I know. ... Read more

Book Description

Jackie Robinson broke Major League Baseball's color barrier in 1947, changing the great American sport forever and inspiring future generations to emulate his courage, his commitment and his decency.

No other book about Jackie Robinson presents him as fully and truthfully as How to Be Like Jackie Robinson and none is as uplifting. Drawing on more than 1,100 interviews with Jackie’s family and friends, his teammates and opponents, and the people whose lives he touched and shaped, Pat Williams shows how Jackie’s life and the values he embodied serve as models for us all. Each example of Jackie’s courage and character will inspire you to live each day with the same
commitment to decency and humanity.

“He had a fire in him. His whole life, he believed if things were wrong, he wanted to change them. He had a strong belief in himself and in what was right, and he was not going to tolerate injustices to people. Jackie Robinson couldn’t stand being on the sidelines and being left out of the action.”
-Sharon Robinson, daughter of Jackie Robinson

“Jackie Robinson was my hero. Jackie was a gifted athlete, but he was a man of integrity.”
-Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Hall of Fame basketball player

“I loved Jackie Robinson. You remembered him if you ever met him. He had that kind of impression on you for the rest of your life. If you list the fifty or 100 most significant Americans of all time, Jackie Robinson has to be on the list.”
-Dave Anderson, author and New York Times sports columnist

Book Description

"No athlete performed at a higher level through greater stress than Jackie Robinson."
–Scott Simon

The integration of baseball in 1947 had undeniable significance for the civil rights movement and American history.Thanks to Jackie Robinson, a barrier that had once been believed to be permanent was shattered–paving the way for scores of African Americans who wanted nothing more than to be granted the same rights as any other human being.

In Jackie Robinson and the Integration of Baseball, renowned broadcaster Scott Simon reveals how Robinson’s heroism, firmly planted in the memory of Americans, brought the country face-to-face with the question of racial equality.From his days in the army to his ascent to the major leagues, Robinson battled bigotry at every turn.Simon deftly traces the journey of the rookie who became Rookie of the Year, recalling the taunts and threats, the stolen bases and the slides to home plate, the trials and triumphs.Robinson’s number, 42, is now retired on every club in major league baseball–in homage to the man who had to hang his first Brooklyn Dodgers uniform on a hook rather than in a locker.

TURNING POINTS features preeminent writers offering fresh, personal perspectives on the defining events of our time. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Don't Miss This LIttle Gem!
This little book--small in dimensions and hardly over 100 pages in length--should be on everyone's bookshelf. Whether you remember watching Jackie Robinson play (as I do), or whether he's just a name from the distant past; whether you're white (as I am), or black, or any other race, creed or color; whether you're a baseball fan (like me) or someone who couldn't care less about the National Pastime, Jackie Robinson's story is for everyone.

The only reason I didn't give this book a 5-star rating is that there's really nothing new in it; if you already know the saga of Robinson's integration of baseball you aren't likely to learn a lot of news things about it here. But Scott Simon writes beautifully and movingly and retells this great American story with verve and directness.

I've read that there are professional baseball players today (even black players!) who barely have any idea who Robinson was or what he endured. His story should never be forgotten and this wonderful book will help assure that Robinson's memory endures.

Derivative and amateurish book
This book offers nothing in the way of original research or new conclusions about the integration of organized baseball; it is full of errors, special pleading, and misplaced nostalgia. It also fails to acknowlege its debt to the superior work of others, especially Jules Tygiel (*Baseball's Great Experiment: Jackie Robinson and his Legacy*) and John C. Chalberg (*Rickey and Robinson: The Preacher, the Player and America's Game*). Purchase either of the latter books (or both) and give this misconceived vanity effort a pass.

Perfect read for a Saturday morning
This book is a perfect two-hour read for a Saturday morning after listening to the author on NPR's Saturday Morning Edition. The reader can hear Mr. Simon's distinctive and familiar voice when reading the pages. The book is not intended to be a comprehensive history on baseball's integration or a biography of Jackie Robinson, as noted in the opening pages. Rather, it provides just the right amount of background on Mr. Robinson and Mr. Richey, as well as the context surrounding events. Mr. Simon's notes and examples stimulate readers to learn more about particular people and events. I particularly recommend this book (and possibly the series from the list of forthcoming books) as a quick read for adults and teenagers who desire to read about the people and events that shaped our nation, yet must balance the responsibilities of family, work and community, which may prevent them from reading longer books.

Wonderful book / series
This is the second book I've read in the series (after Columbus in the Americas by William Least Heat-Moon). They are both vivid, concise accounts of extraordinary moments. I came to this book without knowing much about Jackie Robinson. I couldn't put the book down. It's a remarkable story and so beautifully written. I highly recommend it and look forward to others in the Turning Point series. It's a wonderful idea, to get great authors to offer their insights about a particular historic event in a pocket size book.

A Great Introduction to the Career of a Legend
In the annals of baseball history, Jackie Robinson stands among the true greats of the game. He was that rare ballplayer who excelled at hitting, fielding, and baserunning (stealing home became his 'signature' baserunning move). But Jackie Robinson was more than a great ballplayer; he was a pioneer. He endured overwhelming racism and even death threats, and became an icon for the civil rights movement along the way. Simon vividly describes the tense atmosphere of Robinson's first games in the majors, and describes how some of Robinson's own teammates were afraid to stand next to him for fear of gunshots. The author has written an insightful and enjoyable account of Robinson's breakthrough into the major leagues. Definitely recommended. ... Read more

Book Description

This is the moving story of how Jackie Robinson became the first black player on a major league baseball team and how on a fateful day in Cincinnati, PeeWee Reese took a stand and declared Jackie his teammate.
... Read more

Reviews (6)

the hardship in baseball
Teammates

Teammates is about 2 men named
Pees wee Reese and Jackie Robinson. Both of them were baseball players on the same
Team called the dogers. Pee wee
Reese was white and Jackie rob-
Inson was black. They were both
Friends and helped each other out. The players on their team
Came mostly from the south, men
Had been taught to avoid black
People since childhood. They moved to another table
Whenever Jackie sat down next
To them. Many opposing players
Were cruel to Jackie, calling him mean names from their
Dugouts. A few tried to hurt
Him with their spiked shoes.
It was bad for Jackie. Pitchers
Aimed for his head, and he
Received threats on his life,
Both from individuals and from
Oramizations like the Ku Klux
Klan. Jackie avoided all of it,
And made the team. Jackie and
Pee wee became really great
Friends and baseball legends.

Awesome!
This book teaches you alot about how blacks were treated back in the day. When Jackie Robinsion was signed to the Dodgers the fans and players treated him really badly. People threw stuff at him. Then a young teammate stood up for him and saved him from being ban from the team. So you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover.

classic
A simple telling of how Jackie Robinson came to play in the major leagues, this book portrays the prejudice he faced in a basic way that children can understand. And it shines a bright light on a quiet moment: PeeWee Reese's brave public declaration of solidarity with his teammate. This book has been my son's favorite for the past two years, since he was five.

Brooklyn Dodger Teammates: Jackie Robinson & Pee Wee Reese
"Teammates" tells the story of one of the more moving moments in the history of baseball that occurred during the 1947 season when the Brooklyn Dodgers traveled to Crosley Field in Cincinnati to play the Reds. Jackie Robinson, the first black man to play in the major leagues, was playing first base and being the target of hostility and abuse from the fans. At shortstop was Harold "Pee Wee" Reese, who born in the South, but who had refused to join other Southerners on the team in signing a petition to kick Jackie off the team. That day in Cincinnati, Reese did something that remains one of the bright moments of that historic season and which deserves to be more than a minor footnote in baseball history.

"Teammates" is written by Peter Golenbock, who heard the story of what happened that day from Rex Barney, who pitched for the Dodgers that day. Usually when the story of Jackie Robinson breaking the "color line" in baseball, the other key person in the story is Branch Rickey, the Dodger general manager. But Rickey could only support Robinson from the front office and not on the field, where it was Pee Wee Reese who decided to do something about that. Consequently, it is Reese who emerges as the hero of this particular story. Certainly it is safe to assume that anyone who reads this book knows something about Jackie Robinson; Golenbock talks about how Rickey needed somebody special to be the first, but does not get into the reasons why Robinson was that man (e.g., All-American football star at U.C.L.A., Army officer). But clearly "Teammates" is not intended to be the first book a youngster reads about the story of Jackie Robinson. Paul Bacon, as he did for the exquisite "Susanna of the Alamo," does both the design and illustration for this volume, combining historic photographs and items with his own watercolor paintings to tell the story.

A few brave men
This book is a true story that vividly describes the era of baseball and the scoial climate of race relations in the early 1940's. The Brooklyn Dodgers were the first Major Leauge Baseball team to hire an African American. Branch Rickey of the Dodgers was looking for "a man strong enough not to fight back". Jackie Robinson was of course that man and it was known as the "Great Experiment". It was tough for Jackie who ws not well recieived by many whites, including his teammates. One teammate was different, he knew he should always do what is right even if everyone around him including family or friends felt differently, that man was Pewee Reese. This book looks at how racism affected many aspects of society and how the strength of one indidual can change many attitudes. There is a variety of mediums used for the illustrations that only enhance the book. ... Read more

Book Description

THE CHILDHOODS OF FAMOUS AMERICANS SERIES

One of the most popular series ever published for young Americans, these classics have been praised alike by parents, teachers, and librarians. With these lively inspiring, fictionalized biographies -- easily read by children of eight and up -- today's youngster is swept right into history.

ABIGAIL ADAMS
SUSAN B. ANTHONY
NEIL ARMSTRONG
CRISPUS ATTUCKS
CLARA BARTON
ELIZABETH BLACKWELL
DANIEL BOONE
BUFFALO BILL
WILL CLARK
ROBERTO CLEMENTE
DAVY CROCKETT
WALT DISNEY
THOMAS A. EDISON
ALBERT EINSTEIN
HENRY FORD
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN
LOU GEHRIG
HARRY HOUDINI
LANGSTON HUGHES
TOM JEFFERSON
HELEN KELLER
JOHN FITZGERALD KENNEDY
MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.
ROBERT E.LEE
MERTWETHER LEWIS
ABRAHAM LINCOLN
MARY TODD LINCOLN
THURGOOD MARSHALL
JOHN MUIR
ANNIE OAKLEY
MOLLY PITCHER
POCAHONTAS
PAUL REVERE
KNUTE ROCKNE
ELEANOR ROOSEVELT
TEDDY ROOSEVELT
BETSY ROSS
BABE RUTH
SACAGAWEA
SITTING BULL
JIM THORPE
MARK TWAIN
GEORGE WASHINGTON
MARTHA WASHINGTON
WILBUR AND ORVILLE WRIGHT ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A life lesson.
Have you ever felt like you did not belong? Thin you should read Jackie Robinson by Herb Dun. It is a book about a boy how grew up to be one of the most famous baseball player in the world. But it did not come without hard work... that is what made he the man he is today. And that is how the world should be .
Jackie Robinson is a good book because it tells how thing happen today and could help a lot of people like when there are kids at your school by reading this book it should really help you learn a lesson that is really important to learn in real life so I think you should read this book. Because it is a book that tells a life lesson. ... Read more

Book Description

Illus. in full color with black-and-white photos. "Covers not only the story of Robinson's prowess and his problems as the first black man to play in the major leagues, but also the story of the rise and fall of black baseball and some of its star players and managers. Nicely geared by vocabulary, sentence length, and print size to the primary grades audience."--Bulletin, Center for Children's Books. ... Read more

Amazon.com

This rich collection of 301 black-and-white photographs, published in time for the 50th anniversary of the integration of professional baseball in 1947, chronicles the life of Jackie Robinson, one of America's most beloved--and least-known--sports heroes. Robinson's stoicism allowed him to endure racist taunts and mistreatment as the first black major leaguer, but it also kept his fans, and even his family, from seeing beyondthe quiet dignity that characterized his public persona. Robinson died prematurely at age 53, having admitted that "I had too much stored up inside." From these photos, and the text co-authored by Lee Daniel, a more full idea of Robinson, the man, emerges. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Jackie Robinson Review ...
The Story of Jackie Robinson: Bravest Man in Baseball is about the struggles of one black man who made a big difference. Jackie Robinson was a great athlete in college but was not let into the Major Leagues because his skin was black. Robinson played on the Brooklyn Dodgers in the "Noble Experiment" which was meant Jackie being the first black on a white team. His team looked down on him because of the color of his skin. When the fans yelled slurs at him and other teams yelled at him it overwhelmed the Dodgers. They finally stood up for Robinson. I recommend this wonderful book, Jackie Robinson: Bravest Man in Baseball because it has a lot of action and emotion.

Jackie Robinso Review ...
The Story of Jackie Robinson, Bravest Man in Baseball is about the struggles of one black man who never gave up. Jackie Robinson was a great athlete in college but he couldn't play Major League baseball because of the color of his skin. When Jackie Robinson played on the Brooklyn Dodgers he was part of the "Noble Experiment" and his teammates were unfriendly. Also fans yelled slurs at Jackie. In 1947 Jackie Robinson won Rookie of the year and the admiration of the American people. I recommend this book because it tells how Jackie Robinson was a great athlete and a brave person.

Jackie Robinson Review ...
The Story of Jackie Robinson: Bravest Man in Baseball is about the struggles of one black man who never gave up. Jackie Robinson was a great athlete in college and wanted to go to the Major's but they wouldn't let him because he was black. The general manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers, Branch Rickey took a chance on Jackie. Rickey said would let him play if he didn't fight back over racial slurs and attacks. This was known as the "Noble Experiment". Jackie's team looked down on him and fans harassed him because of the color of his skin. At last everybody realized Robinson was a great guy and that the color of a person's skin doesn't mater. In the end Jackie Robinson won the admiration of all American people. I think that you should read this book because it shows someone with great courage.

Jackie Robinson Review By: Hunter
The Story of Jackie Robinson, Bravest Man in Baseball is about Robinson's struggles in life and in baseball. Robinson was great at all sports but he couldn't play in the Majors after college because he was black. Four years later in 1945 Jackie Robinson was the first black player to play in the Major League because of a man named Branch Rickey. This was known as the 'Noble Experiment' and it did a lot of good all over the U.S. At first the Brooklyn Dodgers team was very angry that Robinson was playing with them and the fans had more hatred for the poor man. However, Robinson won the Rookie of the Year and also won lots of Americans admiration. If you enjoy baseball I think you would like this book because it shows the history of how blacks were finally accepted into the Major Leagues thanks to Jackie Robinson!

Jackie Robinson Review By: Alex
The Story of Jackie Robinson: Bravest Man In Baseball is about a black man who never gave up. Although Jackie Robinson was a great college athlete he couldn't play in the Major Leagues because he was black. This was very unfair but one luckily day Jackie met a man named Branch Rickey who thought black men should be able to play baseball with white men. Branch Rickey was the general manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers and was willing to let Jackie on the team. This made Jackie very pleased. However, the Brooklyn Dodgers were not very kind to Jackie. But he lived through all this and won many different titles. I think you should read this book because it tells a true story about an African American hero! ... Read more