I Never Had It Made: The Autobiography of Jackie Robinson

I Never Had It Made: The Autobiography of Jackie RobinsonThe bestselling autobiography of American baseball and civil rights legend Jackie Robinson 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

The bestselling autobiography of American baseball and civil rights legend Jackie Robinson

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.

I Never Had It Made endures as an inspiring story of a man whose heroism extended well beyond the playing field.

Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Ecco Press
Published: 05/06/2003
ISBN: 9780060555979
Pages: 304
Weight: 0.60lbs
Size: 7.90h x 5.20w x 1.10d
Accelerated Reader Quiz #/Name: 66781 / I Never Had It Made: An Autobiography of Jackie Robinson
Reading Level: 8 / Interest Level: Upper Grade / Point Value: 17