African-American Sports Greats: A Biographical Dictionary [Hardcover]

David L. Porter (Editor)

Book Description

Age Level: 9 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up

African-American athletes have played a significant role in the development and popularity of American professional sports, and have encountered numerous obstacles on the road to athletic success. This is the first comprehensive multi-sport biographical dictionary of African Americans who reached the pinnacles of success in their sports. It contains more personal and career profiles of African-American sports greats than are found in any other single source. Biographical profiles of 166 noted athletes, coaches, and administrators in team and individual sports include both historical figures such as Jesse Owens and Satchel Paige and contemporary stars such as Charles Barkley, Ken Griffey, Jr., Michael Jordan, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Shaquille O'Neal, and Emmitt Smith. Forty-four sports historians contributed the colorfully written biographies, which blend both personal background information and athletic career accomplishments. All information is current through the end of 1994. The dictionary covers the contributions made by African-American greats in football, baseball, basketball, track and field, boxing, wrestling, auto and stock car racing, golf, thoroughbred racing, tennis, cycling, and figure skating. More than two-thirds of the entries represent team sports. The dictionary is organized alphabetically by person. Each colorfully written profile is 800-1,000 words in length and traces the subject's personal life, family and educational background, personal struggles, career accomplishments, records set, statistical data, awards and honors, and overall impact; and features lively quotations by and about the sports luminaries. Each entry contains a handy bibliography of books and articles about the subject. Biographies of managers, coaches, and club executives describe their teams, statistical achievements, accomplishments, strategy, and sports impact. A general introduction traces the historic struggle of African-American athletes in professional and Olympic sports and appendices provide alphabetical listings of biographical entries and entries by sport. A selection of photos complement the profiles. For the sports fan or librarian, this is a first stop for biographical information that captures the personality of the athlete and includes all the pertinent information about his or her accomplishments. It is an essential addition to the reference sections of junior high, high school, and public libraries.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

With a listing of 166 athletes representing 11 sports, this work is the most comprehensive reference of African American athletes currently available. Baseball, football, and basketball players account for more than half the entries. Entries are arranged under the current name of the athlete, which leaves married women at a disadvantage because many made their mark in the sports world under their maiden names. The index, however, provides cross references. The preface clearly states the selection criteria, and each signed entry includes a bibliography. Editor Porter (history, William Penn Coll.) has also put together the multivolume Biographical Dictionary of American Sports (Greenwood, 1989). Recommended for medium to large reference collections.?Terry Madden, Boise State Univ. Lib., Id.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Sports enthusiasts have heard of such African American athletes as boxing's Sugar Ray Leonard, tennis' Arthur Ashe, and golf's Calvin Peete. Some names may not be as recognizable, such as Tom Molyneux, the first American prizefighter, and Charlie Sifford, golf's Jackie Robinson.

African-American Sports Greats provides information on significant African American athletes who contributed in some significant way to the development of one or more sports. It profiles 166 athletes from 11 different sports, with more than two-thirds of the entries from baseball, football, and basketball. The entries, which are arranged alphabetically and run from 700 to 1,200 words, are written by 42 contributors from various professional sports societies. Each biography supplies personal background as well as career achievements for the athletes. Entries are up-to-date as of March 1995. Essays for O. J. Simpson and Mike Tyson include information on their legal problems. Each entry includes a bibliography of books and articles. Cross-references are given in boldface type within essays. The volume begins with a valuable overview essay titled, "History of the African American in Professional and Olympic Sports." Two appendixes provide listings of entries by name and sport and by sport.

The editor has excelled in compiling sports biographical-reference books, such as the multivolume Biographical Dictionary of American Sports (Greenwood, 1987^-95). Since most of the people in this new book are also found in the Biographical Dictionary, libraries may decide to skip purchase of African-American Sports Greats. However, the biographies in this new work are all written in a more popular style that will make it useful in school libraries. The convenience of having information on black athletes in all sports in one volume is enough to justify its purchase in public libraries, too.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Hardcover: 480 pages
• Publisher: Greenwood Press (October 30, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0313289875
• ISBN-13: 978-0313289873
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #364,259 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)