On the Shoulders of Giants: My Journey Through the Harlem Renaissance [Hardcover]

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Author), Raymond Obstfeld (Contributor)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 30, 2007

From 1920 to 1940, the Harlem Renaissance produced a bright beacon of light that paved the way for African-Americans all over the country. The unapologetic writings of W. E. B. Du Bois and Marcus Garvey, the fervent fiction and poetry of Zora Neale Hurston and Langston Hughes, the groundbreaking art of Aaron Douglas and William H. Johnson, and the triumphant music of Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong gave voice and expression to the thoughts and emotions that Jim Crow segregation laws had long sought to stifle. In On the Shoulders of Giants, indomitable basketball star and bestselling author and historian Kareem Abdul-Jabbar invites the listener on an extraordinarily personal journey back to his birthplace, through one of the greatest political, cultural, literary, and artistic movements in our history, revealing the tremendous impact the Harlem Renaissance had on both American culture and his own life. Beginning with the rise of the Harlem Rens as pioneers of professional basketball, Kareem traces the many streams of historical influence that converged to create the man he is today - the NBA's all-time leading scorer and a veritable African-American icon. Travel deep into the soul of the Renaissance - to the night clubs, restaurants, basketball games, and fabulous parties that have made footprints in Harlem's history. Meet the athletes, jazz musicians, comedians, actors, politicians, entrepreneurs, and writers who not only inspired Kareem's rise to greatness but an entire nation's. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was born in the midst of a cultural reawakening, carried on the shoulders of athletes trying to prove there was a lot more at stake than a ball game, men and women who made music that could break your heart, and writers and intellectuals who gave voice to not just the ideals of a movement but the raw emotions. Kareem tells what it took to get these revolutionaries to Harlem and how they changed the world. A world that is still riding on the shoulders of giants.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Former NBA superstar Abdul-Jabbar continues to pursue his inner historian (Brothers in Arms, A Season on the Reservation, etc.), using his childhood in the late 1940s to bring an engaging personal perspective to this cultural examination. Abdul-Jabbar does a fine job celebrating the already well-celebrated legacies of musicians like Bessie Smith and writers like Langston Hughes; what sets this book apart is Abdul-Jabbar's vantage from the waning edge of Harlem's cultural revolution, at a time when "white America ... was looking around for some other in vogue ethnic group" to excite their repressed urges. In a "call-and-response" format, Abdul-Jabbar alternates between straightforward history lessons and his personal take on them; thus, a chapter on "Master Intellects and Creative Giants" is followed by "How Harlem Writers Influenced My Life." Basketball fans will most enjoy Abdul-Jabbar's chronicle of Harlem's basketball team, the New York Renaissance Big Five, which in 1939 became the first black team to win a world professional title in any sport, paving the way for the integration of the ABL (forerunner to the NBA). Abdul-Jabbar's passion for history, literature and jazz, however, prove just as fundamental to the legendary Laker's journey, and this accessible, passionate account presents each "giant" as a vital part of Abdul-Jabbar's development and rise to fame.
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From Booklist

*Starred Review* Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is committed to leaving a legacy well beyond the basketball court. In his new book (after Brothers in Arms, 2004), the former Milwaukee Buck and Los Angeles Laker pays tribute to the black artists, activists, athletes, and intellectuals whose lives have shaped--and continue to shape--his own. In four sections that reflect his passions (Harlem, basketball, jazz, and writing), Abdul-Jabbar, with coauthor Obstfeld, views American history and his own life through the lens of the Harlem Renaissance, the flowering of black culture that took place in New York City after World War I. On the Shoulders of Giants celebrates the lives of such influential individuals as James Weldon Johnson and W. E. B. Du Bois and the extraordinary history of the first world-championship basketball team, the New York Renaissance Big Five. (Contrary to popular belief, the "Harlem Rens," as they were locally known, were the first all-black professional team, not the Harlem Globetrotters.) Abdul-Jabbar accompanies his insightful personal reflections with a wealth of lively anecdotes (like how the slippery dance floor of Harlem's Renaissance Casino and Ballroom became the site of the Harlem Rens' first games) and hundreds of poignant and powerful quotes. Among the latter are these words of charismatic--and controversial--Harlem Renaissance leader Marcus Garvey: "A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin, and culture is like a tree without its roots." A thoroughly accessible and engaging mix of memoir and cultural history. Allison Block
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster; First Edition edition (January 30, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416534881
• ISBN-13: 978-1416534884
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #427,244 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars KAREEM, May 28, 2008

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Lester L. Carter "DOC FEELGOOD" (PHILA , PA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: On the Shoulders of Giants: My Journey Through the Harlem Renaissance (Hardcover)

Here is a man who should be an inspiration to a whole generation. This book is more proof that he is more than just an athlete. This book is recommended reading for all teenagers

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Harlem that I didn't know existed, March 25, 2007

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Rosemarie H. Hight (New Jersey) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: On the Shoulders of Giants: My Journey Through the Harlem Renaissance (Hardcover)

It is an eye opening account of Harlem. I didn't realize that Harlem had such a diverse group of writers, musicians, singers, etc. A very eye opening book.

5.0 out of 5 stars on the shoulders of giants, July 5, 2011

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Stixs - See all my reviews

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This review is from: On the Shoulders of Giants: My Journey Through the Harlem Renaissance (Hardcover)

i just have to say I really enjoyed this book. It is the first book by the author that i have read. Growing up watching him play b-ball I knew he was one of if not the best in his sport. Well I am just as pleased to say that he is also a good author. I learned so much from reading this book.
Thanks Kareem!