When the Game Was Black and White: The Illustrated History of Baseball's Negro Leagues [Hardcover]

Bruce Chadwick (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1997

Before Jackie Robinson ever hit his first crisp line drive into the closely cropped grass of Brooklyn's Ebbets Field, the game of baseball was black and white. until 1947, major league baseball was as segregated as movie theatres, in the North and bus depots in the South, a national pastime and a national scandal. But the game's segregation did not stop black atheletes from playing baseball - and playing it with as much dazzle and aplomb as the greatest white stars. As this fascinating and richly illustrated book reveals, baseball as played by the giants of the Negro Leagues was a tremendously exciting game. Featuring an extensive collection of rare vintage photos, including pages from Satchel Paigne's personal scrapbook as well as a sampling of even rarer Negro League memorabilia, "When the Game Was Black and White" seeks to uncover the lost legacy of American sports history and American cultural history. These were the black knights of baseball, talented players and Hall-of-Famers like Paige, Josh Gibson, Cool Papa Bell, Pop Lloyd, Monte Irvin, and Judy Johnson.

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

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

With archival photos, text, anecdotes, and memorabilia, this handsome portrait of the Negro Leagues presents some of the greatest ballplayers in the history of the game who never played in the majors. Classic shots of legends such as Satchel Paige (in full wind-up), Josh Gibson, and Buck O'Neil are poignant reminders of what professional baseball might have been without the color barrier.

From Publishers Weekly

A connoisseur of diamond memorabilia, New York Daily News sportswriter Chadwick here does for black baseball what he has done for major league baseball in general: encourage its enthusiasts to appreciate its nuances. Because the so-called Negro Leagues, which flourished between 1887 and 1947, were only sketchily covered by the white press, Chadwick has assembled his impressive collection of photos primarily from former players, fans and sports historians. To the pictures of teams and individual stars--including Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson and Cool Papa Bell--he has added such memorabilia as programs, tickets and posters. Although the text is well researched, it adds little information to works like R. Peterson's Only the Ball Was White ; the 170 illustrations, on the other hand, make this volume indispensable.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover
• Publisher: Artabras (June 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0896600912
• ISBN-13: 978-0896600911
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,813,896 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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