New Releases by Alfred Duckett

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.

Comment on Complexion -- You Can Tell Me -- I Hear Harlem -- Face It -- Huh? -- Economics One -- Black XMas -- Step Aside -- Who? Me? -- What Silent Majority? -- I'm Bad -- White Is the Color -- Set Down, Gal -- Hair -- God Bless John Wayne -- Beware of the Cat -- Wish -- Family Advice -- La Vie -- Let's Be Young Lovers -- Sonnet -- A Black Man's Prayer -- Out of the Mouths -- What's Your Excuse -- The Duke -- Saturday Night Uptown -- Conspiracy -- What Harlem Is To Me -- For Her People.

Autobiography of the baseball star who was the first black player to be accepted by a major league team.