I Never Had It Made: An Autobiography

I Never Had It Made: An Autobiography

<p><strong>The bestselling autobiography of American baseball and civil rights legend Jackie Robinson</strong></p><p>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. <em>I Never Had It Made</em> 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.<br /><br /><em>I Never Had It Made</em> 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.<br /><br />More than a baseball story, <em>I Never Had It Made</em> 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.</p><p><em>I Never Had It Made</em> endures as an inspiring story of a man whose heroism extended well beyond the playing field.</p>