BOOK DESCRIPTION:
"We are the ship; all else the sea."--Rube Foster, founder of the Negro National League
The story of Negro League baseball is the story of gifted athletes and
determined owners; of racial discrimination and international sportsmanship;
of fortunes won and lost; of triumphs and defeats on and off the field. It is
a perfect mirror for the social and political history of black America in the
first half of the twentieth century. But most of all, the story of the
Negro Leagues is about hundreds of unsung heroes who overcame segregation,
hatred, terrible conditions, and low pay to do the one thing they loved more
than anything else in the world: play ball.
Using an "Everyman" player as his narrator, Kadir Nelson tells the story of
Negro League baseball from its beginnings in the 1920s through its decline
after Jackie Robinson crossed over to the majors in 1947. The voice is so
authentic, you will feel as if you are sitting on dusty bleachers listening
intently to the memories of a man who has known the great ballplayers of
that time and shared their experiences. But what makes this book so outstanding
are the dozens of full-page and double-page oil paintings--breathtaking
in their perspectives, rich in emotion, and created with understanding
and affection for these lost heroes of our national game.
We Are the Ship is a tour de force for baseball lovers of all ages.
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