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3.12 AVERAGE
3.12 AVERAGE
Somewhat dry, but very interesting. Nothing really deep though, I think there are better biographies on Branch Rickey to read.
Reading Jimmy Breslin's short biography of Branch Rickey, the man behind bringing Jackie Robinson into Major League Baseball, is kind of like listening to a charming old drunk guy at a family party. He has a good story to tell about the good old days. Of course, you don't always know how each part fits into the next. But doesn't matter because he's keeping you entertained enough that you want to grab him another beer from the cooler and keep him talking.
Took me awhile to be comfortable with Breslin's writing style (jumps around and tongue-in-check comments) but the history and personalities took over and kept me hooked. Wouldn't mind reading more about the people and events around Jackie Robinson and the man himself.
Loved learning about Branch Rickey, but the book would probably be better enjoyed by a more well-informed sports fan. Having only a rudimentary knowledge of baseball and its major players, I found many of Breslin's stories confusing and his style rather opaque.
Man, white people love to self-congratulate. Branch Rickey is important to baseball for dozens of reasons. But the author misses several chances to really critique the intersections of race, politics, and sport in favor of blowing Rickey's trumpet. The book was readable really through the strength of writing alone. As a historical account, it was rubbish.
Branch Rickey is a great character to write about. Unfortunately this author (admitted) he wasn't into writing another book but was arm-twisted into it. Too bad.
Loved this book. When I started it I didn't know how short it was, but it was excellent. I like how the author intertwined the story of Rickey and Robinson as they are connected in history. Definitely makes me want to read more about Branch Rickey
I listened to this via audiobook. It was short, just over 4 hours and with Dick Hill's narration it takes you back to the good ole days of baseball. I thought it was a good, short read, about Branch Rickey and unlike some of the other reviews I appreciated the focus on Jackie Robinson's experiences. I do care that Robinson wouldn't sit on the back of the bus in Fort Hood, TX. That incident was part of the times, and part of Robinson's experience. To say that the anecdote is unnecessary is overlooking the importance of history in your quest to know more about a batting cage.
This is a delightfully funny, wry look at a remarkable man. Branch Rickey was responsible for integrating major league baseball in the US. He is the man that signed Jackie Robinson to play for the Dodgers in 1947, and who supported and encouraged Mr. Robinson through that extraordinary time. Breslin, in this short biography, reveals a man who decided he had a goal, and who did whatever it took to make it happen: he spoke to owners, commissioners, politicians, players, and never once let the word "no" stop him.
If you like baseball and American history, then this book is a no-brainer.