Negro League Baseball: The Rise and Ruin of a Black Institution

Great book, I bought it for my son and ended up keeping it for myself. Maybe he'll get his copy next year!

Neil Lanctot pens an outstanding history of Negro League Baseball and its historical significance in this brilliant one volume work. There has been several important works on the Negro Leagues over the years, but none have been as inclusive on exploring the era as Lanctot. If the reader is looking for a book to quickly skim over, this is not the one to purchase. But you will be missing a vital book on a professional baseball league that has never received its true recognition. It has angered me for many years that the Negro Leagues has become nothing more than a footnote in baseball history, seemingly "celebrated" a couple times a season with current pro baseball teams wearing "throwback" jerseys during games. Lanctot's book should be a required reading for baseball's commissioner and other officials & then the steps should be taken to include the NLB statistics in "official" records, with additional classes of hall of fame inductees to follow the NLB Class of 2006.

This is a very in depth book on the history of the negro leagues, but I feel more on the business side than the games. As I read this book I continually reflected on the business strategy and mismanagement of the league, the racism the players and owners faced, and the changing dynamics of a nation. A good book, but if you are looking to learn about the players and what they accomplished then this is not the book for you. If you want a book about sports management and history of race in the US from 1933 to 1960 then this is a great book.

While most knowledgeable baseball fans have a passing acquaintance with Negro League Baseball, precious little ink has been devoted to the institution itself. Author Neil Lanctot has corrected this oversight with a downright fascinating and meticulously researched book. "Negro League Baseball" chronicles the history of the sport from its earliest origins until its ultimate demise in the early 1960's. From the outset there were a multitude of obstacles that the operators of most of these teams were simply never able to overcome. Poor administration, lack of suitable venues, constantly shifting franchises and raids from competing leagues were just some of the problems the Negro Leagues were up against. And when the leagues finally became profitable in the early to mid 1940's the spectre of integration in organized baseball and the shortsightedness of the league owners would ultimately seal the fate of this venerable black institution. This is an absolutely fascinating story that you are sure to become engrossed in. The writing is first rate and as I mentioned earlier the book is extremely well researched. Sports fans and history buffs alike are certain to enjoy this one. Highly recommended!

The author weaves together an amazing amout of historical research to tell an interesting story. All the important figures are here, Satchell Paige, Josh Gibson, etc., but he also introduces lesser known though equally interesting personalities, especially the owners. Never before has anyone told the whole story of the Negro Leagues like this, explaining why Negro League baseball was important as an institution to African American communities across the country.