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Branch Rickey
The book that inspired Harrison Ford in his portrayal of Branch Rickey in the hit movie �42”
The idea of integrating baseball began as a dream in the mind of Branch Rickey. In 1947, as president and general manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers, he defied racism on and off the field to bring Jackie Robinson into the major leagues, changing the sport and the nation forever. Ricke...more
The idea of integrating baseball began as a dream in the mind of Branch Rickey. In 1947, as president and general manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers, he defied racism on and off the field to bring Jackie Robinson into the major leagues, changing the sport and the nation forever. Ricke...more
Hardcover, 147 pages
Published
March 17th 2011
by Viking Adult
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May 16, 2011
Jack Cheng
added it
Branch Rickey was the general manager who brought Jackie Robinson to the Brooklyn Dodgers, motivated by Christian ideals (and the realization that there was a lot of untapped black athletic talent). Jimmy Breslin was a tabloid columnist; his best stories (like the one about JFK's grave) are beautifully realized scenes full of rich dialogue that make you feel like you are in the moment.
Writing a biography, then, is not Breslin's milieu. That said, Rickey was a character worth writing (and reading...more
Writing a biography, then, is not Breslin's milieu. That said, Rickey was a character worth writing (and reading...more
Should I give this book 3 or 4 stars? Since I am a baseball fan, let's go around the horn on this one. Jimmy Breslin brings us back to the day s of Jackie Robinson and Branch Rickey, a Methodist, who really broke the colored line in baseball.
Without Rickey no Robinson. No integrated baseball. Written in journalistic Breslin style tough Jamaica, NY boy talk this book is not only a book about baseball it is about life. Our American culture which includes the national pastime.
For a man that did not...more
Without Rickey no Robinson. No integrated baseball. Written in journalistic Breslin style tough Jamaica, NY boy talk this book is not only a book about baseball it is about life. Our American culture which includes the national pastime.
For a man that did not...more
This book moves really quickly as the author tells the story of not only Branch Rickey and Jackie Robinson but a whole host of characters from that era. The story moves very much like one would expect of an old-time sports reporter...he gets to the point of the matter while making sure to touch on side notes of this or that additional moment from well before 1947 or well after it.
While I can't say that I am a fan of sports writers in general, as they tend to sell their view instead of reporting...more
While I can't say that I am a fan of sports writers in general, as they tend to sell their view instead of reporting...more
Could be retitled "Branch Rickey Breaks the Color Line". A majority of this short book is on Rickey's moral sense and his actions to break the color line in baseball. This isn't the typical baseball book -- there were way fewer baseball anecdotes. This was in part due to the shortness of the book, and in part due to the focus. Large sections of the book were about Jackie Robinson and others, so even Rickey didn't have the staring role throughout. I enjoyed the baseball and history of the story,...more
Breslin brings a new perspective on Jackie Robinson in this book. Jackie was no saint prior to being taken under the wing of Rickey. Rickey, according to Breslin, had to work with Jackie on a consistent basis to teach him how to react to the racism he would soon encounter in baseball. Breslin also explain the politics involved in Brooklyn, and in baseball that Rickey encountered just to get an opportunity to break the color barrier. The book is a quick read and sheds light on the motivation of B...more
Jul 28, 2011
Simone Lehmann
added it
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...more
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.
This is a beautiful biography, though biography is not quite the right word. Essentially Breslin meditates on the subject of Rickey, baseball, the color barrier, and other things, all within the context of Rickey's life. It's short, and fascinating. I picked it up in a bookstore and read the first page with little intention to read more, and ended up buying the book and finishing it, all in the middle of one very busy day.
Never been a big Jimmy Breslin fan, but I'm a huge Branch Rickey fan. This disjointed book was very confusing. Breslin jumps between topics, sometimes doing an entire chapter that doesn't even mention Rickey. Right at the start, Breslin explains he doesn't like to write about people unless he actually talks to them or at the very least to people who knew them well. He does neither with this book, so it is very unsatisfying.
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.
I enjoyed the style of writing in this book, my first non-fiction in a while. If you're interested in baseball at all, it's a fun quick read. Nothing too ground-breaking, but it was an easy page-turner about an important event in US History.
Checked it out from the Listen Alaska e-book library, my first attempt at such. Worked great.
Checked it out from the Listen Alaska e-book library, my first attempt at such. Worked great.
There were some good old-fashioned baseball stories in here. The kind that I could imagine old-timers in Ken Burns' Baseball telling. There were also some not-as-interesting stories, especially towards the end, that made me rate the book a 3. It is a quick enough read that if you are a Jackie Robinson (or Branch Rickey!) fan it is def. worth reading.
This was a very interesting biography of Branch Rickey. I found it interesting that the author chose to use the parallel of the integration of baseball with the election of the first black president, since Barack Obama stands for everything that Branch Rickey and Jackie Robinson despised in their political leanings.
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.
What began as a great, short exploration of Branch Rickey devolved by the end into a rambling account of things associated with Rickey but not Rickey. The last half became emotive, and wrapped up in Breslin's personal stories, which confused me and left me unsatisfied. On a good note, the incident with soldier Jackie Robinson on the bus (for which he was almost court martialed) is clearly and colorfully explained.
A grand-slam combination: an iconic bestselling author remembers the man who integrated baseball.
Listen to Branch Rickey on your smartphone, notebook or desktop computer.
Listen to Branch Rickey on your smartphone, notebook or desktop computer.
This is a terrific book. Don't expect much criticism of Rickey--Breslin clearly thinks Rickey is heroic, and Breslin is right. This is a great story of someone who stubbornly insisted on doing the right thing. It is a very moving account.
A masterful book by Breslin about the man who brought Jackie Robinson into the major leagues. Rickey did this because he thought it was right and because he wanted to win games. Breslin's style is unique making this short book a pleasure to read.
Short book, it went into Jackie Robinson more then I wanted it to, I was most interested in Branch Rickey. I know Jackie and Ricky will always be intertwined but it should have had a little less about Robinson. Quick easy read, I wanted just a little more.
This is an interesting--and very drily funny in parts--biography of Branch Rickey. You get a good perspective on his childhood, his playing career, and the skills that made him such a good general manager.
I was looking to find out more about who Branch Rickey was, but most of this book was about the people around him (Jackie Robinson) and the author's morals. I did get some value out of this book, but there were times I considered returning it to the library early. I'm being generous with three stars.
Not a bad book regarding the story on how Jackie Robinson was acquired and the plan for integrating baseball. Unfortunately, there were times when the author had paragraphs and sometimes pages of information that didn’t seem to flow with the narrative.
Interesting good quick read about someone that history does not mention but should.
Interesting story about Branch Rickey, the man who integrated baseball. Some parts of the book became confusing due to author intrusion.
I expected so much more and I didn't like the writing style.
If you like baseball and American history, then this book is a no-brainer.
Interesting, fun and a very quick read (less than 150 pages).
A very light biography of a great man.
A breezy book about Branch Rickey. Written by the well-known New York journalist, Jimmy Breslin,Branch Rickey entertains but as if in a crowded bar. Breslin informally tells his story but jumps around, gets distracted, and constructs sentences reflecting one drink too many.
Happy hour doesn't last long, the book is short and sweet: 146 pages. I enjoyed "listening" to Breslin's writing style. Fortunately, he follows a basic chronology and drops gems during the telling, so one must pay attention.
Happy hour doesn't last long, the book is short and sweet: 146 pages. I enjoyed "listening" to Breslin's writing style. Fortunately, he follows a basic chronology and drops gems during the telling, so one must pay attention.
Love old-timey baseball.
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Jimmy Breslin is a Pulitzer Prize-winning American columnist and author. He has written numerous novels, and pieces of his have appeared regularly in various newspapers in his hometown of New York City. He was a regular columnist for the newspaper Newsday until his retirement on November 2, 2004, and still has occasional columns there.
Among his notable columns, perhaps the best known was published...more
More about Jimmy Breslin...
Among his notable columns, perhaps the best known was published...more
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May 13, 2011 09:15am