{"product_id":"9780062287298","title":"I Never Had It Made: An Autobiography of Jackie Robinson","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe Autobiography of a Boy of Summer Who Became a Man for All Seasons\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBefore 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. \u003ci\u003eI Never Had It Made\u003c\/i\u003e 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.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eI Never Had It Made\u003c\/i\u003e 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.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMore than a baseball story, \u003ci\u003eI Never Had It Made\u003c\/i\u003e 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.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOriginally published the year Robinson died, \u003ci\u003eI Never Had It Made\u003c\/i\u003e endures as an inspiring story of a man whose heroism extended well beyond the playing field.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"HarperCollins Publishers","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47107894608112,"sku":"9780062287298","price":7.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9780062287298_p0.jpg?v=1769910297","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9780062287298","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}