Book Review on Jackie Robinson's I Never Had It Made

This is a first for my blog but I think it will become a regular. I have recently become a reader, not that I couldn’t read but I have learned to enjoy it. Mostly I am a fan of baseball biographies and history of the game. I thought I would take a few minutes to do kind of a book review on the latest book I finished. I just finished Jackie Robinson’s autobiography titled I Never Had it Made.

I Never Had it Made tells the life story of Jackie Robinson from his time at UCLA playing football up until around the time of his death when he was involved with politics. I learned so much about the man I never knew. I always knew Jackie Robinson was a great player and that it was great that he was the first player to break the color barrier in baseball but I never knew what all went into it for him. The book discusses what Robinson called “The Noble Experiment” which tells the story of his journey’s through the minor leagues and into the majors. How Branch Rickey knew that the breaking of the color barer was what was best for baseball.

He goes into his life after baseball which I knew nothing about. Robinson was a business man and as well as a politician. He discusses his journey campaigning for different candidates which he believed could help improve the lives of black citizens and improve civil rights. I can respect this because I am also involved in politics and believe in supporting candidates who I feel have the best values.

Robinson also goes into the heart breaking story of the journey his son Jackie Robinson Jr. took from his youth, into his service in the army and drug addiction. He tells the story of recovery and how Jackie battled back up until his early death.

I bought this book as a baseball fan of Jackie Robinson but I come out of this book a fan of the man Jackie Robinson. The journeys he went through in life to make things better for all people especially members of the African American community. I encourage all baseball fans to pick up a copy of this book and even if you’re not a fan of the game to read this it is a very moving read.