African-American Sports Greats: A Biographical Dictionary

(Hardback)

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Description

African-American athletes have played a significant role in the development and popularity of American professional sports, and have encountered numerous obstacles on the road to athletic success. This is the first comprehensive multi-sport biographical dictionary of African Americans who reached the pinnacles of success in their sport. It contains more personal and career profiles of African-American sports greats than are found in any other single source. Biographical profiles of 166 noted athletes, coaches, and administrators in team and individual sports include both Ristorical figures such as Jesse Owens and Satchel Paige and contemporary stars such as Charles Barkley, Ken Griffey, Jr., Michael Jordan, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Shaquille O'Neal, and Emmitt Smith. Forty-four sports historians contributed the colorfully written biographies, which blend both personal background information and athletic career accomplishments. All information is current through the middle of 1995. The dictionary covers the contributions made by African-American greats in football, baseball, basketball, track and field, boxing, wrestling, auto and stock car racing, golf, thoroughbred racing, tennis, cycling, and figure skating. More than two-thirds of the entries represent team sports. The dictionary is organized alphabetically by person. Each colorfully written profile is 800-1,000 words in length and traces the subject's personal life, family and educational background, personal struggles, career accomplishments, records set, statistical data, awards and honors, and overall impact; and features lively quotations by and about the sports luminaries. Each entry contains a handy bibliography of books and articles about the subject. Biographies of managers, coaches, and club executives describe their teams, statistical achievements, accomplishments, strategy, and sports impact. A general introduction traces the historic struggle of African-American athletes in professional and Olympic sports and appendices provide alphabetical listings of biographical entries and entries by sport. A selection of photos complement the profiles. For the sports fan or librarian, this is a first stop for biographical information that captures the personality of the athlete and includes all the pertinent information about his or her accomplishments. It is an essential addition to the reference sections of junior high, high school, and public libraries.

Reviews

.,."the biographies in this new work are all written in a more popular style that will make it useful in school libraries. The convenience of having information on black athletes in all sports in one volume is enough to justify its purchase in public libraries, too."-Booklist/Reference Books Bulletin
...the biographies in this new work are all written in a more popular style that will make it useful in school libraries. The convenience of having information on black athletes in all sports in one volume is enough to justify its purchase in public libraries, too.-Booklist/Reference Books Bulletin
Access couldn't be easier in this alphabeticaly arranged dictionary of 166 African American sports greats. Personalities were selected based on their accomplishments and contributions to their chosen sport... A useful addition.-School Library Journal
Despite the plethora of recent books on African-American and black sports figures, this is the first all-sport collection of biographies that is exclusively devoted to the greatest African-American athletes. ... Porter's approach is fresh and satisfying. He insists on presenting a picture of the whole person. ... This biographical dictionary is a fine contribution to the literature. Any U.S. sports fan would enjoy it, and it is well suited for school, public, and some academic libraries. It is sturdily bound in an attractive cover and printed on permanent paper. Photographs and appendixes are provided.-ARBA
In addition to being a fine source of information on these talented individuals' lives and achievements, this has the distinction of being one of the few publications of 1995 that covers O.J. Simpson but focuses on his football career rather than his personal trials.-Rettig on Reference
Porter, with the assistance of over forty sports historians, has assembled an impressive compendium of facts, statistics, and personal profiles of 166 male and female athletes, managers, and sports leagues administrators representing eleven teams and individual sports...In addition to noting records, medals, and other accolades, the editors have meticulously traced each subject's family and educational background.-Multicultural Review
Sampling one of the entries in this book is like trying to eat one potato chip. The reader will have an irrepressible urge to try another. Each entry is engaging and well written. Important names are in bold face, making it a snap to search for relevant research information...this book will be useful in junior and senior high school libraries. Highly recommended.-The Book Report
The first thing that came into my head after I reviewed this book was hip, hip, hooray!...This book includes information which may not be found in magazine articles or other sources. The book will not sit on the shelf or be used only by potential highschool super-stars. Students will want to have this book for their research papers and speeches. Every school and public library should have this one on their shelves.-VOYA
The one book you'll need on African American athletes.... With a listing of 166 athletes representing 11 sports, this work is the most comprehensive reference of African American athletes currently available. The preface clearly states the selection criteria, and each signed entry includes a bibliography. Recommended for medium to large reference collections.-Library Journal
This biographical dictionary of black sports figures presents profiles of well over a hundred athletes, coaches, and administrators in a wide range of sports. Over forty historians contributed to biographies which are colorful and well detailed, making for an important library reference.-The Bookwatch
..."the biographies in this new work are all written in a more popular style that will make it useful in school libraries. The convenience of having information on black athletes in all sports in one volume is enough to justify its purchase in public libraries, too."-Booklist/Reference Books Bulletin
"Access couldn't be easier in this alphabeticaly arranged dictionary of 166 African American sports greats. Personalities were selected based on their accomplishments and contributions to their chosen sport... A useful addition."-School Library Journal
"In addition to being a fine source of information on these talented individuals' lives and achievements, this has the distinction of being one of the few publications of 1995 that covers O.J. Simpson but focuses on his football career rather than his personal trials."-Rettig on Reference
"Porter, with the assistance of over forty sports historians, has assembled an impressive compendium of facts, statistics, and personal profiles of 166 male and female athletes, managers, and sports leagues administrators representing eleven teams and individual sports...In addition to noting records, medals, and other accolades, the editors have meticulously traced each subject's family and educational background."-Multicultural Review
"Sampling one of the entries in this book is like trying to eat one potato chip. The reader will have an irrepressible urge to try another. Each entry is engaging and well written. Important names are in bold face, making it a snap to search for relevant research information...this book will be useful in junior and senior high school libraries. Highly recommended."-The Book Report
"The first thing that came into my head after I reviewed this book was hip, hip, hooray!...This book includes information which may not be found in magazine articles or other sources. The book will not sit on the shelf or be used only by potential highschool super-stars. Students will want to have this book for their research papers and speeches. Every school and public library should have this one on their shelves."-VOYA
"The one book you'll need on African American athletes.... With a listing of 166 athletes representing 11 sports, this work is the most comprehensive reference of African American athletes currently available. The preface clearly states the selection criteria, and each signed entry includes a bibliography. Recommended for medium to large reference collections."-Library Journal
"This biographical dictionary of black sports figures presents profiles of well over a hundred athletes, coaches, and administrators in a wide range of sports. Over forty historians contributed to biographies which are colorful and well detailed, making for an important library reference."-The Bookwatch
"Despite the plethora of recent books on African-American and black sports figures, this is the first all-sport collection of biographies that is exclusively devoted to the greatest African-American athletes. ... Porter's approach is fresh and satisfying. He insists on presenting a picture of the whole person. ... This biographical dictionary is a fine contribution to the literature. Any U.S. sports fan would enjoy it, and it is well suited for school, public, and some academic libraries. It is sturdily bound in an attractive cover and printed on permanent paper. Photographs and appendixes are provided."-ARBA

Author Bio

DAVID L. PORTER is Louis Tuttle Shangle Professor of History at William Penn College in Oskaloosa, Iowa. He is the editor of the Biographical Dictionary of American Sports, a multi-volume comprehensive reference work devoted to all major American sports. Volumes to date include Baseball (1987), Football (1987), Outdoor Sports (1988), Indoor Sports (1989), 1989-1992 Supplement For Baseball, Football, Basketball, and Other Sports (1992), 1992-1995 Supplement for Baseball, Football, Basketball, and Other Sports (1995). He is the author of The Seventy-Sixth Congress and World War II, 1939-1940 and Congress and the Waning of the New Deal, compiler of A Cumulative Index to the Biographical Dictionary of American Sports, and an associate editor of American National Biography.