Black Baseball's Heyday

The Black Ball era of segregated baseball from the 1880s to the mid-1940s involves much more than just the exploits of Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson, Buck O'Neil and other eventual Hall-of-Famers. It's also the time when minority neighborhoods flourished, American jazz blossomed, innovations made the National Pastime more dynamic and more accessible to fans, and leaders emerged. All of this is synthesized into one fast-moving, highly readable account that complements the distinctive paintings of internationally celebrated artist Anthony High. Thirty-two of High's unique works are presented in the equivalent of an art museum tour complete with the commentary of a guide, including High-Lights which provide High's reflections on, and background and explanations of, the images. Among countless books on the Black Ball era, this is the first to pull all of its dimensions together in art and words in this way.