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9781496217110

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Denied his due in life, the greatest Negro Leaguer of all time-indeed, one of the greatest ballplayers ever, black or white-was overdue this spotlight. Good on Jeremy Beer for a book baseball buffs will love, about a man most of us weren't lucky enough to see: Oscar Charleston. -Gregg Doyel, sports columnist for the Indianapolis Star -- Gregg Doyel If you believe what many veterans of the Negro Leagues said-that Oscar Charleston was the greatest all-time all-around player-then you will find Jeremy Beer's biography to be the unapologetic gospel truth. Beer's examination of the grand Oscar's youthful days, his military career, his adult life, and his baseball legacy is the fruit of serious grassroots research. He proves that Charleston was the most divine legend there ever was! -Larry Lester, chairman of the SABR Negro Leagues Committee and author of Baseball's First Colored World Series -- Larry Lester Forgotten by many, remembered mostly as a foul-tempered brawler by others, Oscar Charleston was in fact perhaps the greatest Negro League baseball player of all time: a commanding force at the plate, at first base, in the outfield, on the base paths and as a pioneering scout and manager. In this thoroughly researched and vividly written biography, Jeremy Beer finally does justice to Oscar Charleston the man and to his place in the history of America's pastime. -Mark Whitaker, author of Smoketown: The Untold Story of the Other Great Black Renaissance -- Mark Whitaker What if Oscar Charleston had still been in his prime when it came time for the color barrier to be broken in Major League Baseball? On sheer talent, he would have been an obvious choice to carry out the role subsequently championed by Jackie Robinson. In this crisp chronicle of Charleston's life, Jeremy Beer revitalizes the legend of an indomitably competitive man who deserves to be rated among baseball's true immortals. -Branch Rickey III, president of the Pacific Coast League -- Branch Rickey III Weaving a story that is as entertaining as it is edifying, Jeremy Beer does the culture a great service by delivering a biography of the forgotten superstar Oscar Charleston-a man who lived on his own terms and played baseball like few others. -Charles Leerhsen, author of Ty Cobb: A Terrible Beauty -- Charles Leerhsen There is a special place in heaven-or in Cooperstown, which is much the same thing-for the University of Nebraska Press, which continues to enrich our understanding of baseball history. It continues this noble work with Jeremy Beer's biography of Oscar Charleston. It does justice to the player whom Bill James rates as the greatest of all Negro Leagues players-and the fourth-greatest player of all time, behind only Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner, and Willie Mays. -George F. Will, columnist and author of Men at Work: The Craft of Baseball -- George F. Will

Denied his due in life, the greatest Negro Leaguer of all time-indeed, one of the greatest ballplayers ever, black or white-was overdue this spotlight. Good on Jeremy Beer for a book baseball buffs will love, about a man most of us weren't lucky enough to see: Oscar Charleston. -Gregg Doyel, sports columnist for the Indianapolis Star -- Gregg Doyel If you believe what many veterans of the Negro Leagues said-that Oscar Charleston was the greatest all-time all-around player-then you will find Jeremy Beer's biography to be the unapologetic gospel truth. Beer's examination of the grand Oscar's youthful days, his military career, his adult life, and his baseball legacy is the fruit of serious grassroots research. He proves that Charleston was the most divine legend there ever was! -Larry Lester, chairman of the SABR Negro Leagues Committee and author of Baseball's First Colored World Series -- Larry Lester Forgotten by many, remembered mostly as a foul-tempered brawler by others, Oscar Charleston was in fact perhaps the greatest Negro League baseball player of all time: a commanding force at the plate, at first base, in the outfield, on the base paths and as a pioneering scout and manager. In this thoroughly researched and vividly written biography, Jeremy Beer finally does justice to Oscar Charleston the man and to his place in the history of America's pastime. -Mark Whitaker, author of Smoketown: The Untold Story of the Other Great Black Renaissance -- Mark Whitaker What if Oscar Charleston had still been in his prime when it came time for the color barrier to be broken in Major League Baseball? On sheer talent, he would have been an obvious choice to carry out the role subsequently championed by Jackie Robinson. In this crisp chronicle of Charleston's life, Jeremy Beer revitalizes the legend of an indomitably competitive man who deserves to be rated among baseball's true immortals. -Branch Rickey III, president of the Pacific Coast League -- Branch Rickey III Weaving a story that is as entertaining as it is edifying, Jeremy Beer does the culture a great service by delivering a biography of the forgotten superstar Oscar Charleston-a man who lived on his own terms and played baseball like few others. -Charles Leerhsen, author of Ty Cobb: A Terrible Beauty -- Charles Leerhsen There is a special place in heaven-or in Cooperstown, which is much the same thing-for the University of Nebraska Press, which continues to enrich our understanding of baseball history. It continues this noble work with Jeremy Beer's biography of Oscar Charleston. It does justice to the player whom Bill James rates as the greatest of all Negro Leagues players-and the fourth-greatest player of all time, behind only Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner, and Willie Mays. -George F. Will, columnist and author of Men at Work: The Craft of Baseball -- George F. Will Beer's evenhanded narrative makes a convincing case for Charleston as the greatest baseball player who never played in the majors. This is a solid hit for baseball historians and fans alike. -Publishers Weekly * Publishers Weekly *

Author Information

Jeremy Beer is a founding partner at American Philanthropic in Phoenix. He is the author of The Philanthropic Revolution: An Alternative History of American Charity and his writing on sports, society, and culture has appeared in the Washington Post, National Review, First Things, and the Baseball Research Journal, among many other venues.  

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