Title/Author:
“We Are
the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball” by Kadir Nelson (audio book
narrated by Dion Graham)
Tags:
Baseball,
history, Negro Leagues
Published:
February
1, 2009
Length:
1 hour 55
minutes total reading time
Rating:
5 of 5
stars (outstanding)
Review:
There have
been many books written about the history of the Negro Leagues, so there was
really not a lot of new material to be reviewed in this book by Kadir
Nelson. However, the manner in which
this book was written and narrated was a refreshing version of the history of
players who deserve all the accolades they deserve for the dedication that they
gave to the game they love.
The
history of the Negro Leagues, from their beginnings under Rube Foster to the
decline of the leagues after Jackie Robinson broke Major League Baseball’s
color barrier, is told from the viewpoint of a narrator who was a player in the
Leagues, but remained nameless and team-less.
He can best be described as an “Everyman” type of player.
This
player, personified by the terrific reading of Dion Graham, lets the listener
feel like he or she is on the dusty fields with the players on those days they
play two or three games. Or on the buses
traveling from city to city with the stories of keeping the driver awake or
maybe players sharing driving duties. Or
the problems the player faced during the days of segregation when trying to buy
food or find a place to sleep for the night.
Or learn a little more about the superstars of this time, such as Oscar
Charleston, Satchel Paige or Josh Gibson. Graham’s smooth delivery and happy
personification of the “everyman” player makes it a joy to listen to an audio
book.
This is
sold as a children’s book, a fact I did not realize until after I listened to
it and did a little research on Nelson.
While listening to it, I did not get the impression that this was a
children’s book (recommended for ages 8 and up). The language, while fairly simple, was
sophisticated enough to keep older children and adults interested. There are still many facts that can be
learned while reading or listening to this book. Overall, this is a great book for anyone who
wants to either learn a little more about the Negro Leagues or just wants to be
entertained by some great baseball stories.
Did I skim?
No.
Pace of the book:
This was a
quick book. As I listened, I actually
replayed a few of the sections on the CD as I didn’t want to miss some
important information. The narrator
didn’t read it so fast that the information couldn’t be absorbed, but because
he was very entertaining as well as informative, I replayed certain sections
where I missed something because I was laughing.
Do I recommend?
Yes. As mentioned in the review, I believed that I
gained a much better understanding of this book in the audio format than I
would have had I read the paperback or e-book.
But no matter which format the reader prefers, this book should be added
to the reading list of every baseball fan.
Book Format Read:
Audio Book
Buying Links:
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