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I Never Had It Made
- Narrated by: Ossie Davis
- Length: 2 hrs and 59 mins
- Categories: Biographies & Memoirs, Entertainment & Celebrities
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Publisher's Summary
From the early influences of family and friends, to his time at UCLA, to the Army, where he challenged racism and Jim Crow laws, Jackie Robinson traces his life to playing in the black leagues, frustrated by the abuses and restrictions of second-class status in professional baseball.
As Branch Rickey, president of the Brooklyn Dodgers, began to look around for a player to break the color barrier in 1946, he knew he needed a man of character who could withstand the pressures of his "Noble Experiment". Choosing Robinson gave both of them the chance to prove what they believed in.
Struggles that continued in his personal life and in response to the turbulent sixties are interpreted with insight by Robinson and will give listeners an added appreciation for the amazing strength of his character.
Critic Reviews
Featured Article: The Best Baseball Audiobooks of All Time
Ask any baseball fan and they'll tell you: some of their favorite sounds can only be heard at the ballpark—the smooth, satisfying pop of a catcher’s glove as a pitch hits its mark; the crack of a bat as it tears into a fastball, explosive and hopeful, drawing the crowd to their feet. Our list, a roundup of outstanding baseball audiobooks, offers a glimmer of that same ballpark magic with just a few of the greatest stories from our national pastime.
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What listeners say about I Never Had It Made
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
- Kdoll
- 04-03-14
Understanding Jackie Robinson's Best Performance
If you could sum up I Never Had It Made in three words, what would they be?
Honesty; Strength; Faitful to change!!
Who was your favorite character and why?
Mr. Rickey is true to his belief in -- "that all men are endowed with certain inalienable rights, and that "among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness".
What does Ossie Davis bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
Ossie David's rich vocal expressions bring the reading to life.
4 people found this helpful
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- Feroz A.
- 10-09-18
Some parts are missing
As I was reading along i noticed that there are a few chapters and paragraphs missing. The basic story is still intact and the key point have been hit although it isnt complete.
2 people found this helpful
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- Scott P
- 10-13-20
Jackie Robinson’s Story is interesting and inspiring!
It is so interesting to gain an understanding of how a famous individual saw themselves and why they did what they did. His life after baseball offers insights into the politics of America in the late 1950’s going forward. Read/listen to this book; it’s worth the time!
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- Mila Laigo
- 06-05-20
A Story For the Ages
I read this book every so often to bring a voice to the story behind the man. To have the pleasure of an audio presentation gives the words an impassioned layer that resonates with me deeply. It is a short listen, but one that you'll definitely want to replay.
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- LJW from DFW
- 01-13-20
Nice story but bad narration.
This is very short book but what there was of the book was very good. Provides view of JR sa a real person. But narator Had a very gruff voice. If it had been the real JR then I get it but since he died before the book was published, it seems they could have done better
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- Chalonda Mangwiro-Johnson
- 01-07-20
Good book
Loved Ossie Davis narration and learning more about Jackie Robinson’s life, struggles and how he overcame adversities.
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- CMcCarty
- 10-21-19
Short and interesting autobio
This autobiography is fairly short and so does not go deeply into detail but what what lacks in missing out where you'd like to know a bit more, it's balanced in a quick pace. The narrator was perfectly paired with the work so it was believable and emotional where fitting.
This is a great Primer for people like myself who aren't particularly huge sports fans who are attracted to Robinson's story as a barrier breaker and subsequent activist.
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- Gina M Sterett
- 10-17-19
Great read, missing some parts.
This story was a great one and easy to listen to, yet there were many missing paragraphs. It skips around quite a bit and I had to pause it a lot to read the missing parts.
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- Jacqueline Desbrow
- 08-05-19
What helped me get through my life
This book helped me get further in my life Jackie Robinson is an inspiration on me. This book shows me that we think we have it hard when really think about how it was back then think about the pain that the people of color went through I myself am Latina. this book also showed me that you ignore the hate ignore the haters because if you let them get to you they win and I don't like to lose so I changed perspective thanks to this book.
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- sheri
- 07-22-19
passionate and informative
what a thrilling Journey thru Jacquees life on and off the baseball field! such descriptive language and use of imagery transform the reader 2 front row seat viewing the Brooklyn Dodgers as they navigated this first time Journey through desegregation.