I Never Had it Made
An Autobiography
Jackie Robinson
1972

















The Pitch

I Never Had it Made tells Jackie Robinson's life story from beginning to end (the book was published the same year that he died).  Jackie details many events in his life: his career at UCLA; his time spent in the army during World War II; his Negro League playing days; and his controversial career with the Dodgers.  Beyond these events, Jackie discusses his family life, endeavors in the political arena, and his business ventures in a manner that is both intimate and revealing.


Best Quote

"The Dodgers (in 1947) were a championship team because all of us had learned something.  I had learned how to exercise self-control...they had learned that it's not skin color but talent and ability that counts."



Highlights

  • At UCLA Jackie tells of becoming the school's first four-letter athlete and how he met his future wife, Rachel.
  • Jackie was drafted into the army during World War II.  He discusses how he became a lieutenant and was later court-martialed and honorably discharged for refusing to move to the back of a bus.
  • In 1947 Robinson broke the color line in the major leagues. Jackie details many episodes of abuse for doing so.
  • Jackie details his relationships with the people he admired, like Branch Rickey and teammate Pee Wee Reese. Robinson also discusses his confrontations with those he did not like, such as Dodger owner Walter O'Malley, who he calls "viciously antagonistic," and sportswriter Dick Young, a "racial bigot."
  • Much of the book focuses on Robinson's political life after his baseball career ended in 1956.   His political ties connect him to such notorious characters as Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, William Buckley and Nelson Rockefeller.
  • Jackie later describes his most difficult trials concerning his son, Jackie Jr., who overcame a heroin addiction and later was killed in an automobile accident at age 24 in 1971.



Overall Rating:  Double!

I Never Had it Made is an overarching book detailing the complete life of Jackie Robinson - it is much more than a baseball narrative.  This book would appeal to anyone interested in the struggles and triumphs of the life of one of history's most notable figures.  It is a most engrossing biography and Jackie's is a most fascinating life story to read.  The first half of the book discusses Jackie's ascent to stardom in the Major Leagues and would be the most interesting to baseball fans.  The second half of the book, however, was a bit disappointing.  It is rather long and slow as he writes about his life after the Dodgers and the challenges he faced in the arenas of business, politics, and family.  Interesting, yes, but not as thrilling.  Furthermore, Robinson writes these later chapters with a bitter tone that contrasts deeply with the good-natured persona that most of his view him in. Still, one doesn't really know Jackie Robinson without reading his book.


-Robert Timm
This site is not affiliated with the Dodgers, MLBP, or MLBAM