Jackie Robinson in Quotes : The Remarkable Life of Baseball's Most Significant Player

A Fresh Look at an Inspiring Historical Figure

Jackie Robinson in Quotes tells the life story of arguably the most important baseball player in history with over 400 pages of quotations by and about him. Featured are quotes by Robinson, his widow Rachel Robinson, other family members, friends, teammates, coaches, members of the media, and many more. Danny Peary has skillfully curated the best quotes to shed new light on the man behind number 42, who famously became the first black Major League Baseball player in 1947. The quotes speak for themselves, following Robinson through his childhood to his days as a young multi-talented athlete; his famous first meeting with Branch Rickey and signing with the Dodgers; then his exciting Hall-of-Fame career playing for the Brooklyn Dodgers. Read in his own words how he had to face racism and abuse with stoic silence; and how later the true Robinson emerged—a ballplayer and political activist who refused to stay silent, and who for his whole life remained unswerving in his expectation that all Americans be treated equally, no matter their color.

Jackie Robinson in Quotes is a behind-the-headlines narrative about the making and life of a hero. It gives a first-hand account of Jackie Robinson’s baseball stardom, his friendships and rivalries, the people he loved and who loved him, the issues that troubled him, and how he took on all challenges to change the face of America’s favorite pastime, the country itself, and, thus, history forever.

“As someone who knew Jackie and practically grew up in the Dodgers’ clubhouse at Ebbets Field, I’m genuinely impressed with the masterful way Danny Peary has selected and assembled thousands of quotes by and about him that capture both the fascinating historical landscape of a baseball pioneer and the emotional depth of his journey toward social justice.”
—Roy Campanella II, son of three-time National League MVP for the Brooklyn Dodgers and award-winning film and TV director, writer, and producer

“During my nine seasons as Jackie Robinson’s teammate, I marveled most at his self-control under tremendous duress. He was disciplined, determined, steadfast in his convictions, and the most exciting player in baseball—then and now. You’ll catch all that and more as you read these pages of quotes by and about a true American hero.”
—Carl Erskine, pitcher who won 122 games for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers between 1948 and 1959, including two no-hitters