When the Game Was Black and White: The Illustrated History of the Negro Leagues

A connoisseur of diamond memorabilia, New York Daily News sportswriter Chadwick here does for black baseball what he has done for major league baseball in general: encourage its enthusiasts to appreciate its nuances. Because the so-called Negro Leagues, which flourished between 1887 and 1947, were only sketchily covered by the white press, Chadwick has assembled his impressive collection of photos primarily from former players, fans and sports historians. To the pictures of teams and individual stars--including Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson and Cool Papa Bell--he has added such memorabilia as programs, tickets and posters. Although the text is well researched, it adds little information to works like R. Peterson's Only the Ball Was White ; the 170 illustrations, on the other hand, make this volume indispensable. (Dec.)