The Bona Fide Legend of Cool Papa Bell

Name: The Bona Fide Legend of Cool Papa Bell
Brand: Thames and Hudson (Australia) Pty Ltd
SKU: 9781419750489
Price: 45.0 NZD
Availability: InStock

Speed, Grace, and the Negro Leagues

By Lonnie Wheeler

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Summary

The Bona Fide Legend of Cool Papa Bell by Lonnie Wheeler is the first comprehensive biography of James "Cool Papa" Bell, a celebrated star of Negro League baseball and a 1974 Hall of Famer. Known for his extraordinary speed and skill, Bell's career spanned the United States, the Dominican Republic, and Mexico. Born to sharecroppers in Mississippi, Bell's life was transformed by baseball, which allowed him to rise above the hardships of racism and segregation during the Great Migration. Wheeler provides a richly detailed account of Bell's personal and professional journey, set against the broader history of black baseball.
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Format: Hardback

$45⁰⁰

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The Bona Fide Legend of Cool Papa Bell

$45⁰⁰

Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book is ideal for enthusiasts of sports history, particularly those interested in baseball and the Negro Leagues. It also appeals to readers fascinated by African American history and the social impact of racism in sport. Fans of detailed biographies and cultural history will find this work a valuable and enlightening read.

Documents the life of the Negro League star and Hall of Famer, tracing Bell's sharecropping heritage, his extraordinary switch-hitting talents, and how Major League Baseball's racial barriers impacted his career.

Description

The first full biography of the star Negro Leaguer and Hall of Famer

James "Cool Papa" Bell (1903-1991) was a legend in black baseball, a lightning-fast switch hitter elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974. Bell's speed was extraordinary; as Satchel Paige famously quipped, he was so fast he could flip a light switch and be in bed before the room got dark.

In The Bona Fide Legend of Cool Papa Bell, experienced baseball writer and historian Lonnie Wheeler recounts the life of this extraordinary player, a key member of some of the greatest Negro League teams in history. Born to sharecroppers in Mississippi, Bell was part of the Great Migration, and in St. Louis, baseball saved Bell from a life working in slaughterhouses. Wheeler charts Bell's ups and downs in life and in baseball, in the United States, the Dominican Republic, and Mexico, where he went to escape American racism and MLB's colour line. Rich in context and suffused in myth, this is a treat for fans of baseball history.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781419750489

Publisher: Abrams

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 09 February 2021

Country: United States

Imprint: Abrams Press

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 35.0mm

Width: 160.0mm

Height: 236.0mm

Weight: 600g

Pages: 352

Collections

Lonnie Wheeler Non-Fiction Sports

About the Author

Lonnie Wheeler (1952-2020) was the author or co-author of many books on baseball including I Had a Hammer with Hank Aaron, Pitch by Pitch with Bob Gibson, Sixty Feet, Six Inches, with Bob Gibson and Reggie Jackson, Long Shot with Mike Piazza, Bleachers: A Summer in Wrigley Field, and Intangiball, winner of a 2016 SABR Baseball Research Award.

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The Bona Fide Legend of Cool Papa Bell: Speed, Grace, and the Negro Leagues

By Lonnie Wheeler

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