Category Archive: Books by James A. Riley

Books by James A. Riley

Nov 07 2011

Of Monarchs and Black Barons

New in 2012 from author James A. Riley: Of Monarchs and Black Barons: Essays on Baseball’s Negro Leagues. The first African American to play in baseball’s recognized major leagues, William Edward White, appeared in 1879, followed by brothers Fleetwood and Welday Walker in 1884. The fourth African American, Jackie Robinson, did not make his major …

Continue reading »

Dec 28 2010

Barnstorming to Heaven: Syd Pollock and His Great Black Teams

A rare insider’s perspective on baseball’s great barnstorming age.

Dec 28 2010

The Negro Leagues: African-American Achievers

The Negro Leagues is a story filled with unforgettable personalities, improbably performances, and magic moments. Most of all, it is a story excellence in the pursuit of our national pastime.

Dec 28 2010

Nice Guys Finish First: The Autobiography of Monte Irvin

Monte Irvin is an American Hero. With courage, belief and talent, he overcame great obstacles to realize his dream. And in this powerful autobiography, he tells the remarkable story of how he became a Hall of Fame baseball player and a man Americans can admire.

Dec 28 2010

Buck Leonard: The Black Lou Gehrig : The Hall of Famer’s Story in His Own Words

This is Buck’s story in his own words, tracing his life from his humble beginnings to the present. Not only an eyewitness account of the history of the Negro leagues told by one of the all-time greats, it is also a saga of the black experience, vividly illustrating what it was like to be a black American in the years before our country’s social conscience was awakened.

Dec 27 2010

Dandy, Day and the Devil

Based on exhaustive research and personal interviews, this publication is a trilogy examining the lives and careers of Negro League stars of Ray Dandridge, Leon Day and Willie Wells.

Dec 26 2010

The Biographical Encyclopedia of the Negro Baseball Leagues

This landmark reference volume (James A. Riley, Carroll & Graf, 1994, updated version publishing in January, 2002) is recognized as the most comprehensive work chronicling this era of baseball history.