Kadir Nelson's "We Are the Ship" is valuable primer on Negro Leagues

When I was at the 2008 All-Star Game Fan Fest at the Jacob Javits Center, I came across a display there for a compelling book called We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball. I didn't buy the book then, but I was transfixed by the images from it.

So when I saw "We Are the Ship" in the library earlier this year, I had to take the book out. Kadir Nelson's art in the book - paintings of Negro League players - is beautiful. And his text is a great primer for anybody who wants to know a little more about this increasingly neglected era in history.

How good is the art in the book? It's been featured in museums across the country, and will be in the Louisville Slugger Museum later on this month.

Anyhow, "We Are the Ship" is technically a "Young Adult" book, according to the library's classification system, but it's really suitable for anyone. Go here to buy a copy of it from Amazon. And if you'd like to buy an autographed copy of the book, head to Kadir Nelson's website.

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