Before 1947, professional baseball was as segregated as the rest of American society: Black baseball players were forced to compete in the Negro Leagues, rather than in Major League Baseball. But on April 15, 1947, Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier and changed history by becoming the first African American to play in the Major League Baseball. Signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers and managed by the visionary Branch Rickey, Robinson spent 10 seasons in the major leagues, during which time the Dodgers won six pennants. Robinson was a six-time All-Star, the National League Rookie of the Year in 1947, and the National League MVP in 1949. This fully illustrated, highly readable biography traces the phenomenal rise of this all-American icon.