Major : a Black athlete, a White era, and the fight to be the world's fastest human being / Todd Balf.
| Author/creator | Balf, Todd |
| Format | Book |
| Edition | 1st pbk. ed. |
| Publication Info | New York : Three Rivers Press, ©2008. |
| Description | 306 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm |
| Subjects |
| Abstract | At the turn of the 20th century, hundreds of handsome, lightning-fast racers won the hearts and minds of a bicycling-crazed public. Scientists studied them, newspapers glorified them, and millions of dollars in purse money was awarded to them. Major Taylor aimed to be the fastest of them all. A prominent black man at a time when such a thing was deemed scandalous, his mounting victories, high moral virtue, and bulletlike riding style made him a target for ridicule from the press and sabotage by the white riders who shared the track with him. This is the account of a fierce rivalry that would become an archetypal tale of white versus black in the 20th century. But it is also the tale of our nation's first black sports celebrity--a man who transcended the handicaps of race at the turn of the century to reach the stratosphere of fame.--From publisher description. |
| Bibliography note | Includes bibliographical references (p. 269-290) and index. |
| LCCN | 2009293618 |
| ISBN | 9780307236593 |
| ISBN | 0307236595 |