Globetrotter

<P>The captivating biography of Abe Saperstein, creator of the Harlem Globetrotters</P><P>The original Harlem Globetrotters weren’t from Harlem, and they didn’t start out as globetrotters. The talented all-Black team, started by Jewish immigrant Abe Saperstein, was from Chicago’s South Side and toured the region in Saperstein’s model-T. But with Saperstein’s savvy and the players’ skills, the Globetrotters would become a worldwide sensation.</P><P>Globetrotter: How Abe Saperstein Shook Up the World of Sports is the fascinating biography of Saperstein, a five-foot-three promoter who made an amazing impact in a sport where height is at a premium: basketball. When Saperstein first founded the team in the 1920s, they battled everything from blizzards to bigotry as they traveled around the Midwest. But the team steadily built a reputation for talent and comedy, increasing its footprint until it covered the entire world. </P><P>Abe Saperstein’s impact went well beyond the Harlem Globetrotters. He helped keep baseball’s Negro Leagues alive, was a force in getting pitching great Satchel Paige his shot at the majors, and befriended Olympic star Jesse Owens when he fell on hard times. And at a time when professional basketball was still struggling to attract fans, Saperstein and his Globetrotters helped the sport grow a devoted audience. Globetrotter reveals the tireless work and impressive achievements of a man and basketball team that made millions of people laugh, gasp, and applaud at their astounding performances and incredible talent.</P>