J.L. Wilkinson and the Kansas City Monarchs

“A fantastic addition to [the Negro Leagues] segment of baseball literature...long overdue...this important story needs to be told and William A. Young has done a phenomenal job in telling it... the author has done an exceptional job of letting Wilkinson’s record as a businessman, baseball man and human speak for itself... a thorough biography of a remarkable man”—Nine
“Much of the overall history of black baseball has been told and told well, so it is left to writers like William A. Young to flesh out the details. He has done so in a both interesting and academically responsible way.”—The Inside Game (SABR Deadball Era Committee Newsletter)
“[A] fine work of biography for anyone interested in the inner workings of the Negro leagues, especially the earlier formative days. Young goes into incredible detail, and this work can serve as a primary resource as much as a work of analysis.”—Josh Howard, Sport in American History
“a very good source of information on not only the Monarchs franchise, but also for the development of the Negro Leagues.”—The Guy Who Reviews Sports Books
“Finally, a comprehensive narrative about one of the most influential power brokers in black baseball history, and the owner of the Negro League’s longest-running franchise. Young reveals Wilkinson’s personal challenges, as a white man, to integrate the landscape of black baseball, while winning a few championships along the way. This is a must read for any sports fan!”—Larry Lester, author, historian, and chairman of SABR’s Negro Leagues Committee
“An important story of an important man. Young does a masterful job of finding the intersections of race, baseball, and finance in Wilkinson’s life and that of the Monarchs, allowing them to drive the narrative of the owner and his team.”—Thomas Aiello, author, The Kings of Casino Park: Black Baseball in the Lost Season of 1932.