Howard Bryant is an American journalist and author whose work examines sport, race, and American public life. His reporting has appeared through ESPN, and he has served as a sports correspondent for NPR’s Weekend Edition Saturday. His nonfiction includes baseball history, biographies, essay collections, and books for younger readers.
His early books studied the Boston Red Sox’s racial history and performance-enhancing drugs in Major League Baseball. Later biographies covered Henry Aaron and Rickey Henderson, while The Heritage examined political activism among Black athletes. His children’s publishing includes the three-sport Legends series and an illustrated account of Venus and Serena Williams. He has also contributed to multi-author collections, including a tribute to baseball reporter Pedro Gomez.
Howard Bryant Books
| Book | Year | Amazon |
|---|---|---|
| Shut Out | 2002 | Description / Buy at Amazon |
| Juicing the Game | 2005 | Description / Buy at Amazon |
| The Last Hero | 2010 | Description / Buy at Amazon |
| Legends | 2015 | Description / Buy at Amazon |
| The Heritage | 2018 | Description / Buy at Amazon |
| Full Dissidence | 2020 | Description / Buy at Amazon |
| Now What? | 2020 | Description / Buy at Amazon |
| Rickey | 2022 | Description / Buy at Amazon |
| Kings and Pawns | 2026 | Description / Buy at Amazon |
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Baseball Books
Shut Out: A Story of Race and Baseball in Boston: Bryant investigates the history of race in Boston baseball, including the Red Sox’s resistance to integration and the experiences of Black players associated with the team. Interviews and historical research connect decisions within the club to the city’s wider racial politics. The account follows the long consequences of exclusion, considering how ownership, public attitudes, and the treatment of individual players shaped the organization’s reputation.
Juicing the Game: Drugs, Power, and the Fight for the Soul of Major League Baseball: Bryant examines baseball’s offensive boom after the 1994 strike and the steroid controversy that developed alongside it. Interviews with players, executives, union officials, and commissioners provide competing accounts of responsibility. The narrative follows prominent cases, the BALCO investigation, and congressional hearings, arguing that the pursuit of renewed popularity and revenue affected how baseball’s institutions responded to evidence of performance-enhancing drug use.
The Last Hero: A Life of Henry Aaron: This biography follows Henry Aaron’s baseball career and the racial conditions through which he lived and worked. Bryant examines Aaron’s pursuit of Babe Ruth’s home-run record, the abuse directed at him, and his position within the continuing struggle for equality after Jackie Robinson. Interviews and research also address Aaron’s private personality, public obligations, and experiences after retiring as a player.
Rickey: The Life and Legend of an American Original: Bryant traces Rickey Henderson’s life from Oakland to a major-league career spanning several decades and teams. The biography examines his development as a leadoff hitter and base stealer alongside his public image and relationships within baseball. Oakland’s sporting culture and the changing economic position of Black athletes provide context for a player whose style and career challenged expectations about behaviour, celebrity, and professional value.
Sports and Society
The Heritage: Black Athletes, a Divided America, and the Politics of Patriotism: Bryant follows the history of political engagement by Black athletes, from figures including Paul Robeson, Jackie Robinson, and Muhammad Ali to contemporary protests involving Colin Kaepernick and others. The account examines periods of activism and corporate accommodation, alongside patriotic ceremonies and military imagery in American sport. Interviews and historical research explore the expectations placed on athletes and the professional consequences of taking public positions.
Full Dissidence: Notes from an Uneven Playing Field: Nine essays examine race, labour, protest, and power in American sport and public life. Bryant discusses relationships between players and owners, patriotic displays, the meaning of integration, and pressures to suppress Black identity in the name of acceptance. Personal observation and cultural criticism connect sporting institutions with wider political arguments about equality, citizenship, and the difference between stated national ideals and everyday treatment.
Kings and Pawns: Jackie Robinson and Paul Robeson in America: Bryant examines the lives of Jackie Robinson and Paul Robeson through their encounters with the House Un-American Activities Committee. Robinson’s 1949 testimony and Robeson’s 1956 appearance frame an account of fame, anticommunism, patriotism, and civil rights. The book considers how their differing political positions affected their reputations and opportunities, placing two prominent Black public figures within the pressures and divisions of the Cold War.
Sports Books for Younger Readers
Legends: The Best Players, Games, and Teams in Baseball: This illustrated introduction presents episodes from baseball history for younger readers. Players such as Babe Ruth and Hank Aaron appear alongside accounts of notable teams, World Series games, playoff rivalries, and Jackie Robinson’s integration of the major leagues. Ranked lists and a timeline accompany the narratives, connecting individual achievements with significant events in the sport’s competitive and social development.
Legends: The Best Players, Games, and Teams in Football: Bryant uses memorable Super Bowls to introduce young readers to professional football history. The accounts follow quarterbacks, coaches, teams, upsets, and close finishes, placing individual games within the development of major NFL dynasties. Photographs, ranked lists, and a timeline support the narratives. The book connects championship performances with the players and coaching decisions that helped determine their outcomes and lasting significance.
Legends: The Best Players, Games, and Teams in Basketball: This volume introduces young readers to leading NBA players, teams, and championship eras. Its subjects range from Bill Russell’s Celtics and Magic Johnson’s Lakers to Michael Jordan’s Bulls and later champions. Photographs, lists, and a historical timeline accompany accounts of major performances and rivalries. The book follows how successive players and dynasties changed the game and became known beyond basketball itself.
Sisters and Champions: The True Story of Venus and Serena Williams: Illustrated by Floyd Cooper, this picture-book biography follows Venus and Serena Williams from childhood tennis in Compton to major championships, Olympic success, and the top of the world rankings. Bryant describes their training and competitive development while emphasizing their relationship as sisters. The story presents their sporting achievements alongside the mutual support and shared experiences that accompanied their progress through professional tennis.
Anthology Contributions
Remember Who You Are: What Pedro Gomez Showed Us About Baseball and Life: This multi-author tribute brings together sixty-two essays about ESPN baseball reporter Pedro Gomez after his death in 2021. Colleagues, players, managers, friends, and relatives describe his reporting, bilingual work, family life, and influence on people around the sport. Bryant is one of the contributors. The collection places professional recollections alongside personal accounts of the advice, relationships, and acts of generosity associated with Gomez.