April 15, 1947, marked the most important opening day in baseball history. When Jackie Robinson stepped onto the diamond that afternoon at Ebbets Field, he became the first African American to break into major-league baseball in the twentieth century.

In Opening Day, Jonathan Eig tells the true story behind the national pastime's most sacred myth. Along the way he offers new insights into events of more than sixty years ago and punctures some familiar legends about who opposed Robinson and who supported him.

But above all, Opening Day reminds readers of Jackie Robinson's courage. A ferocious competitor and an angry man, Robinson had to control his volatile temper in the face of brutal racial insults. Fittingly, he would win the Rookie of the Year Award and help lead his team into the most thrilling World Series in history.