Robert C. Cottrell

A writer with eclectic interests, Robert C. “Bob” Cottrell has penned numerous books on topics ranging from American radicalism, the 1960s, and the counterculture to baseball, WWII-era conscientious objectors, and popular culture. Among his best-known works are well-received biographies of the dissident journalist I.F. Stone, ACLU founder Roger Nash Baldwin, Negro National League pioneer Rube Foster, and, in dual biographical fashion, Hank Greenberg and Jackie Robinson, along with a riveting examination of 1968. His latest books, again displaying his wide-ranging explorations, focus on the early 20th century Lyrical Left, Sixties’ activists, what led up to the cancellation of the 1994 World Series, and Revolution, Counterrevolution, and Assassination. Bob’s most recent work, The Heyday of Willie, Duke, and Mickey: New York City Baseball's Golden Age amid Integration (Bloomsbury, February 2026), involves a dissection of the ascent and descent of the New York baseball dynasty, with a close look at the New York Giants, the Brooklyn Dodgers, and the New York Yankees. That also involves an emphasis on those teams’ star center fielders--Willie Mays, Duke Snider, and Mickey Mantle—and the shift of the Giants and the Dodgers to the West Coast. Woven throughout the book is an analysis of America race relations within and beyond the national pastime.

Sample Reviews and Blurbs:

“Izzy offers a valuable perspective on history and the meaning of integrity." Noam Chomsky, MIT

"A fascinating history of radical thought in the U.S. . . .essential for American history shelves." Booklist

“Definitive…an intellectual and political chronicle of progressive politics and activist journalism in twentieth century America…[and] a textured portrayal of Stone’s life as a prism through which to view decades of changes in the American left.” Los Angeles Times

“A superb biography. . . . One might hope that journalism schools around the land might require students to read Cottrell’s biography." Journal of American Culture

“A rich, textured portrait highlighting Baldwin's numerous contradictions.... Highly recommended at all levels.” R. J. Goldstein, Choice

“A tale worth telling. Cottrell tells it very well.” Michael R. Belknap, Journal of American History

"“Robert Charles Cottrell's definitive biography of Rube Foster adds much to our knowledge of this commanding figure in the history of the old black baseball leagues." Robert Peterson, author of Only the Ball Was White

"He deftly examines Foster's outstanding career on the diamond in the early 1900s.” Choice

"In Two Pioneers, distinguished historian Robert Cottrell situates two of sport’s most enduring icons, Jackie Robinson and Hank Greenberg, not just in the context of baseball history but in that of a nation confronting its own racial and social contradictions. His uncompromising and thoughtful interpretation of their lives and times captures their struggle to make this country live up to its ideals and reminds us of why they mattered." Rob Ruck, University of Pittsburgh

“Cottrell uses this integrated narrative to delve more deeply into the nature of baseball and American society and the changes brought about by the influence of these two pioneers.” William Harris Ressler, Black Ball

One of “the 50 greatest baseball books of all time” Peter Dreier, The Huffington Post

“This massive and impressively researched look at the cultural revolutions in the U.S. in the post-WWII years is a perfect text for a college class on 1960s culture. . . . Cottrell expertly shows how their outlaw images and ideas influenced almost every aspect of the 1960s counterculture.” Publishers Weekly

“Cottrell begins this fine narrative of 1960s counterculture with a detailed examination of four 'godfathers' of the movement: Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, Timothy Leary, and Ken Kesey. . . . Highly recommended. All levels/libraries.” Choice

“Robert Cottrell’s book is engagingly written, broadly conceived, and critical without being dismissive. He places the Sixties counterculture in the long stream of American cultural radicalism, a subject he knows better than anyone.” David Steigerwald, The Ohio State University

“In this well-written and engaging narrative, Cottrell (Cal State Chico) and Browne (Broward College) provide a balanced, thoughtful overview of one of the most tumultuous years in American history. . . . this compelling narrative certainly provides a good overview for curious undergraduates and general readers alike. Highly recommended. General readers; lower-division undergraduates through faculty.” Choice Reviews

“Robert C. Cottrell's All-American Rebels is the indispensable book for anyone interested in the history of the American Left, detailed, lucid, balanced, and comprehensive. This is not just a synthesis, but a work of original scholarship, particularly pathbreaking in its examination of the 21st century Left.” Maurice Isserman, author of If I Had a Hammer: The Death of the Old Left and the Birth of the New Left

“Robert C. Cottrell is not the first historian to survey left-wing American activists in recent decades, but he is perhaps the most ambitious and up to date. In crisp, concise prose he discusses them, and notes that they include a “wide array of movements,” relating to issues concerning “the rights of women, gays, and others in the 1970s and 1980s.” Reflecting an amazing talent for synthesis, Cottrell . . . reminds the reader of dissent’s place in American history, and provides a wonderful, informative bibliography. . . . As traumatic as the 1960s were, they are brilliantly described in their fury, and it is instructive today to be reminded of their turbulence.” Robet D. Parmet, York College of the City University of New York

“An intriguing analysis of the 1994 players’ strike… To trace the strike’s deep roots, Cottrell takes his readers on a long journey back to the formation of Major League Baseball in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. … Cottrell’s extensive research and engaging writing style result in an engrossing and straightforward narrative detailing an ugly period in Major League Baseball’s history. He does not shy away from relating how both sides in the labor dispute drew ire from baseball writers and fans. This is a welcome addition to the literature on Major League Baseball … recommended” Choice