As a teenager sheltering from the rain outside a Washington, D.C. restaurant, Henry Aaron listened to staff smash every plate his Black team had eaten from. This deep dive goes far beyond the stats to explore a man who faced unimaginable pressure and systemic racism while maintaining almost unbelievable dignity.

Aaron's life serves as a lens on the broader American civil rights struggle of the 20th century.

• Taught himself hand-eye coordination by hitting bottle caps with sticks in impoverished Mobile, Alabama, developing an unorthodox cross-handed grip.
• Signed with the Braves over the Giants for just $50 more a month, routing him into the deeply segregated Jim Crow South.
• Was renamed Hank by a public relations department that feared Henry sounded too formal.
• Received nearly a million pieces of mail, much o ...