Customer Reviews (5)

Well written and admirable.
African American women served in a segregated army in WWII. This book tells the fascinating story of one of them and her unit, which was eventually sent to England and was the best unit of its type (Postal).
The book is really a look into another place and time, and reinforces my admiration for African American women who have faced horrible situations of prejudice and danger with courage and determination (and still do).

Well written and admirable.
African American women served in a segregated army in WWII. This book tells the fascinating story of one of them and her unit, which was eventually sent to England and was the best unit of its type (Postal).
The book is really a look into another place and time, and reinforces my admiration for African American women who have faced horrible situations of prejudice and danger with courage and determination (and still do).

A notable contribution to World War II literature
"One Woman's Army: A Black Officer Remembers the WAC," by Charity Adams Earley, is a memoir by a pioneering African-American soldier of the Women's Army Corps (WAC) of the United States Army.The bulk of the book focuses on the period from July 1942 to December 1945, and details her service both in the continental U.S. and in the European theater of operations.

The author looks back at the assignments she held, which included being on the staff of the WAC training center in Des Moines and commanding a battalion-size postal unit overseas.She also recalls the time when the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) was transformed into the WAC, thus becoming "an official branch of the army."

Earley tells her story in a straightforward manner.She recalls many humorous and/or ironic incidents that happened along the way, as well as some appalling examples of racial prejudice and insensitivity that she faced.I was also very interested by the leadership challenges that she encountered as she rose up the ranks.She also looks at some of the very practical issues regarding the incorporation of women in the military, such as providing them with proper uniforms.

The book is richly illustrated throughout.There are photos of some of the historic documents from the author's career.There are also over 40 photos detailing her service and showing many of the other soldiers--black and white, male and female, officer and enlisted--with whom she served.I particularly enjoyed the photos showing the African-American women soldiers in action.Lieutenant Colonel Charity Adams Earley was a true military trailblazer, and I was absolutely fascinated by the story she tells here.Inspiring and educational, this book is a valuable contribution to the fields of women's studies, African-American studies, and military history.Recommended companion text: "A Black Woman's Civil War Memoirs," by Susie King Taylor.

A MUST READ ON THE TOPIC OF WOMEN IN THE MILITARY
This is one of the outstanding memoirs written by women who have served in the US Army.Charity Adams Early was the first African American woman to receive a commission in the WAC during World War II, and later became the commander of the 6888th Central Postal Directory, the only black WAC unit sent overseas.She frankly discusses the problems faced by black WACS, including segregation in training and unit assignment, and the prejudices she faced.Highly recommended.

Great Pick-me-up for strong women and the men who love them!
I am a terrible reader and don't often finish books I start.This book interested me through and through.If you are a woman in the military, or know a woman in the military, then you need to read this book. The perspective on life in Charity Adams' Army is a wonderful change from the Hollywood versions of wartime service we see all around us.This book brings you inside and behind the scenes of very important and worthwhile missions.Reading about the strides Charity Adams made in her time (and now with this book) make me so proud of her not only as a negro WAC officer, but as a soldier and a leader! I highly recommend this book for yourself and for a gift to other strong women in your life! ... Read more

Product Description

Colin Powell once observed that "a dream doesn't become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination, and hard work." This sentiment is mirrored dramatically in the story of African Americans in aerospace history.

Customer Reviews (2)

A Remarkable History
I first learned about the Tuskegee Airmen, the African-American fighter pilots of WWII, and their famous red tail P-51 Mustangs after meeting the late Don Hinz at a local airfield.Hinz and his project to restore one of these P-51 planes piqued my interest, and curiosity led to my delving into the history of black American aviators.

Now, we have Von Hardesty's wonderful book Black Wings to describe this history, beginning with the barnstorming days of aviatrix Bessie Coleman and concluding with the highly specialized men and women of the Astronaut Corps.It is a poignant and inspirational story of people who dreamed of flying and their attempts to break through discrimination and barriers, including flight schools that refused to teach them and an elitist all-white U.S. Army Air Corps whose officers insisted that blacks couldn't successfully pilot military aircraft.

This 180-page book features 200 remarkable historic and contemporary photographs, many depicting the segregated days of flying:black aviation clubs, a movie flier announcing a "colored" cast, and a 1931 air show billed as a "colored air circus," among others.I recommend this book wholeheartedly, a great addition to readers' collections.

Kathleen Winters, author of Anne Morrow Lindbergh: First Lady of the Air

Fantastic photography
This book looks at a little-remembered group of black men who, with their abilities and initiatives and creativity, became a valuable working unit of the military. The photographs are great.Written very well, with empathy and understanding, from the author's meetings with relatives and friends of these fliers. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Revealing and Restoring American History
Dr. Scott has performed an invaluable service in resurrecting and correcting the history of Afro-American troops in the Spanish-American War.Scott was fascinated by the involvement of his grandfather with Black soldiers and began to research his history.His personal search became a mission of justice that he has performed well in telling of the trials and tribulations of those who fought to survive in a war against oppression while subjected to it in their homeland before, during, and after the war was over.The one paramount question that the reader must ask after reading Scott's valuable contribution to Afro-American history is:Given the racism these people were subjected to, why did they fight at all?Scott answers that question and many more in flowing prose that avoids exaggeration, hyperbole, or dramatization which are not necessary given his well-researched facts.He sheds new light on an ambition-ridden, publicity-seeking Theodore Roosevelt and his changeable views on the bravery of Afro-American troops---who probably saved him and his Rough Riders on more than one occasion---while giving their due to the unknown personalities who, all too rarely, supported and appreciated the efforts of Black troops to fight and survive in the United States and Cuba.There are many interesting and little known facts in this book that will outrage many readers and, I hope, encourage them to read more about the travails of Afro-Americans involved in the American military throughout history.A true companion book to Scott's is "The Unknown Soldiers:Black Army Troops In World War I" by Arthur Barbeau.Together these two books provide an important, detailed, and corrective history of Afro-Americans in two wars over a period of twenty years.

Remarkable in itself is the fact that Scott is a White Southerner well-advanced in age who would have witnessed the horrors of Jim Crow and racism in Alabama throughout most of the Twentieth Century.Scott presents an interesting proposition as well: If Black soldiers had not fought as well as they did in Cuba, America may not have abandoned its isolationist stance of the time and its history may have been very different.

This is an indispensable book that every American interested in US military history or the history of Afro-Americans should have in their library.Scott has done a commendable job and made an important contribution to correcting a terrible historical omission and injustice.

Published review
Reprinted by permission of Birmingham Magazine

When reading a book about soldiers and war, one expects to see quite a few pictures.That is not the case in The Unwept: Black American Soldiers and the Spanish American War.And, in a sense, that's the point of the book.

Although African American soldiers played a crucial role in the defeat of the Spanish, their participation went virtually unheralded.(Thus, virtually unphotographed.)That is, until the late Dr. Edward Van Zile Scott began researching his grandfather's life and role in the Spanish-American War.Dr. Scott's grandfather, Col. Walter S. Scott, was the white commanding officer of a company of black U.S. infantrymen in the Indian wars of the late 1800s and in the Spanish-American War.

But, The Unwept is an immensely interesting book not just because it points out the little known fact of African American bravery and skill under fire.Dr. Scott also offers a refreshing perspective on the war itself and some of its more famous participants - Theodore Roosevelt and John J. Pershing.

The Unwept is interesting because of the details.After all, it is the small things, the kindness, the pettiness, the moments of bravery and clarity that mark our lives. The Unwept offers a rare thing - a researcher's attention to detail as well as a writer's insight and crafting.

- Birmingham Magazine - August, 1996 ... Read more

Product Description

The racial tensions that have long plagued American society exist to a much lesser extent in the military where the bond of common pursuit and shared experience renders race less relevant. Or so conventional wisdom has long held.

Customer Reviews (1)

Excellent Overview
The book is an excellent overview of the issues facing African Americans in Viet Nam.Westheider views the racism facing African Americans in the military at that time as being the result of both personal racism, primarily from a military heavily populated by whites from the southern US, and institutional racism, both deliberate and unintentional, from the military hierarchy.Westheider shows an interesting evolution of the attitude that African Americans toward the military.Before the Viet Nam war, African Americans held a generally positive attitude about the military and viewed the military as less racist than society in general.By the end of the war, African Americans viewed the military as more racist than society in general and suspected that the military was, in fact, a tool used by society to persecute African-Americans.He uses a number of statistics to make his case.For example, in 1964, thirty percent of the population of Alabama was African American and yet there was not a single African American on any Draft Board in Alabama.There is information on racial violence in the military, racially motivated "fragging" of officers and political and ethnic oriented organizations in the military.The book is an excellent overview and is a good introduction to the subject.I enjoyed the book but I finished the book thinking that there is much more of this story to be told ... Read more

Product Description
The Civil War stands vivid in the collective memory of the American public.There has always been a profound interest in the subject, and specifically of Blacks' participation in and reactions to the war and the war's outcome.Almost 200,000 African-American soldiers fought for the Union in the Civil War.Although most were illiterate ex-slaves, several thousand were well educated, free black men from the northern states.The 129 letters in this collection were written by black soldiers in the Union army during the Civil War to black and abolitionist newspapers. They provide a unique expression of the black voice that was meant for a public forum. The letters tell of the men's experiences, their fears, and their hopes.They describe in detail their army days--the excitement of combat and the drudgery of digging trenches.Some letters give vivid descriptions of battle; others protest racism; still others call eloquently for civil rights.Many describe their conviction that they are fighting not only to free the slaves but to earn equal rights as citizens.These letters give an extraordinary picture of the war and also reveal the bright expectations, hopes, and ultimately the demands that black soldiers had for the future--for themselves and for their race.As first-person documents of the Civil War, the letters are strong statements of the American dream of justice and equality, and of the human spirit. ... Read more

Product Description
Examines the life of the first African American graduate of West Point, including his dishonorable discharge from the Army which was reversed nearly 100 years later. ... Read more

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Historian Timothy L. Schroer's Recasting Race after World War II explores the renegotiation of race by Germans and African American GIs in post-World War II Germany. Schroer dissects the ways in which notions of blackness and whiteness became especially problematic in interactions between Germans and American soldiers serving as part of the victorious occupying army at the end of the war.

The segregation of U.S. Army forces fed a growing debate in America about whether a Jim Crow army could truly be a democratizing force in postwar Germany. Schroer follows the evolution of that debate and examines the ways in which postwar conditions necessitated reexamination of race relations. He reveals how anxiety about interracial relationships between African American men and German women united white American soldiers and the German populace. He also traces the importation and influence of African American jazz music in Germany, illuminating the subtle ways in which occupied Germany represented a crucible in which to recast the meaning of race in a post-Holocaust world.

Recasting Race after World War II will appeal to historians and scholars of American, African American, and German studies. ... Read more

Product Description
A noted military historian reveals the critical and heroic role African Americans played in the American Revolution, the last war to use integrated units until the Korean Conflict. of illustrations. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

Interesting but!!
The author offers a lot of interestingtid bits on the history of the U.S. / Mexican border of which I was previosly unaware of and for which I am grateful. Nevertheless, in spots he gets a bit overbearing with his social/economic points of view. A little editing and it would be a pleasent read. ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from The Black Collegian, published by iMinorities, Inc. on February 1, 1997. The length of the article is 4394 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

From the supplier: The African American community has had a long history of contributing to the defense of the country. However, opportunities to occupy high positions in the military had been scarce until Dr. Mary Mcleod Bethune campaigned vigorously in the 1940s 'to see black faces in high places.' Her tireless efforts paved the way for later generations of talented African Americans to move up the military hierarchy.

Citation Details
Title: A historical perspective: opportunities for African Americans in the Armed Forces. (includes profiles of African American military officers)
Author: Roosevelt, Jr. Wright
Publication: The Black Collegian (Magazine/Journal)
Date: February 1, 1997
Publisher: iMinorities, Inc.
Volume: v27Issue: n2Page: p122(6)

Article Type: Biography

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from The Black Collegian, published by iMinorities, Inc. on February 1, 1996. The length of the article is 3393 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

From the supplier: The US armed forces provides many opportunities for employment for African-American college graduates as well as the chance to gain leadership skills. They may also avail of scholarship programs that provide for advanced studies and will be instrumental in their rise through the ranks. Leadership roles involve management of technical, scientific, military and administrative operations.

Citation Details
Title: Opportunities in the military. (employment)(includes profiles of African-American military officers)
Author: Roosevelt, Jr. Wright
Publication: The Black Collegian (Magazine/Journal)
Date: February 1, 1996
Publisher: iMinorities, Inc.
Volume: v26Issue: n2Page: p58(4)

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from The Black Collegian, published by iMinorities, Inc. on February 1, 1998. The length of the article is 1020 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

From the supplier: The success of African American women in the military underscores the efficacy of equal opportunity programs and shows that the military service is rich in job opportunities for women. African American military women have scored numerous achievements and accomplishments that have earned them the respect and confidence of their male counterparts. Among these successful women are Brigadier Gen Mary L. Saunders of the Air Force, Capt Lillian E. Fishburne of the Navy and Col Gilda A. Jackson of the Marine Corps. Army Major Janice M. Johnson and Capt Patricia Johnson also serve as role models.

Citation Details
Title: Women in the military: African-American military women: soaring beyond the glass ceiling.(Career Reports)
Author: Charles E. Boyd
Publication: The Black Collegian (Magazine/Journal)
Date: February 1, 1998
Publisher: iMinorities, Inc.
Volume: v28Issue: n2Page: p129(2)

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

Product Description
In turbulent antebellum America, the Ohio River was both a river of slavery and a river of freedom. The Ohio was a crucial conduit for the trade that linked farmers and merchants of the Northwest to the slave plantations of the South, and it also carried African American men, women and children caught up in the slave trade downriver to Cotton Belt markets. Slaves on the southern banks of the Ohio saw it as their own River Jordan, across which lay the Promised Land of freedom. Hundreds of miles of land along the northern bank of the Ohio, the essential first stop on the famed Underground Railroad, became the front line of the struggle to help African Americans attain their freedom.

Traditional historical accounts depict the Underground Railroad as a movement engineered and maintained by white abolitionists, and many have assumed that African Americans played no significant role except as passengers. In Front Line of Freedom, Keith P. Griffler shifts the focus away from the usual emphasis placed on support operations, or "stations," run by whites along routes used to conduct fugitives into the Northern states or into Canada. Instead, he stresses the essential role of African Americans in Ohio River port communities.

While most fugitives understandably crossed the Ohio River on their way to destinations farther away from their pursuers, those African Americans who remained in the Ohio Valley gave the impetus for the formation and growth of a region’s underground freedom movement. These intrepid frontline warriors faced hostility and violence from Southern slaveholders and their Northern sympathizers in a region economically dependent on slavery. Griffler paints a new picture of the long road from slavery to freedom by highlighting the vital, courageous, and often dangerous attempts by Ohio valley African Americans to harbor fugitive slaves beginning their flights to freedom.

Front Line of Freedom unfolds the surprising history of an interracial struggle against slavery. Refuting old notions of whites working and African Americans riding on the Underground Railroad, Griffler reveals meaningful collaboration between blacks and whites at every level of the enterprise. Long before soldiers donned blue and gray uniforms, the activities of free African Americans in the Ohio River Valley made the region an initial battleground in the protracted fight to end the institution of slavery in America. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

An exciting new look at the Underground Railroad
Even though I know better, like most people, the term "Underground Railroad" conjures the image of white folks rescuing hapless black folks.Griffler believes this is partly because historians have focused too much on the "Railroad" (with its mostly white conductors and stations) and not enough on the "Underground." Without diminishing the interracial aspects, Griffler documents how African American communities created and utilized a vast underground front-line network decades before there was much white involvement. As he states, "Even at its height the Underground Railroad did not entice African Americans to escape; rather, the loosely organized support operation was formed in response to the constant stream of fugitives."

In addition to introducing black freedom fighters like John Parker (a former slave who built a prosperous business in Ripley, Ohio and worked from that base) Griffler crosschecks letters, reminiscences and oral histories against contemporary scholarship to explore the inner workings and attitudes of various participants and societies, providing a fascinating new perspective on things we thought we knew.

In less skilled hands, this book could have been an unwieldy tome, but Griffler packs a wallop in a slim volume. His writing is concise, his narrative smooth, and God bless him, he never belabors a point.I easily rank this as my #1 book of the year, for general readers and academics alike. ... Read more

Product Description
The Buffalo Soldiers were African Americans who served in the Regular Army between the Civil War and World War I and fought in some of the most difficult wars against western Indians. Examining their military service, their social lives, and their interactions with western civilian communities, it uses the words of the soldiers themselves and of contemporary observers, some friendly and some not.

Voices of the Buffalo Soldier draws on a wide variety of periodicals, military records, and letters. It covers such key topics as the legislative origin of the inclusion of black soldiers in the army, the campaigns in which the Buffalo Soldiers fought, their daily lives and interactions with white communities, the few black chaplains and line officers who were permitted to serve, and the bravery of some Buffalo Soldier heroes. All students of the frontier army as well as aficionados with a special interest in the Buffalo Soldiers will find this an invaluable publication.

"The first work that presents the correspondence and their primary documents pertaining to black soldiers' lives in the West."--Quintard Taylor, University of Washington ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

An excellent survey of the black military experience on the plains frontier
Any military or black studies library strong in early American military history will find VOICES OF THE BUFFALO SOLDIER to be an excellent survey of the black military experience on the plains frontier. Records and reports provide source material of such service, with vintage black and white illustration adding visuals to the historic presentation.

Well written
I wish to thank Frank for his hard work. Knowing first hand how much time and effort it takes to compile such interesting episodes makes one hope he is rewarded.
LOL
Author, Charles D Ezell Sr./ Charles Dale ... Read more