A fascinating chronicle of the endeavors of African Americans who fought for their country: this book recounts their stories, their bravery, and their contributions.
Since 1652, African American soldiers have fought with skill, honor, loyalty, and love for a society that didn't consider them equal. In Vietnam, 11 percent of U.S. troops and a staggering 20 percent of casualties were African Americans. The heroic role of these soldiers throughout all the U.S. wars is brought to life in this fascinating title.
African Americans at War puts a human face on this neglected area of history. From pre-Revolutionary fighting against the French to cutting-edge combat against Saddam Hussein, these A–Z volumes underscore significant military contributions from African Americans. The two volumes provide comprehensive coverage of aspects including important historical figures; key battles, legislation, and rulings; honors awarded; regiments, formations, and squadrons; and significant places. Individuals portrayed include celebrated Revolutionary hero Crispus Attucks and Lieutenant Vernon J. Baker, who led his platoon in a near suicidal attack on German positions in 1945.
Often marginalized in support functions and frequently given suicidal missions, African Americans have served with distinction and honor in all U.S. conflicts. Their stories, endeavors, and bravery are now chronicled in one accessible resource. This set investigates each war, the interwar years, integration periods, and acceptance of African American men and women on the military team. This is a fascinating compendium spanning all U.S. history.
Features
• 250+ A–Z entries on the individuals, themes, and concepts surrounding African American military efforts
• Substantial chronology of black contributions to the military, from Colonial America to the present
• Listing of websites with historical significance for African Americans in the military
• Over 100 illustrations
• Thematic bibliography
Highlights
• Detailed biographies of all major African American military figures, both male and female
• Complete coverage of all American conflicts from an African American perspective
• Complete listing of every African American Medal of Honor winner
• Groundbreaking research of the American Civil War roles of African American units
Jonathan D. Sutherland is a professional writer and has written over 80 books.
Reviews
"The inclusiveness and comprehensiveness of this encyclopedia make it impressive. Devoted exclusively to the war experience of African Americans beginning in the late seventeenth century and extending to events just before the outbreak of the Second Gulf War, it chronicles both the well known and the long forgotten."—Booklist
"The alphabetical arrangement provides easy access to biographical information, legislation, personal accounts, regiments, and the like. . . . Highly recommended. All libraries."—Choice
"The inclusiveness and comprehensiveness of this encyclopedia make it impressive . . . This is a superb resource for any high-school, public, or undergraduate library looking to enrich its history, military, or African American studies collections."—Booklist
"Fascinating and revealing, African Americans at War: An Encyclopedia is a good source for background information. . . This set is written for a broad audience and should be welcomed by public, high school, and undergraduate libraries."—Against the Grain
"To fill a gap in the record of the 400-year history of US military service, a widely-published author introduces some 250 entries chronicling and analyzing the often contradictory roles of African Americans in battles from pre-Revolutionary days to the current."—Reference & Research Book News
". . . probably the best reference books anyone will find on African American's roles in United States wars. . . . The reviewer highly recommends these books for academic institutions, libraries, and anyone interested in African American history."—Reviewer's Consortium
"The author does an excellent job in dealing with individuals . . . the work paints a complete, at times vivid, picture of African Americans in the armed forces. The encyclopedia answers many questions likely to be raised by high school or college students and should encourage further research."—Journal of Military History
"One of the best recently published reference books, African Americans at War is a comprehensive encyclopedia filling a major void for libraries. Designed for students and scholars, the volume includes 280 entries in an alphabetic arrangement covering blacks in combat from the colonial era to recent military activities in Afghanistan and Iraq ... [a] model reference work."—American Reference Books Annual
Best of Reference 2004 — The New York Public Library
Editors Choice Award 2004 - Reference — Booklist
