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Half American
The Epic Story of African Americans Fighting World War II at Home and Abroad
1 of 1 copy available
• A New York Times Notable Book
• A Best Book of the Year from TIME, Publishers Weekly, Booklist, Washington Independent Review of Books, and more!
The definitive history of World War II from the African American perspective, written by civil rights expert and Dartmouth history professor Matthew Delmont
“Matthew F. Delmont’s book is filled with compelling narratives that outline with nuance, rigor, and complexity how Black Americans fought for this country abroad while simultaneously fighting for their rights here in the United States. Half American belongs firmly within the canon of indispensable World War II books.”
—Clint Smith, #1 New York Times bestselling author of How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America
Over one million Black men and women served in World War II. Black troops were at Normandy, Iwo Jima, and the Battle of the Bulge, serving in segregated units and performing unheralded but vital support jobs, only to be denied housing and educational opportunities on their return home. Without their crucial contributions to the war effort, the United States could not have won the war. And yet the stories of these Black veterans have long been ignored, cast aside in favor of the myth of the “Good War” fought by the “Greatest Generation.”
Half American is American history as you’ve likely never read it before. In these pages are stories of Black heroes such as Thurgood Marshall, the chief lawyer for the NAACP, who investigated and publicized violence against Black troops and veterans; Benjamin O. Davis, Jr., leader of the Tuskegee Airmen, who was at the forefront of the years-long fight to open the Air Force to Black pilots; Ella Baker, the civil rights leader who advocated on the home front for Black soldiers, veterans, and their families; James Thompson, the 26-year-old whose letter to a newspaper laying bare the hypocrisy of fighting against fascism abroad when racism still reigned at home set in motion the Double Victory campaign; and poet Langston Hughes, who worked as a war correspondent for the Black press. Their bravery and patriotism in the face of unfathomable racism is both inspiring and galvanizing. In a time when the questions World War II raised regarding race and democracy in America remain troublingly relevant and still unanswered, this meticulously researched retelling makes for urgently necessary reading.
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Creators
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Publisher
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Release date
October 18, 2022 -
Formats
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OverDrive Listen audiobook
- ISBN: 9780593628874
- File size: 252676 KB
- Duration: 08:46:24
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Languages
- English
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Reviews
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William DeMeritt's voice is calm--even as he reveals the building tension among the Black WWII soldiers who staged a wildcat strike after an explosion at Port Chicago. Many of them were charged with mutiny in a case defended by future Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall. Author Matthew F. Delmont draws heavily on Black newspapers to recount cases of "Hitlerism," violent racism aimed at Black soldiers as they fought in the war. DeMeritt brings hints of anger to his narration, along with tones of urgency as he delivers pleas to stop the violence. Delmont shows the heroism of Black soldiers and the problems they faced as they helped secure the Allies' victory. J.A.S. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine
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