American Patriots

March 26, 2001
This work complements Bernard Nalty's academically oriented history of blacks in America's wars, Strength for the Fight
(1986), and Gerald Astor's narrative account, The Right to Fight
(1998). Basing her account heavily on interviews and similar primary material, Buckley focuses on the particular experiences of black soldiers. She pulls no punches in describing discrimination against black soldiers, misrepresentation of their performances and denial of their achievements. But in a dominant culture that for much of its history was overtly segregated and highly racist, the pressures of necessity opened military service to blacks. It began as an individual process during the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. By the end of the Civil War, the Union army counted its black soldiers in entire divisions and army corps. Black regiments, regulars and volunteers, served in the Plains Indian Wars and in the wars of empire at the century's turn. During the First World War, black troops won more credit under French colors than a segregated American Expeditionary Force would allow. Some black activists of the interwar years correspondingly turned to the revolutionary promises of Communism, playing a role in the Spanish Civil War's International Brigades, which Buckley arguably exaggerates. WWII was America's last segregated conflict. In Buckley's account the armed forces have succeeded in acknowledging past racism, while proving that liberal values like equality of treatment and opportunity are able to coexist with conservative ones like duty, honor and patriotism. (On-sale date: May 15)Forecast:Buckley, daughter of Lena Horne (and author of
The Hornes), should have no trouble getting media attention on her six-city tour. Military history buffs and a broader readership interested in African-American history will turn out to buy this.

January 1, 2003
African-American heroes take center stage in American Patriots: The Story of Blacks in the Military from the Revolution to Desert Storm by Gail Buckley, adapted for younger readers by Tonya Bolden, from the author's adult book (with the same title). The volume spotlights the role of African-Americans from the Revolutionary War through the Gulf War, including Vaughn Love (who fought during the Spanish Civil War), Col. Fred V. Cherry, a POW in Vietnam, and Colin Powell, four-star general in Desert Storm. Among the women profiled: Maj. Charity Adams and Lt. Harriet Pickens, both of whom served in WWII, and Maj. Flossie Satcher, who served in Desert Storm. Direct quotes and a 16-page photo inset give the historical accounts a sense of urgency.

February 1, 2003
Gr 7 Up-Buckley originally wrote Patriots for an adult audience, and this abridgment is still a deeply moving and inspiring account of the history of African Americans in the U.S. military and their unrecognized heroism in the face of overt racism. Based on years of research and primary material, the volume presents the stories of many people ignored in standard history books. The accounts of the prejudice faced by these soldiers are hard to read, but important for understanding the significance of their achievements and the role that segregation played in military history and in the larger history of this country. Understandably, the text is dense and requires a certain level of knowledge of United States history and world events. The book includes 16 pages of captioned, black-and-white photographs and/or illustrations from each war covered and an extensive bibliography. The suggested reading list is tailored for a younger audience and includes such titles as Catherine Clinton's The Black Soldier: 1492 to the Present (Houghton, 2000), which would be a valuable addition for libraries wanting subject coverage for readers who are not ready for Buckley's book. The latter volume will serve as a standard resource for older students and may well spark interest in other adult titles on related topics. Libraries would do well to own both books.-Jennifer Ralston, Harford County Public Library, Belcamp, MD

Copyright 2003 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 15, 2003
Gr. 6-9. This adaptation of Buckley's 2001 adult book by the same name makes an important subject accessible to a younger audience. As in the earlier book, this one chronologically illuminates the struggles and achievements of America's black servicemen and -women, from the Revolutionary to the Gulf War, who protected America's freedoms while struggling for their own. Buckley provides general historical context, focusing on how black soldiers affected--and were affected by--each war as well as the discrimination they faced while in the military and at home. The prose is straightforward, if sometimes dense, and Buckley has included a number of quotes, some apparently from interviews, which, unfortunately, are not formally footnoted or sourced (the original book featured extensive documentation and information about the interviews). A brief introduction discusses the author's inspiration for the book; a selected bibliography and newly added reading list for young people are appended. Documentation aside, this is an informative, enlightening introduction, offering unusual perspectives on the American military experience through the lens of its black patriots.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2003, American Library Association.)