American Patriots: The Story of Blacks in the Military from the Revolution to Desert Storm

A few photographs are found mid-length and provide the reader with a view of the heroes/heroines mentioned in the text. This is a book for the history/sociology buff as well as those that have an interest in the American military.

I find it a shame that more have not read or reviewed it. If one more can be inspired to purchase the book, then I, as a reviewer, have done my job.


The Best   November 17, 2002
 2 out of 2 found this review helpful

There are not many pieces of work detailing the African American's contribution in the military, but Ms Buckley's work "American Patriots" is good. As an ex-military that served during Desert Storm, it did me proud to read how we as a people served, sometimes in the most terrible and racist of conditions, and give their best to a nation that didn't treat them favorably in return. I am sorry that there were some mistakes in there(human error) I didn't know, but am glad someone took the time to give proper credit. Despite of it, I wouldn't dismiss the whole work as revisionist. Someone took the time to tell the story of how we served admirably for this country, and we can read it. I agree that it should be in the schools for our children to read and every library within this country's paremeters should own a copy.


Historically informative   April 5, 2002
 3 out of 3 found this review helpful

Extremely informative historical piece of writing laid out in an interesting and chronilogically easy to follow format. Excellent book that was well researched with lot of cross references to historical events, places and figures. Writer Gail Buckley did outstanding job of providing historical contexts to her research with the more "infamous" figures in our country's history. This is the type of history book that I painfully missed in my education of our country and military. A must read for anyone wanting a more expansive and "complete" view of the "forgotten american's" contributions to our military's history/success, fight for personal democracy, justice and equality.


Good, but not always great coverage   December 31, 2001
 7 out of 7 found this review helpful

Here is a subject that is not as widely appreciated as it should be. Hopefully, this book gets as much popular acclaim as Brokaw's "Greatest Generation." "American Patriots" has many strengths, but its few weaknesses prevent its getting an outstanding review.

Keep in mind that there are two agendas at work in this subject: African American history and military history. It is rare to read studies that are compiled with equal passion and competence on both subjects. I suspect that the author's (and the editor's) competencies were stronger on the African American studies side of the equation, but having said that, let me add that this book's treatment of miltary, political, and social histories are usually well-researched and presented.

The positives: The text is tremendously readable. The reader is transported chronologically through over 225 years of American history, with broad, scene-setting discussions of culture and politics that form the backdrop for individual's stories. Great effort was made to properly cite facts. An unexpected plus is the inclusion of new information (having nothing to do with African Americans) that are not commonplace in "traditional" history-- one example is the apparent conflict over the use of Nationalist Chinese troops in the Korean War.

The negatives are few but troublesome. Not once, but twice, Buckley refers to Gen. Jimmy Doolittle as commander of the Flying Tigers (in fact: Gen. Claire Chennault commanded the Flying Tigers; Doolittle commanded the carrier-launched B-25 raid on Tokyo in April 1942). Also, Fred V. Cherry's Korean War fighter plane is described as a "F89G" (in fact: a Republic F-84G). Occasional errors in equipment designations are forgivable, but the mis-read on Doolittle is something that even casual military historians will catch. When such basic errors exist, it casts doubt on the "new" information that this book presents.

My concern is that unsympathetic reviewers will use the innaccuracies as an excuse to dismiss this volume as "revisionist history." The actual history, which this book takes great strides to portray, does not deserve that. Discipline and excellence, the qualities that which Gen. Benjamin O. Davis, Jr. expected from his subordinates, are what this subject's research and presentation deserve.


A Time For Heroes   October 20, 2001
 1 out of 2 found this review helpful

This is story telling and American history at its combined best. Of course, it should be required reading for all highschool and college students. But it should be top of the list, too, for anyone who, like me, thinks that there has never been a greater need for heroes. I cannot recall ever having seen a more inspiring collection of them. Long may this book wave! JEFFREY ROBINSON