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Title: Tuskegee Airmen: The Men Who Changed a Nation by Charles Francis, Adolph Caso ISBN: 0-8283-2077-2 Publisher: Branden Books Pub. Date: 01 October, 2002 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $24.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4 (2 reviews)
Rating: 3
Summary: Valuable Material, Lousy Presentation
Comment: The World War II exploits of the 332nd Fighter Group--the first all-black unit in the US Army Air Forces--is a fascinating story on several levels. The pilots of the 332nd fought long and hard in the skies over North Africa, Italy, and Central Europe. They racked up an impressive record of enemy aircraft shot down, ground targets destroyed and--on the bomber-escort missions they often flew--friendly planes brought home safely. They also paved the way for the integration of the armed forces, and of American society generally, by showing that blacks could handle the stress of battle and the demands of high-performance airplanes just as well as whites. In a world where many (most?) whites saw blacks as innately inferior, the Tuskegee Airmen proved otherwise.
This book is a dense, detailed, information-packed history of the 332nd during and immediately after the war. It's a valuable source on a vital topic, and I'm glad it's out there.
That doesn't, however, make it a great book.
The style, for close to 400 pages, is choppy and unpolished with only a vague suggestion of a strong narrative line. Context is spotty at best, and technical terms sometimes go unexplained. The typography is idiosyncratic, and the inexplicable rendering of nicknames in italics and ranks, abbreviated, in ALL CAPS is distracting in a book where names come thick and fast. The type face itself is ugly, and the reproduction of many of the pictures is substandard. The index consists almost solely of personal names, which makes it intensely frustrating to use if you're not already intimately familiar with the story. To look up an incident in which two members of the 332nd sank a German destroyer, you have to know what their names were . . . no entry for "destroyer," or "strafing," or "naval vessels."
If there were other books out there that provide the sheer volume of facts about the subject that this one does, I'd give it about a star-and-a-half. There aren't, but there ought to be. The 332nd was noted for its professionalism; it deserves a more professionally-done history. Until that book gets written, though, this one (flaws and all) is essential.
Rating: 5
Summary: Most enjoyable and most interesting!
Comment: In baseball, Jackie Robinson's impact can never be overstated. What he did for the game is immeasurable. In the world of aviation African Americans owe a debt of thanks to a group of men called "The Tuskegee Airmen". Their contributions to aviation are just as immeasurable.
Francis takes the reader back to the time when blacks in the army were living under Order 9981 from President Truman. Francis's gives you the triumphs and failures and brings it to life through each page. This read was truly remarkable.
This is the second book I have read on the Tuskegee Airmen, the first being a biography of Charles F. McGee, and for the second time I was moved by how this group of Officers and enlisted personnel worked through segregation to ensure the civil rights of those to follow.
Army life today, and the African American who serve with honor, can thank the men of this book for what they have. This nation owes a debt of thanks that can never be expressed enough. I am truly thankful to have had the opportunity to read this wonderful book.
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Title: Black Knights: The Story of the Tuskegee Airmen by Lynn M. Homan, Thomas Reilly ISBN: 1565548280 Publisher: Pelican Publishing Company Pub. Date: 01 February, 2001 List Price(USD): $23.00 |
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Title: Red Tails Black Wings: The Men of America's Black Air Force by John B. Holway ISBN: 1881325431 Publisher: Yucca Tree Press Pub. Date: 24 March, 2000 List Price(USD): $19.00 |
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Title: Tuskegee Airmen by Lynn M. Homan, Thomas Reilly ISBN: 0738500453 Publisher: Arcadia Publishing Pub. Date: 24 November, 1998 List Price(USD): $18.99 |
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Title:The Tuskegee Airmen ASIN: B000053V7E Publisher: Hbo Studios Pub. Date: 20 January, 2004 List Price(USD): $14.97 Comparison N/A, buy it from Amazon for $13.02 |
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Title: The Tuskegee Airmen (Cornerstones of Freedom) by Linda George, Charles George ISBN: 0516272802 Publisher: Children's Press (CT) Pub. Date: August, 2000 List Price(USD): $5.95 |
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