by Alexander M. Bielakowski
Denton, Tx.: University of North Texas Press, 2021. Pp. xiv, 335.
Illus., maps, notes, biblio., index. $29.95. ISBN: 1574418394
African Americans in World War II
Professor Bielakowski is no stranger to the debate over minorities in combat for the United States, as evidenced by his previous writings. Proud Warriors is in keeping with those works, concentrating on the African American experience of the Second World War. A professor of history at the University of Houston-Downtown, having spent time at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, Bielakowski is the editor-in-chief of the U.S. Military History Review. He conceived Proud Warriors as the one stop shop for any reader, both academic and lay, to learn more about the African American military experience. What sets this book apart from others is the focus on combat units, and not just a general description of the experiences.
Proud Warriors is broken into seven sections, each focusing on a specific period or technical category. Meticulously researched, the author guides the reader through a history of African American combat units from the beginnings of the nation through the Second World War. As he clearly states in the introduction, Proud Warriors is more of a general historiography of African Americans in the Second World War. A place to wet the appetite of an academic yearning for further guidance on the African American experience. For the lay reader, the book is the beginning of a learning journey, should they be so inclined to take it.
There is no question as to the importance of a book such as Proud Warriors. It is, however, quite unfortunate that the author sees fit to limit the amount of exposition for mere sequential facts. This leaves the reader having to go off on their own exploration by using the notes and bibliography as a springboard for further discovery. The book does have a unique place in the historiography of the Second World War; the only work that covers all African American combat units. For anyone looking to expand their perspective of the Second World War and the African American experience in particular, Proud Warriors should be a must have on the shelf.
Our Reviewer: Zane A. Whitney Jr., is an independent researcher and military historian who holds a BA in History, and an MA in World War II Studies from Arizona State University. He’s a member of the Society of Military History, New York Military Affairs Symposium, and The Second World War Research Group: North American Region. He currently resides in Colorado with his wife and twin sons. More information on his writings can be found on his site which can be found here: https://asu.digication.com/zane-whitney/home-1. He has previously reviewed for us Fighting for the United States, Executed in Britain
---///---
Note: A volume in the UNT series “American Military Studies, Proud Warriors is also available in several e-editions.
StrategyPage reviews are published in cooperation with The New York Military Affairs Symposium
www.nymas.org and https://www.nymas2.org/
