Although African Americans have always fought and died in defense of their country, even before there was a United States of America, it has always been an uphill struggle for them to partake of this fundamental obligation of citizenship. Despite hundreds of years of evidence to the contrary. European Americans, both well meaning and hostile, have persisted in questioning the ability of African Americans to fight in mortal combat for their country. So widespread and deep seated were these prejudices that supposedly scientific studies were used to try to keep African Americans from flying combat aircraft in World War II. Even today, with the armed forces fully integrated and following the ascension of Colin Powell to chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the highest uniformed post in America's military, race still matters. Yet, as shown in The Right to Fight, the valorous service of African Americans in defense of their country is all the more remarkable given the nature of the society they have defended.
Gerald Astor Books
Gerald Morton Astor was a masterful historian whose work primarily focused on the profound and often brutal experiences of World War II. His narratives delved deep into the human cost of conflict, examining combat from the perspectives of soldiers on the ground and the strategic decisions made by leaders. Astor explored pivotal moments and campaigns with meticulous detail, shedding light on the courage and sacrifice of those involved. His writing also encompassed significant social and political dimensions of war, including the struggles of African Americans in the military and the complex relationship between the presidency and armed conflict.
World War II Library: Crisis in the Pacific
The Battles for the Philippine Islands by the Men Who Fought Them
- 672 pages
- 24 hours of reading
From the depths of defeat...On December 8, 1941, one day after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the Japanese Air Force struck the Philippines in the first blow of a devastating invasion.With an undersupplied patchwork army at his command, General Douglas MacArthur led a valiant defense of the Philippines. When defeat came, MacArthur swore he would return, while thousands of POWs fell into Japanese hands — and faced a living hell that many would not survive.To the dawn of victory...In this gripping oral history, Gerald Astor brings to life the struggle to recapture the the men who did the fighting, the battles that set the stage for an Allied invasion, and the acts of astounding courage and desperation that marked the campaign on both sides.From Corregidor to the Battle for Manila, from horrifying jungle warfare to cataclysmic clashes at sea, on beachheads and in the air, Crisis in the Pacific draws on the words of the men who were there — capturing this crucial heroic struggle for victory against Japan.