Description
Book SynopsisDrawing on more than thirty years of teaching and research, Neil A. Wynn combines narrative history and primary sources as he locates the World War II years within the long-term struggle for African Americans'' equal rights. It is now widely accepted that these years were crucial in the development of the emerging Civil Rights movement through the economic and social impact of the war, as well as the military service itself. Wynn examines the period within the broader context of the New Deal era of the 1930s and the Cold War of the 1950s, concluding that the war years were neither simply a continuation of earlier developments nor a prelude to later change. Rather, this period was characterized by an intense transformation of black hopes and expectations, encouraged by real socio-economic shifts and departures in federal policy. Black self consciousness at a national level found powerful expression in new movements, from the demand for equality in the military service to changes in the
Trade Review[The author's] info-packed narrative of the black experience in WWII would acquaint [readers] with the shape of the subject. . . . Wynn provides essential context for well-known topics such as the Tuskegee Airmen. * Booklist *
Wynn's evenhanded analysis of the paradoxical nature of African-Americans' wartime experience yields a balance between the hard-won successes . . . and the inevitable setbacks. . . . A diverse selection of [documents] enhances the survey's value for general readers. * Publishers Weekly *
Neil Wynn has written an outstanding account of the African American experience during World War II. Building on his own incisive earlier work and drawing on all the scholarship of the past several decades, he has given us a lively overview that is crisp and comprehensive at the same time. -- Allan M. Winkler, distinguished professor of history, Miami University of Ohio
Neil Wynn has produced marvelous, concise—yet comprehensive—historical synthesis. The book is perceptive, nuanced, highly engaging, and richly detailed. It's a spectacular addition to the series and perfect for college classrooms. -- Andrew E. Kersten, University of Wisconsin-Green Bay
In addition to a thorough and concise synthetic narrative, this book contains a chronology of significant events in African American history from 1938 until 1948, forty pages of documents, and a seven-page annotated bibliography. * The Kentucky Historical Society *
The primary sources are very well chosen and the concise text is very well done! -- Theresa M. Davis, University of Mount Union
Table of ContentsIntroduction: The African American and War in Historical Context Chapter 1: African Americans on the Eve of War: From New Negro to New Deal, 1920–1939 Chapter 2: Mobilizing for War: the Arsenal of Democracy and the Struggle for Inclusion Chapter 3: Fighting for Freedom: Changing Military Policy and Experience, 1940–1945 Chapter 4: Conflict on the Home Front: Resistance, Riot and Social Change Chapter 5: The Postwar Years and Changing Civil Rights: "An American Dilemma" Documents Bibliographic Essay
