Half American: The Heroic Story of African Americans Fighting World War II at Home and Abroad

by Matthew F. Delmont

The definitive history of World War II from the African American perspective, by award-winning historian and civil rights expert

Winner of the 2023 Anisfield-Wolf Book Award in Nonfiction

A New York Times Notable Book of 2022

A 2022 Book of the Year from TIME , Publishers Weekly , Booklist , and more

More than one million Black soldiers served in World War II. Black troops were at Normandy, Iwo Jima, and the Battle of the Bulge, serving in segregated units while waging a dual battle against inequality in the very country for which they were laying down their lives. The stories of these Black veterans have long been ignored, cast aside in favor of the myth of the “Good War” fought by the “Greatest Generation.” And yet without their sacrifices, the United States could not have won the war.

Half American is World War II history as you’ve likely never read it before. In these pages are stories of Black military heroes and civil rights icons such as Benjamin O. Davis Jr., the leader of the legendary Tuskegee Airmen, who fought to open the Air Force to Black pilots; Thurgood Marshall, the chief lawyer for the NAACP, who investigated and publicized violence against Black troops and veterans; poet Langston Hughes, who worked as a war correspondent for the Black press; Ella Baker, the civil rights leader who advocated on the home front for Black soldiers, veterans, and their families; and James G. Thompson, the twenty-six-year-old whose letter to a newspaper laying bare the hypocrisy of fighting against fascism abroad when racism still reigned at home set in motion the Double Victory campaign. Their bravery and patriotism in the face of unfathomable racism is both inspiring and galvanizing. An essential and meticulously researched retelling of the war, Half American honors the men and women who dared to fight not just for democracy abroad but for their dreams of a freer and more equal America.

400 pages, Paperback

Published January 9, 2024

Reviews

[zyla · Rating 5 out of 5]

my only problem was that it wasn’t super linear, so at times it was confusing, but with the amount of characters, history, and documentation the author had to work with, i think that’s perfectly understandable. i learned so much that i never heard in school.

[Gwen · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredibly thorough and very insightful overview of the impact that World War 2 had on Civil Rights before, during, and after America's involvement in the war, as well as providing several important stories about the experiences of African Americans during the war. I would say that this is simply a must read for anyone interested in the history of Civil Rights and/or WW2.
I would also like to give thanks to my AP US History teacher for providing me with a copy of this book, and I hope that he's currently doing well after he's moved to Hawaii.

[Deniece Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The fact that I had to buy a book so I can read about black Americans in WW2 was disappointing but well welcomed. Our textbooks don't even mention any information about black soldiers. This book shows how deep-rooted slavery era racist rhetoric has affected and still affects black people today. This was a great read and there should be more media on this subject as well.

[Nick Holevar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Barnes & Noble type history book. Not a lot of analysis, but primarily storytelling and narrative driven. I appreciate the focus at home for desegregation because a lot of books don't focus on the fight at home and the intertwining ideas of Nazism and Jim Crow. Research done on individuals is really well done. Good if you want an easy non-fiction book to read and you're interested.