Trailblazer: The U.S. Navy's First Black Admiral

by Samuel L. Gravely Jr., Alma B. Gravely (Afterword), Paul Stillwell (Contributor)

A Navy pioneer, Vice Adm. Samuel Gravely was the first African American to be commissioned a flag officer in the U.S. Navy, the first to command a Navy ship in the twentieth century, and the first to command a U.S. numbered fleet. In this memoir, co-authored by the noted naval historian Paul Stillwell, Gravely describes his life from his boyhood in Richmond, Virginia, through his officer service on board a World War II submarine chaser, to later tours of duty at sea and ashore. Denied housing and even jailed for impersonating an officer, he recounts efforts to overcome both cultural and institutional obstacles posed by racism as he rose through the ranks. In 2009, the Navy named the guided missile destroyer Gravely in his honor.

Genres: History, Naval History, Military Fiction

288 pages, Hardcover

First published October 15, 2010

Reviews

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

This biography of Admiral Gravely was awesome. I enjoyed the conversational tone-this was taken from his oral history. He outlook and philosophy on many topics reminds me a great deal of one of my mentors. Highly recommended read, especially for those wanting to learn about mid-twentieth century US history, segregation and how some leaders overcame.

[Gary Santos · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was somewhat of a disappointment. The memoir is patchwork of aural interviews. Consequently, there's no rhythm from one page to the next. For the subject of Admiral Gravely's landmark career I give the book 5 stars, but the overall score drops to 3.

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Samuel L. Gravley Jr. joined the Navy on December 8, 1941. He did so because the Army would not take a young black male who just graduated from High School in Virginia. It is the story of his rise from a Fireman Recruit (he wanted to be a machinist mate, to his transition to the Officers Corps as a Reservist, to the regular Navy and his rise to the rank of Vice-Admiral.

Granted, to be the first black Admiral in the Navy, he had to be in the right place, at the right time and had to know the right people. He did so not because he was black, but because he tried to do the best job to whatever task he was assigned to, whether as a young Ensign on a sub-chaser,or Commandant of the 3rd Fleet. For the most part he learned from correspondence courses and by paying attention to what was going on around him, asking questions and doing as he was told.

The book is great, the story inspiring, and the "Afterword" by his wife, Alma, was a touching tribute to his memory. I especially enjoyed his tour on a DGL in Vietnam because he referred to the USS Constellation (my ship) once or twice.

Zulu Bravo