The Road to Victory: The Untold Story of Race and World War II's Red Ball Express

by David P. Colley

The Red Ball Operation, the vital train of supplies improvised by American troops during the invasion of Europe, was one of the GIs' bravest exploits, without which World War II would have dragged on at a terrible cost of Allied lives. Yet it has been overlooked due to the fact that it was mostly manned by African-Americans. Now the story is told in full in this first book-length study. It is a book not only about the war between the Yanks and their Nazi enemy, but also of war with an enemy closer to home—-racism.

Genres: World War II, History, Nonfiction, Military Fiction, Military History

255 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2000

Reviews

[Vanessa M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this to be a very accessible and readable account of the amazing logistics and transportation history of the Red Ball Express. Readers interested in the accounts of Black American WWII service members will find this history to be relevant. I read this book after viewing the 1952 film.

[Gerry · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good book on an heroic effort – one that was largely completed by African American Soldiers in the ETO during the Second World War. Early in the book we find the “official” existence of the “Red Ball Express” was 25 August – 16 November, 1944. The interesting thing I find about the start date of the “Red Ball” is that it coordinates with the official Liberation of Paris; the concluding “official” date is the first day of the Rhineland Offensive coordinated by American Forces in retaliation for the German Forces that rapidly had moved into the Northeast Aachen Forest.

What I enjoyed about this book were the specific comparisons of tonnage provided to the forward moving front line troops. General Patton for example had pushed this supply route along by mere action of his aggressive attacks against the German Forces. In some ways this book dovetails the Carlo D’Este book on Patton or at least that section that relates to the battle fields of France following the Normandy Invasion of 6 June 1944. Within the index of the book the author ensured pictured visuals of all the different types of trucks he had referenced that were weaved with personal accounts of the stories of GI Soldiers who had to do this sort of work.

I would recommend this book for persons interested in additional details to the battle fronts of the American attack as they approached the Rhineland. This book in my view dovetails with the biography of General George C. Patton by Carlos D’Este. The many African American Soldiers did a marvelous job and they receive seemingly little credit for their efforts. Gen. Patton acknowledged their efforts to keep him supplied – it was this supply that kept his well-oiled efforts moving. An important book for students of Military History and continuous education.

[J.M. Hushour · Rating 4 out of 5]

The fact that mine is only the second review on here is a testament to the sad-sack state of affairs when it comes to World War II and black people. We're more concerned over the sanitized Tom Hanks "greatest generation" version at the expense of pretty much anyone a shade darker than, say, Matt Damon.
The Red Ball Express was the logistics run between Normandy and, roughly, the Battle of the Bulge (often mistaken as a euphemism for cockfighting) which saw mind-blowing amounts of material, gasoline, bullets, cigarettes, and corpses shuttled over hundreds of miles of battlefield, ruin, and French cathouses to the front line. It was a dangerous, rough life on the Red Ball. Drivers went for days without sleep, were in the middle of combat, and dealt with all kinds of organizational chaos making these runs, without which Patton would've been left thoughtfully squelching in French mud.
Most of these drivers were black, because back then it was thought that black people, with their inherent God-given genetic weakness, weren't allowed to go to war. So, you get a good, healthy history of military racism, too, which is always fascinating, especially because a lot of these guys wanted to fight and in the end, did, with aplomb!
The parts about the drivers dealing with the Man's shit are the best. They put up with a lot for a country that one of them describes in the book as "treating us the same way Hitler treats the Jews...and you want us to fight for you?"
Great WW2 history.

[William Troy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a 28 year veteran Transportation Corps Officer. I have commanded a Medium Truck Company of 60 Tractors and 120 Semitrailers. I taught Motor Transport Operations in the US Army Transportation School. I have a print titled, Lifeline to the Front Line, The Red Ball Express, hanging in my home. I was pretty well aware of the importance of the Red Ball Express but this book brought it to life for me. The author, David P. Colley, used interviews with Red Ball Drivers to enhance the experience of driving truck in combat. Additionally Colley highlights the racial prejudice that Black drivers suffered especially prior to driving the Red Ball. Over 90% of the drivers were African Americans. As an aside, my Red Ball print doesn't have an African American in it! Some drivers were not allowed to eat at units they delivered to. Despite their experience they drove on going hours without sleep or food to ensure that forward combat units got the supplies they needed. Many drivers had to join the fight they were so far forward! The author really stresses how mechanized and motorized the US Army became during the war and how that truly influenced the speed and mobility of US fighting forces. There is an appendix that has pictures of the trucks and an explanation of their specifications. The collection of pictures of drivers and operations also help to tell the story. As a Transporter from 1972 through 2000, I benefited from the legacy of the Red Ball Express. The lessons learned about everything from vehicle carrying capacity, to wear and tear on the vehicles, to maintenance requirements, to driver training and leadership helped me to be a successful transporter. This is a great book about a vital operation that contributed to Victory in Europe.

[Douglas Fugate · Rating 4 out of 5]

A first rate volume about The Red Ball Express. Learn of how it was created, staffed and utilized. Amazing in that the Express technically only ran for less than five months. The legend lived/lives on long after.

There is no pulling punches. Racism was rampant throughout the Army and the war. It is interesting to me that even my white uncles who served in the war and were reared in a racist environment, spoke of pride about the drivers of the Red Ball.

Highly recommend this work to all WWII history buffs or anyone remotely interested in race-relations in the Army or during WWII.

[Gary Klein · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book on a relatively narrow topic. The Red Ball Express was an efficient and effective means of moving supplies from 50-250 miles between various ports to unit depots inland.

The chapters start to overlap more as the book goes on, often sharing the same general information from the standpoint of a different theme/focal point.

[Stanley Foshay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite a History

It is amazing how they managed to drive the number oh hours to supply our troops in Europe. It was also surprising how a short of time they operated and still become a legend. It was Avery good read into a small bit of history of WWII.

[John Springer · Rating 3 out of 5]

About medium

Could use copy editing, Echternach, St. Tround? Repetitive at times. Errors in sources passed on unmarked. Passes on conclusions of the wider war rather uncritically.

[Jbondandrews · Rating 3 out of 5]

I hope this will be written by a veteran of the Red Ball Express. It's a start but better could be written.

[Karen Hartley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was very interesting with good detail about an unknown part of World War II. I wish there had been a map, because I kept having to look places up.

[Andrew Brozyna · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are few WWII history books devoted to non-combat units. During the war there were four support troops for every one fighting soldier in the front lines. These guys had fascinating and life-changing experiences, but their stories don't oftenget into books. Consequently, I was very happy to find David Colley's book.

Road to Victory is an excellent reference for the movement of supplies between the Normandy beaches and the front lines. It was absolutely perfect for my family research because the trucking units described in the text landed on the same beach as my grandfather (Utah Beach), and continued to work in that area. US Army port companies like my grandfather's unit moved the supplies off the ships, on to the beaches, and the Quartermaster truck companies in Road to Victory picked it up and drove it to the front lines. Colley details the types of supplies, the way it was stored & moved, and the various trucks and equipment used. That's the raw info I needed, but the general reader will enjoy the stories related by the black soldiers who formed the Red Ball Express.

I saw one of the reviews on amazon criticized the author's lack of a continuous narrative. Each chapter is pretty much a self-contained subject, rather than the next step in a story. Yet, this is a style choice and does not detract from the book's worth as a history. Road to Victory is a welcome contribution to a historic subject top-heavy with combat.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent telling of a hidden but so so important part of our victory in WWII. How did thousans of black soldiers driving trucks win the battle from Normandy to the heart of Germany. The answer in their heroic efforts is here!

[Rob · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reasonble good book on the real red ball express. A bit too much WWII context information.