Black '41: The West Point Class of 1941 and the American Triumph in World War II [Hardcover]

Bill Yenne (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1991

Commemorates the 50th anniversary of the graduation of the West Point class of 1941. These were the officers who, during World War II, commanded our forces on the front lines. It is written by a professional writer of military history and includes interviews with all of the surviving members of that class.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Military writer Yenne interviewed 60 members of the last West Point class to graduate before the attack on Pearl Harbor and follows their lives through the far-flung conflict that ensued. The personal tales of these new officers are intertwined and gradually lead the reader through the entire war. After the final victory, Yenne traces the careers of nine of the graduates through the succeeding years. War stories always make good reading, and this oral history collection is of some historical interest as well. The result is an easily read and anecdotal work for the general public.
- Raymond L. Puffer, U.S. Air Force History Prog., Los Angeles
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

“Military writer Yenne interviewed 60 members of the last West Point class to graduate before the attack on Pearl Harbor and follows their lives through the far-flung conflict that ensued. The personal tales of these new officers are intertwined and gradually lead the reader through the entire war. . . . The result is an easily read and anecdotal work for the general public.”—Library Journal

(Library Journal )

“A valuable portrait of a part of the evolution of the U.S. Army over the last half-century.”—Booklist

(Booklist ) --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 400 pages
• Publisher: Wiley (October 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471541974
• ISBN-13: 978-0471541974
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,624,459 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Bill Yenne is the author of several novels and over three dozen books on historical topics, as well as having been a contributor to encyclopedias of both world wars. He has traveled throughout the world researching his books.

The "New Yorker" wrote of "Sitting Bull," his biography of the great Lakota leader, that it "excels as a study in leadership." This book was named to the number 14 spot among Amazon's 100 Best Books of the Year.

"Library Journal" observed that "enthusiastic World War II readers will be drawn to" his dual biography, "Aces High: The Heroic Story of the Two Top Scoring American Aces of World War II."

Recently, his book "Convair Deltas" was named as "Book of the Month" by "Air Classics," while his book "Tommy Gun" was named "Pick of the Month" by "Shooting Illustrated."

His book "Guinness: The 250 Year Quest for the Perfect Pint" was listed among the top business books of the year by "Condé Nast Portfolio Magazine," which rated Yenne's tome as its TOP pick for "Cocktail Conversation."

Yenne's "Rising Sons: The Japanese American GIs Who Fought for the United States in World War II," was praised by Walter Boyne, former Director of the National Air & Space Museum, who called it "a fast moving... page turner," and the "best book yet written on the saga."

The "Wall Street Journal" wrote, when reviewing his "Indian Wars: The Campaign for the American West," that Yenne writes with "cinematic vividness," and says of his work that it "has the rare quality of being both an excellent reference work and a pleasure to read."

The author lives in San Francisco, California, and on the web at www.BillYenne.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Disappointing Tribute, February 19, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Black '41: The West Point Class of 1941 and the American Triumph in World War II (Hardcover)

I was disappointed with Bill Yenne's history of the USMA Class of 1941. The many editorial oversights (including misspellings and grammatical errors) and obvious lack of fact-checking (what's a "Norton bombsight"--sounds like something from The Honeymooner's) leads me to wonder if this was a really thorough project. And I don't doubt the authenticity of the stories recounted herein or of the heroism it depicts, but I cannot help but wonder what has been left out. For example, Mr. Yenne outlines the history of West Point's Kelleher-Jobes Memorial but fails to mention that West Point's Honor Board meet in Nininger Hall, named for Black '41s Alexander Nininger, the only class member to receive the Medal of Honor. Is he aware of this, and if so, why isn't this included somewhere in his narrative?