Black Valor: Buffalo Soldiers and the Medal of Honor, 1870D1898 [Hardcover]

Frank N. Schubert (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 1997

They were U.S. Army soldiers. Just a few years earlier, some had been slaves. Several thousand African Americans served as soldiers in the Indian Wars and in the Cuban campaign of the Spanish-American War in the latter part of the 19th century. They were known as buffalo soldiers, believed to have been named by Indians who had seen a similarity between the coarse hair and dark skin of the soldiers and the coats of the buffalo. Twenty-three of these men won the nation's highest award for personal bravery, the Medal of Honor. Black Valor brings the lives of these soldiers into sharp focus. Their remarkable stories are told in the collected biography. Derived from extensive historical research, Black Valor will enrich and inspire students with its tales of trials and courage.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Department of Defense historian Schubert (On the Trail of the Buffalo Soldier, LJ 11/1/94) offers here accounts of African Americans who won the Congrepssional Medal of Honor during the Indian wars and the Spanish American War. His work contains elements both of collective biography and of unit histories of the various campaigns for which the soldiers were decorated. Although this volume clearly evidences meticulous research, the sources available on the men themselves are too sketchy for satisfying reading. The book is organized by campaign, and the accounts of movements and battles are easier to follow, but even here, the narrative frequently halts to introduce the soldiers and describe the actions that won recognition. The work would have been more helpful had it been issued as a reference title. Nonetheless, given the popularity of the topic and the quality of information contained herein, it may be recommended for all collections.?Fritz Buckallew, Univ. of Central Oklahoma Lib., Edmond
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

While some research has been done on the contributions of these African-American soldiers in campaigns against Native Americans in the West, no other work has lifted the veil of history that has previously obscured the extent of their valor. (Journal Of Negro History )

Well written and informative. . . . Black Valor gives a vivid description of frontier warfare and the special challenges black troops had to face. (Military History )

This book chronicles a very important part of our nation's history. It demonstrates in a clear and compelling fashion the substantial roles blacks have played in our nation's armed forces and in the defense of our country. It is enjoyable and educational. (Walter E. Massey )

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 244 pages
• Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers; First Edition edition (June 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0842025863
• ISBN-13: 978-0842025867
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,454,135 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must-read for anyone interested in the Old West., April 14, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Black Valor: Buffalo Soldiers and the Medal of Honor, 1870D1898 (Hardcover)

This is an extremely moving and thought-provoking book. For modern Americans, living in our more cynical age, it seems impossible to believe and a hopelessly naive thing that former slaves and long-oppressed men would have volunteered to fight for this nation--but they did, in large numbers (enough to field four all-black Regular Army regiments) and with remarkable heroism . Dr. Schubert captures the spirit of the Buffalo Soldiers' incredible bravery and the harshness of their lives--and deaths--in a remarkable manner. Although it is a "must-read" for anyone interested in the Old West and the lives of soldiers on the frontier, this book is also a must-read for anyone interested in African-American history, general U.S. history or anyone who loves a tale of adventure and character: it encompasses some incredible (and very well-told ) tales of suffering and bravery in a manner that will move the reader alternatively to anger, to tears, to pride and to amazement. One can also read this book as a cautionary tale on the wages of heroism: many of the Buffalo Soldiers who won the Medal of Honor had lives afterwards that could only be called tragic in the extreme. Although our nation has finally begun to awake to the sacrifices of these men over a century ago, in their own time, they were often the "forgotten soldiers." Dr. Schubert's book, however, now helps to give the Buffalo Soldiers the credit they have long been overdue. It is a marvelous book.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Black Valor: An Untold Truth, May 27, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Black Valor: Buffalo Soldiers and the Medal of Honor, 1870D1898 (Hardcover)

Schubert wrote it. I read it. And you'll love it!! I have never read a book quite like it. It touched and moved me tremendously, I felt black pride like I have never felt before. The true story of the Buffalo Soliders must be told. Their bravery, their struggle, and their triumph....is a true African-American tale everyone should know both blacks and whites.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Buffalo Best, April 11, 2000

By 

Troy Morgan - See all my reviews

This review is from: Black Valor: Buffalo Soldiers and the Medal of Honor, 1870D1898 (Hardcover)

Many works have been penned on the Buffalo Soldiers, however, few reach the quality of Dr. Schubert's. Frank tells the story of the Buffalo Soldier Medal of Honor winners from 1870-1898. He tells the story as one would tell a family story. He has a knowledge of the Buffalo Soldiers that has not been seen since Bill Lecke. The narrative is most interesting. His style is extremely readable. The reader finds himself saying "just one more page before I put it down." This book is a must read for a student of the Buffalo Soldiers of military history of the period. The causal reader will find this work packed full of knowledge and very readable. Dr Schubert has done another bang-up job