Customer Reviews

Brothers in Arms: The Epic Story of the 761st Tank Battalion, WWII's Forgotten Heroes

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I am a former Armor officer and was eagerly awaiting this book. The author has written a well balanced account of life as a black tanker during World War II. He goes into detail showing the differences in their training compared to white soldiers and the racism they encountered. For all the humiliation they suffered in the USA, they didn't let it get them down and soldiered on when called to fight. The battle accounts are detailed and the focus is in the soldiers and not the equipment. The only "flaw" in the book is it does not have any maps. It was kind of hard following the route of the 761st as they fought through Europe. Some of the towns I have heard of and others I didnt have a clue. Maps would have helped. But overall this book is an easy read and easy to understand and a well written account of the 761st Tank Battalion.

Despite being quite intrigued by the story of the 761st Tank Battalion this reviewer was initially quite leery about picking up this book, for the same reasons articulated by Lt. Col. Mark Reardon in his review of Brothers in Arms - why would we expect a historical work developed by a former pro-basketball player to be of particular value beyond a novelty? However, Reardon gave Brothers in Arms a quite positive review and thus this reviewer decided the time commitment to read it was justified. Having said all that this reviewer found Brothers in Arms a compelling, easy and informative read.

It is worth mentioning that Abdul-Jabbar's tale of the 761st is not the first or only documentation of this storied battalion; previously published accounts include T.W. Anderson's "Come Out Fighting" (1979) and J. Wilson Jr.'s "The 761st 'Black Panther' Tank Battalion in World War II (1999). Yet, Abdul-Jabbar's account is a well-written and engaging story, targeted to a wide audience. The prose set forth by Abdul-Jabbar starts with a brief description of why the author chose to take on such and project and why the reader should be engaged and interested. Abdul-Jabbar then introduces the three gentlemen who anchor the story of the 761st as he tells it, the pre-war lives of these men and what led them to volunteer for the Tank Corps. Within this section of the book and the next section dealing with the training of the 761st, Abdul-Jabbar provides considerable insight into the racial discrimination that these American heroes suffered in 1940's American culture, including the US Army - which at the time was still a quite segregrated institution, as was American culture in general. These discussion points (which are also brought out in subsequent sections of the book) are the real selling points for this book - ALL Americans should read this book for this contrast in sacrifice of the men of the 761st to the respect and honor they received for their sacrifices.

The major portion of the prose is dedicated to discussion of the combat situations in which the 761st found themselves. The 761st was one of several independent Tank Battalions that was not permanently assigned to any Division, but rather attached to various units, Armored or Infantry, as needed. Thus the 761st functioned to large extent as a 'fire brigade' to deal with recalcitrant combat zones or details. While no clear evidence exists to suggest that this was an overt discriminatory act of the US Army to sacrifice African-American versus white troops is difficult situations, Abdul-Jabbar makes a compelling case that this could have in fact been true. The combat history of the 761st is indeed impressive both for its scope of action and depth of nearly impossible situations into which they were placed by rear command decisions. Despite the adversities facing them the men of the 761st were generally successful in their assigned tasks.

The last section of the book deals with what happened to the men of the 761st from V-E day onwards. While these stories are themselves fascinating, it is the injustice and prejudice these American heroes suffered after the combat was over that really capture the readers attention. In fact, it took decades for African-American soldiers who carried arms in the Second World War to be recognized for their acts of heroism. Abdul-Jabbar does a fair honest tribute to these men in his writings.

So how well done is the military history in Brothers in Arms? OK but not perfect; some errors are simply too silly to believe. Two examples illustrate this perfectly: First, in multiple places Abdul-Jabbar refers to the Tactical Air Command as the Air Tactical Command. Second, on p. 240 the following statement is made: "Hitler's propaganda minister, Hermann Goering, had a castle on a high bluff just beyond Neuhaus." Goering did in fact own a castle at Neuhaus [Burg Veldenstein, now a hotel] that was given to him by the widow of previous owner, Dr. Hermann Von Epenstein, Joseph Goebbles, not Goering, was propaganda.

Problems aside, Brothers in Arms represents a fun, entertaining and educational read, not perfect in historical content but sound enough to merit a look by serious and casual history buffs. 4 stars.

After finishing this book I found myself a bit disappointed. It seemed that the authors were trying to accomplish two goals; to chronicle the battle history of a distinguished unit in WWII and to tell the tale of the personal struggles of the men who made up the unit and fought for their country despite the racism and bigotry of the times. Unfortunately the book fell short on both goals.
As has been previously mentioned; how can you tell a tale of war and heroism without a single map or diagram? Details descriptions of tactical situations are fine, but a picture, (diagram, map) is worth a thousand words. And the same is true to recount the strategic situation as well!
As for the other goal, I got the feeling that at least half the story was missing. I want to hear what happened as these brave and honorable men returned to "Normal" life in their own country and had to fight for respect and acceptance all over again. But that story simply isn't here.
It is still a great story, and a book that should be read, especially by young men looking for guidance and role models. (White as well as black!) but I just get the feeling that it could have been much more.....

I have been a WWII buff since I was in middle school. I was always fascinated by that war and its historical importance. As an African American, I was equally fascinated by the role that Blacks played in this war. My interest was tweaked even further when I discovered that I had two uncles who served overseas in WWII (but not in combat).

I have read many books on WWII including several by the famed historian Stephen Ambrose. I would put this book right up there with the best of them.

This book does a marvelous job in weaving together interesting facts about the US Army during WWII, the training the 761st received, the dire circumstances under which they served with intriguing anecdotes such as the court martial of Jackie Robinson and the relationship with Gen. Patton. I agree with the criticism of some other commenters that the book would have been well served with more maps and diagrams explaining the action that is described. And yes, some of the facts are incorrect. However, not being an historian, most of those incorrect facts went over my head. Overall, I felt the book was well written and well put together.

"Brothers in Arms" the under-appreciated story of the 761 Tank Battalion, an African American armored unit attached to Patton's Third Army in World War II. In this volume, the authors assemble the unit's story from the enlisted man's perspective, an approach not attempted in earlier, more obscure histories. We therefore get the story of Leonard Smith and his friends William McBurney and Preston McNeil. Equally important to the unit's history are "Pop" Gates, the non-com who shaped teenage boys into top-notch soldiers; "Iron Man" William Crecy, whose fearless heroism spanned both World War II and Korea; and even Lt. Jackie Robinson, whose stateside brush with Jim Crow justice cost him combat experience, but allowed him to make his mark on history in other ways.

This is the sad truth of a segregated army, run by frequently indifferent white officers, with troops conducting their training in the outright hostile environs of Louisiana, Texas, and Kentucky. Men of the 761 endure the U.S. Army's last-class accommodations and treatment across the ocean to Europe, in the staging areas of England, and right up to the front line, where expediency forces them to join up with distrustful white units. Horrific combat during the winter of 1944-45 takes its toll not only in lives but also in attitudes. Proving themselves to be superlative as a fighting unit, the 761 Tank Battalion contributes to victory in Europe while paving the way for eventual desegregation of the U.S. armed forces.

What I like about this book is the thoughtful research that gives multiple dimensions to this story. The Jim Crow aspects, while well-told, are only a part of the narrative. You get an overview of the stages through which street kids are developed into troops, one camp at a time. The Sherman tank (the principle weapon of the 761) is described from the crew's standpoint. So too are battlefield artillery tactics and the role of terrain in maneuvering against an emplaced enemy. Attention is given to the lulls and pitch of battle. Passages describe foraging for food and trying to sleep in cold, steel vehicles during one of the coldest European winters of the century. A wonderful selection of photographs captures both stateside and European travels of 761. I was particularly touched by the photo of Sgt. Harvey Woodard, looking exhausted but resolute in the turret of his Sherman, apparently only hours away from his death.

What disappoints me is a lack of maps to give the reader some appreciation of the places and distances involved. Also, there is a sudden shift in narrative about two thirds of the way through. Up to that point, the reader rides along at the tank crews' perspective, particularly that of Leonard Smith. The reader is treated to the sights, sounds, fears, and humor that sustains these young men. But after the pivotal battle at Tillet, the tone shifts. The text from that point forward to the war's conclusion reads more like unit histories, where we no longer accompany the fighting men, but read the impersonal unit-level histories. Only at the very end do our heroes return, where the authors devote a paragraph to each describing their post-war lives.

"Brothers in Arms" adds to the "two fronts" battle legacy of African Americans in World War II U.S. military service who took on Jim Crow and the axis powers at the same time. I would suggest that the authors ignored a "third front," on which black officers and non-coms fought. This would be their struggle with the cynical, disaffected men in their own ranks who scoffed at black superiors as "Uncle Toms" for cooperating with "the Man." You can't tell me there weren't a few of these types in the ranks. The success of the black captains, lieutenants, and sergeants would take on even larger proportions if this truth were also told.

It is also interesting to note that an abridged version of Leonard Smith's story is included in "We Were There: Voices of African American Veterans," by Latty and Tarver. A comparison of the two volumes shows some inconsistency in the details. But the major themes remain in sync. This is not to take anything away from Leonard Smith (a hero in my book), who is finally, finally getting the recognition he is due. It is satisfying to see history made complete by filling in stories that were left untold for whatever reason. The authors are to be commended for that.

In "Brothers in Arms", Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Anthony Walton try to bring to life the personal accounts of the soldiers of the 761st Tank Battalion.

The book begins by documenting the memories of the soldiers who faced their own battles with racism here in the United States. The flow of the book follows the natural progression of the soldiers from their days as recruits, armored school, and then through their combat exploits in France and Germany.

Having previously read "Death Traps: The Survival of an American Armored Division in World War II", this book didn't contribute any new information about armored warfare. Despite numerous factual errors, the book does highlight the ugliness of racism that was prevalent in the nation at the time. All in all, this is a collection of stories that needed to be told.

Typically, I am not a fan of non-fiction, let alone historical documentaries. Yet BROTHERS IN ARMS is definitely a book that convincingly swayed my opinion. Highlighting the trials and tribulations of the 761st Tank Battalion, which was a unit of colored soldiers never meant to face battle, this book does an excellent job documenting their joys, sorrows and memories. The book revolves around Leonard Smith, a family friend of Abdul-Jabbar and an original member of the 761st.

Although the racial cloud of inequity followed the unit throughout their military careers, they were involved in successfully defending many areas of the European theatre. Originally assembled only to gain the continued support of the Black community during the tenuous times of WWII, the 761st was called into action due to the severe causalities suffered by the Allies. The Battalion successfully defended the European theatre during many crucial battles. This included the Battle of the Bulge in 1944 under the direction of General Patton.

BROTHERS IN ARMS is a captivating literary work that paints a vivid picture of how life was for the Black soldiers. It is not overloaded on details or military jargon that would prevent the average reader from comprehending its historical accounts. If I could offer one suggestion, it would be to have maps included which depict the
areas of battle. For anyone interested in learning more about WWII and the challenges experienced by its Black soldiers in the throes of racial injustice, then I'd definitely recommend BROTHERS IN ARMS.

Reviewed by Nedine
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

BROTHERS IN ARMS is a revealing and extremely informative account of Americans, who happened to be African Americans who fought in World War II. The book, which I listened to on audio cassette, is full of stories about African Americans who played their part in World War II inspite of the hardships heaped upon them by our own government. As was said in a World War I motto: The colored man is no slacker. Unfortunately many of the stories of these brave fighting men have been lost. Some are are just now coming to light.

Kareem Abdul Jabbar makes a significant contribution to African American history by telling readers about the 761st. This work clearly demonstrates that black men did more than just service jobs in the war. At least one other reviewer was critical of some of the details of the combat missions and those assertions may be true. What is important for all Americans to understand is the extent of prejudice that existed in America in the 1940's. As a historian I have heard the accounts of Jackie Robinson's court marshall for refusing to sit on the back of the bus. I know that German prisoners of war were treated better than returning black GI's in some situations. But what is important is that the rest of America know what happened so that we can make sure it never happens again. What was redeeming was the accounts of the 761st return to a former base in a Southern city, where local residents apologized for their parents and grandparents.

I found the most meanningful section of the audio cassette on the final disk that included interviews with several of the men that fought in the 761st. After all that they endured, they were all still proud to be Americans.

If I were to name the five most important books I'd read on WWII this one would have to be near the top. The only criticism has already been mentioned, it would be great to have theater maps that would help you get a feel for the areas in which the 761st operated. Still what comes through most forcefully for me is the courage and humanity of these soldiers. It's hard to accept that their story has taken so long to tell and that so many are no longer here to accept our thank yous.

My grandfather Petronillo Cantoni, a resident of Chateau-Salins, long recalled "the black liberators". The town of Chateau-Salins (Salzburgen)was "defended" by the 559th panzerjaeger whose incredibly brutal soldiery lobbed grenades into basements, killing dozens of civilians and resistants alike, including several of my relatives. The last remaining civilians, including Petronillo Cantoni, his wife Marie Jenft, and their daughters Laure and Liliane, were rescued after a 3-day carnage that left over 3/4 of the population dead or maimed, and soon discovered their "black liberators". The 500-year debt of gratitude to the US army lives on. fortis10@gmail.com