The Comanche Code Talkers of World War II [Hardcover]

William C. Meadows (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 2003

This text tells the full story of the Comanche Code Talkers. Drawing on interviews with all surviving members of the unit, their original training officer, and fellow soldiers, as well as military records and news accounts, William C. Meadows follows the group from their recruitment and training to their active duty in World War II and on through their postwar lives up to the present. He also provides a comparison of Native American code talking programs, comparing the Comanche Code Talkers with their better-known Navajo counterparts in the Pacific and with other Native Americans who used their languages, coded or not, for secret communication. Meadows sets this history in a larger discussion of the development of Native American code talking in World Wars I and II, identifying two distinct forms of Native American code talking, examining the attitudes of the American military toward Native American code talkers, and assessing the complex cultural factors that led Comanche and other Native Americans to serve their country in this way.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Of all the books on Native American service in the U.S. armed forces, this is the best.... Readers will find the story of the Comanche Code Talkers compelling, humorous, thought-provoking, and inspiring." - Tom Holm, author of Strong Hearts, Wounded Souls: Native American Veterans of the Vietnam War

Review

Of all the books on Native American service in the U.S. armed forces, this is the best. . . . Readers will find the story of the Comanche Code Talkers compelling, humorous, thought-provoking, and inspiring. (Tom Holm, author of Strong Hearts, Wounded Souls: Native American Veterans of the Vietnam War ) --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: University of Texas Press (February 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0292752636
• ISBN-13: 978-0292752634
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,752,810 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book, May 13, 2007

By 

T. Phillips (Texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Comanche Code Talkers of World War II (Paperback)

An excellent book that chronicles events during World War II that were largely unknown and unheralded until just recently.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Very Interesting, September 19, 2005

By 

A. Pierce "Soldier's daughter" (Towson, MD, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Comanche Code Talkers of World War II (Hardcover)

The first two chapters have a lot of statics and history in them. The interesting part begins at chapter 3 when the author includes interviews with the actual participants and their experiences during the war.

2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding, January 4, 2010

By 

Grimes (Earth) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Comanche Code Talkers of World War II (Paperback)

As a history major, this novel is an outstanding delight. It is one of a handful of novels devoted to the tale of the Native American code talkers. It discusses the origins of this tactful communication method, beginning with the Choctow's of the 142nd in WWI. The novel is very well written and organized and for one with a thrist of more knowledge on the subject it is the best publication around.

Luckily, the author William C. Meadows happens to have been one of my professors at Missouri State University (previously Southwest Missouri State). He is very passionate about the subject and indeed with this book he has done great research. Knowing that the U.S., until recently in history, has refused to recognize Native American aid in the World Wars makes this book a valuable asset to the growing knowledge of the Native American codetalker.