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

David P. Colley (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 2001

Tells the story of the little known Red Ball Express of World War II, a crucial military operation that successfully transported tools, equipment, fuel, and ammunition to the U.S. Army, enabling them to defeat the German opposition. Describes the huge 23,000 man effort, based extensively on interviews with veterans. Softcover. World War, 1939-1945--Transportation.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

After the Normandy invasion, the Red Ball Express--a U.S. Army trucking operation that lasted 81 days--transported critical ammunition, rations, gasoline and other supplies to American troops as they pushed on toward Germany. Three-fourths of the Red Ball drivers were African-Americans who faced continual prejudice and hostility from white soldiers. In this stirring chronicle--an important contribution to WWII history--former Baltimore Evening Sun reporter Colley tells the full story of the Red Ball Express for the first time. Drawing from interviews, army documents and oral histories, Colley leaves no doubt that the heroic efforts of the Red Ball drivers, who braved strafing by Luftwaffe planes, German artillery and friendly fire, contributed significantly to the defeat of the Nazis in France--and he shatters the myth that the Germans were the masters of mechanized warfare. (While the German Army was supplied by horse and wagon, the American army's secret weapon in the ground war-- simple, rugged trucks nicknamed "Jimmies"--made it the world's most flexible and mechanized force.) Colley transforms what might have been a dry tale of military logistics into a rousing, perceptive reappraisal of the Allied invasion of northern Europe. Although the Red Ball's exploits--the subject of a 1952 movie starring Sidney Poitier--are legendary, former Platoon Sergeant John Houston (father of singer/actress Whitney Houston) sums it up: "We never got enough credit for what we did.... The Army would never have won without us." Photos, maps. (Mar.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"The old adage says that amateurs talk tactics while professionals talk logistics. Yet there is a sad dearth ofbooks that examine World War II logistical operations in any detail. Colley's well-researched, well-written book helps fill that void and sets a standard for measuring the impact of supply considerations on combat operations. I was particularly impressed by the discussion of racism and its impact not only on the Red Ball but on the conduct of the war . . .In this sense, Colley's book . . .contribute(s) to the growing collection of works . . .on racism in American society and the armed forces in World War II." -- Jay Karamales, co-author of Against the Panzer: United States Infantry versus German Tanks, 1944-1945

A classic American tale of perseverance, aptitude, and adaptation. -- Bloomsbury Review, May/June, 2000

Colley ... transforms a routine trucking operation into something that has drama and an important life of its own. -- Indianapolis Star, April 22, 2000 --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 247 pages
• Publisher: Brassey's UK Ltd; 1st edition (January 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 157488302X
• ISBN-13: 978-1574883022
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,522,335 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Trucks! Keep On Rollin'!!, April 6, 2002

By 

Mcgivern Owen L (NY, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Road to Victory: The Untold Story of World War Ii's Red Ball Express (Hardcover)

"The Road to Victory" is not an old Bob Hope/Dorothy Lamour movie. Instead, RV tells the tale of World War 2 in Europe during the climactic months after the Normandy invasion of June 1944. It does not dwell on heroics or bravery in combat. Instead it is concerned with other heroics- the sheer logistical day by day avalanche of men and materiel that was required to supply the quickly advancing Allied Armies. Author Colley actually succeeds in shedding the crunching tonnage of Army Supply into a readable novel. From this Army veteran, that is high praise! Key to it all was the Red Ball Express. These were large truck convoys that raced across France from the Channel ports through Luxembourg and Belgium to the borders of Germany. The majority of convoy drivers were African American, doing critical work for a segregated, often unappreciative and sometimes even hostile U.S. Army. This contrasts sharply with the more liberal Europeans they came in contact with. The author weaves interesting combinations: human interest in the hard working Black drivers, the difficulties and dangers they faced on the road, the military "foul-ups" (for lack of a stronger word), and enough statistics and numbers to warm the heart of any QMC or TC man. True, RV is a bit dry, but not to any detrimental effect. This reviewer has read many military works and it's always gratifying to read one that explores a new story, a different angle or a fresh approach. RV is such a book. Once it appears in paperback, military history fans should pounce. Civil Rights students should ignore the military jargon and strongly consider RV too.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Long Overdue, September 8, 2003

By 

"psychalmanian" (Grosse Pointe Park, Michigan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Road to Victory: The Untold Story of World War II's Red Ball Express (Mass Market Paperback)

This book tells a story that has remained untold for too many generations. Most Americans are vaguely aware or totally ignorant of the fact that the U.S. Armed Forces remained racially segregated by unit until after the Second World War. Over the decades, Hollywood has generally reinforced this willful ignorance with story after story showing black and white American soldiers fighting shoulder-to-shoulder against the evil, racist Nazis. Even 1952's "Red Ball Express" featuring a 25-year-old Sydney Poiter, is a fanciful piece of fiction focused on an integrated platoon.

The fact is that African-American troops in Europe constantly had to fight not only the enemy, but the bigotry of their own fellow Americans. My father, Lt. Colonel Jack Harrison, was privileged to serve as executive officer of the 543rd HQ Battalion, which was part of the Red Ball and similar operations on the continent. As was the case with most "colored units" in the American Army, all of the enlisted men and about half the junior officers in the 543rd were African American. The senior officers were all white and mostly from the south. Apparently, the pervasive philosophy among the Army brass was that southern whites somehow had more experience and expertise dealing with African Americans, who were generally regarded by our government as second class soldiers unfit for combat duty.

This book struck a deeply personal note with me. Many of the actual anecdotes and soldiers tales in the book reminded me of the few war stories that I was ever able to coax out of Dad. Beyond that, however, this book is a solid and well-researched piece of history that should simultaneously inspire both shame and pride in the heart of any real American, black or white. In recent years, African-American combat units, like the Tuskegee Airmen, have begun to receive their just recognition. With this book, David Colley finally paints a true picture of the African American service troops whose valor, dedication and courage made the Allied victory possible.

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating Story, Flawed Presentation, December 10, 2002

By 

A. Bowdoin Van Riper (Vineyard Haven, MA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Road to Victory: The Untold Story of World War Ii's Red Ball Express (Hardcover)

This book is a solid first treatment of a subject that is *way* overdue for serious attention from WWII historians: logistics in general and the Red Ball Express in particular. It also, along the way, helps to do for support troops what Ernie Pyle (then) and Stephen Ambrose (lately) did for combat troops . . . record and pass on their stories of "what it was like." The fact that many of the soldiers whose stories are told in RTV are African-American addds a third valuable dimension to the book.

So why only three stars? Well . . .

David Colley writes like an experienced, and very talented, magazine writer who hasn't developed a feel for how to structure a book-length story. RTV is a mosaic of brief, topical chapters that are complete in themselves but add up (more or less) to a complete picture of life on the Red Ball. It *feels* like an extended series of magazine articles rather than a unified book. I often had the sense that, if I reshuffled the chapters in random order, it would read just as smoothly. I can accept that in a reference book, but a straight-ahead work of history needs more shape.

What I missed, throughout the book, was any sense that Colley had digested all the (fascinating) information he presents. So much of the material was new to me that I kept waiting for him to draw conclusions that were equally new and fascinating. Instead, Colley told me things that I already knew: Mechanized transport was crucial to the Allied victory in Europe, Americans have a talent for improvisation, and overt racism was less prominent in Europe than in the 1940s USA.

This book is well worth buying and well worth reading, but the definitive history of the Red Ball has yet to be written. Any WWII historians out there looking for a great project?