SEGREGATED SKIES (Smithsonian History of Aviation and Spaceflight) [Hardcover]

SANDLER STANLEY (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 17, 1992 | Series: Smithsonian History of Aviation and Spaceflight

"Sandler does a fine job of emphasizing the unjustness of the segregation policy as well as the excellence of the men who flew in segregated skies. He provides a good look at this lesser known aspect of (World War II).--"Retired Officer". 38 photos.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Sandler chronicles the pioneering efforts of the all-black 332nd Fighter Group and the 477th Medium Bomber Group during WW II, emphasizing how painfuly aware the pilots and ground crew were of having to "prove" themselves as no white squadron had to. For example, Air Corps chief Gen. Henry Arnold resented their presence in his service: "The Negro tires easily," he wrote in a notorious memo. In a postwar evaluation, the Air Force concluded that the 332nd was a mediocre outfit, "not worth the time and effort"; but Sandler ( The Emergence of the Modern Capital Ship ) argues that the record demonstrates that it was a "good to average" group whose efficiency was warped by the demands of racial segregation. The unit's war record was unique in one respect: in its hundreds of escort missions, the 332nd did not lose a single bomber to enemy aircraft. The 477th never saw action. Drawn from interviews and offical documents, this important history reveals how the wartime experience of a relative handful of black pilots and crewmen opened the way for racial integration of the armed forces within five years after the end of the war. Photos.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Military historian Sandler ( The Emergence of the Modern Capital Ship , Univ. of Delaware Pr., 1979) portrays a two-front war--against racism at home and the enemy abroad--as he details the World War II experiences of blacks in the three fighter groups that shattered the U.S. Army Air Corps' all-white policy. He begins with the government's 1940 decision to develop "colored personnel for the aviation service" by training them in isolation outside Tuskegee, Alabama, and concludes with descriptions of combat in North Africa and southern Europe, highlighting whites' stubborn resistance and blacks' determination to succeed against the odds. This book complements Richard M. Delfiume's Desegregation of the U.S. Armed Forces, 1939-1953 ( LJ 7/69) and Phillip McGuire's He, Too, Spoke for Democracy: Judge Hastie, World War II, and the Black Soldier (Greenwood, 1988). For military, aviation, and African American collections.
- Thomas J. Davis, Univ. at Buffalo, N.Y.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Smithsonian (April 17, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1560981547
• ISBN-13: 978-1560981541
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #690,150 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A STORY DESERVING OF WIDER RECOGNITION, April 25, 2011

By 

MONTGOMERY (WASHINGTON, DC - U.S.A.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Segregated Skies: All-Black Combat Squadrons of WW II (Paperback)

This is a wonderful book which sheds much needed light on an aspect of the Second World War that has either been overlooked or marginalized for much too long -- the contributions made by African Americans who served in the United States Army Air Force (USAAF).

Herein the reader will become acquainted with the history of the 99th Pursuit Squadron, the 332nd Fighter Group, and the 477th Composite Group (which, owing to racial bias among the USAAF's leadership, never saw combat). Taken together, these units constituted the Tuskegee Airmen.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not bad, very objective, June 9, 2009

By 

William C. Pierce (NJ) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Segregated Skies: All-Black Combat Squadrons of WW II (Paperback)

This book has a hard time deciding if it is a scholarly work or a popular narrative. The style attempts to mix close analysis and an engaging storyline. These two elements are incompatible paragraph by paragraph, and bog each other down. The author changes references to major figures' titles, given names, and especially rank, back and forth without order or explanation. It smacks of rushed scholarship.

Despite these flaws, the book tells an important story. It covers a lot of old material on the Tuskeegee Airmen, but offers up some important new aspects: Evolution of Air Force policy on integration and race, and the role of Black Airmen in the Bomber forces. These two themes were largely based on original research and interviews, The general background of the Tuskeegee airmen less so.

In short, this book has some really good new material on racial politics in the US military during and just after World War II. Its coverage of the combat exploits of the all black US fighter squadrons is objective, but nothing new.