Meticulously researched and wonderfully suspenseful; Blood for Dignity is the tale of a fascinating and little-known piece of World War II American history; seen through the eyes of 5th Platoon; K Company; 394th Regiment; 99th Division--the first black unit integrated with a white infantry company since the Revolutionary War. David P. Colley paints an absorbing; combat-heavy portrait of these African American and white men fighting together for their country—an historical event whose resonance would be felt for generations; and whose lesson would be transposed onto American society; shattering myths and destroying assumptions that had haunted blacks for years. The integration of African American platoons with white combat units at the tail end of World War II almost didn’t happen. With the pressing need for more troops and the vision of men such as Dwight Eisenhower; black soldiers who only wanted to fight for their country were finally given the opportunity in March of 1945. The performance of these soldiers laid to rest the accepted white attitude of a century and a half that African Americans were cowardly and inferior fighters. In fact; they proved to be just the opposite. From basic training in the deep south; to hard labor in Europe; these men traveled a long and difficult road before they could take up arms for their country. The 5th of K finally saw combat at the Remagen Bridgehead as they fought side-by-side with white soldiers; driving back a dangerous German army in 1945. Thanks to in-depth interviews with many of those who fought in and alongside the 5th of K; author David P. Colley mixes the horrors of war with the intensely personal in a way that brings us closer to the brave men of this Platoon—a group of soldiers whom readers will come to know and admire and not soon forget.
#1037123 in Books 1999-05-19Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.28 x .59 x 5.46l; #File Name: 0312206550192 pages
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Excellent true story of an Arctic Expedition gone wrong.By O.E. FrikI own the original paperback version. This electronic version does not have the pictures found in the paperback version and I think this is a significant omission; hence 4 stars.McKinlay's story telling is fascinating. This is a must to read for those interested in Arctic expeditions.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Great bookBy Kidcare GrandmaI read this book then Ada Black jack and truly enjoyed this histgory. Would recommend this book. Am looking for more of this genre.6 of 8 people found the following review helpful. Not enough personality detailsBy Tom BruceI am a fan of shipwreak tales; and this true story is a fine example of the genre. Written by a survivor of this 1913 disaster; the book does an excellent job of describing the suffering the untrained Arctic explorers went through during their months of isolation. However; one major fault is that it is difficult to identify with individuals; they tend to be a jumbled comglomerate. I think this is because the author gives very little personal data about anyone; therefore they are little more than a name and an undescriptive phrase. What compounds this fault; is that two of the shipwreaked crew were from Shakelford's Antarctic shipwreak. It would be interesting to see how their previous experience affected them psychologically. Further; the captain of the Karluk left his ship stranded; an entire book could be written about him. Yet we are given little here to understand his motivations. These real individuals; as well as other crew members; deserve more attention and description. (Book review by Tom Bruce)
