- Paperback: 330 pages
- Publisher: Michigan State University Press; New edition edition (Dec 31 1998)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0870135023
- ISBN-13: 978-0870135026
- Product Dimensions: 23 x 15.3 x 1.9 cm
- Shipping Weight: 481 g
- See Complete Table of Contents
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
Product Details |
Product Description
Book Description
On April 12, 1945, the United States Army Air Force arrested 101 of its African American officers. They were charged with disobeying a direct order from a superior officer—a charge that could carry the death penalty upon conviction. They were accused of refusing to sign an order that would have placed them in segregated housing and recreational facilities. Their plight was virtually ignored by the press at the time, and books written about the subject did not detail the struggle these aviators underwent to win recognition of their civil rights.
The central theme of Double V is the promise held out to African American military personnel that service in World War II would deliver to them a double victory—a "double V"—over tyranny abroad and racial prejudice at home. The book's authors, Lawrence P. Scott and William M. Womack Sr., chronicle for the first time, in detail, one of America's most dramatic failures to deliver on that promise. In the course of their narrative, the authors demonstrate how the Tuskegee airmen suffered as second-class citizens while risking their lives to serve their country. Among the contributions made by this work is a detailed examination of how 101 Tuskegee airmen, by refusing to live in segregated quarters, triggered on e of the most significant judicial proceedings in U.S. military history. Double V uses oral accounts and heretofore unused government documents to portray this little-known struggle by one of America's most celebrated flying units.
In addition to providing background material about African American aviators before World War II. the authors also demonstrate how the Tuskegee airmen's struggle foretold dilemmas faced by the civil rights movement in the second half of the 20th century. Double V is destined to become an important contribution in the rapidly growing body of civil rights literature.
About the Author
William M. Womack, Sr., served as a Tuskegee Airman with the 332nd Fighter Group in Italy. He was recruited, in 1940, into the new Negro Air Corps as Director of Physical Training for the Tuskegee Airmen.
Tag this product(What's this?)Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organize and find favorite items. |
Customer Reviews
|
There are no customer reviews yet on Amazon.ca
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
5.0 out of 5 stars (1 customer review)
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Thank you for your service, Jan 21 2012
By Clementine Dare "Clementine" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Double V, The Civil Rights Struggle of the Tuskegee Airmen (Paperback)
I learned of this episode in our history after the Tuskegee Airmen came to speak at the CAF Arizona Wing Aviation Museum in Mesa, Arizona (Jan 2012). I just saw the movie Red Tails tonight and I wanted to learn more about the Airmen. The movie was excellent but there is definitely much more to the story of the Airmen. I am grateful for the honor and the integrity that the Airmen displayed by standing up for Civil Rights. These men are treasures. If you have a chance to hear them speak, you can count yourself lucky. Thank you for your service to our country.
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
- Books > History > Americas > United States > 20th Century > World War II
- Books > History > Military > World War II
- Books > History > United States > 20th Century > World War II
- Books > Nonfiction > Current Events > Civil Rights & Liberties
- Books > Nonfiction > Politics
- Books > Nonfiction > Social Sciences > Political Science > United States
- Books > Nonfiction > Social Sciences > Special Groups > African-American Studies
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
