Brothers in Arms: The Epic Story of the 761st Tank Battalion, WWII's Forgotten Heroes

Brothers in Arms: The Epic Story of the 761st Tank Battalion, WWII's Forgotten Heroes - Paperback

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Brothers in Arms: The Epic Story of the 761st Tank Battalion, WWII's Forgotten Heroes
  • Brothers in Arms: The Epic Story of the 761st Tank Battalion, WWII's Forgotten Heroes
Brothers in Arms: The Epic Story of the 761st Tank Battalion, WWII's Forgotten Heroes - Paperback

Brothers in Arms: The Epic Story of the 761st Tank Battalion, WWII's Forgotten Heroes - Paperback

by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar , Anthony Walton
$20.00
$20.00

Book Overview

by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Author), Anthony Walton (Author)

A powerful wartime saga recounting the extraordinary story of the 761st Tank Battalion, the first all-black armored unit to see combat in World War II.

"More than a combat story . . . it's also the story of how black soldiers had to fight (literally and figuratively) for the right to fight the Germans."--USA Today

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar first became immersed in the history of the 761st Battalion through family friend Leonard "Smitty" Smith, a veteran of the unit. Working with acclaimed writer Anthony Walton, Abdul-Jabbar interviewed surviving members of the battalion to weave together a page-turning narrative based on their memories, stories, and historical accounts, from basic training through the horrors of the battlefield to their postwar experiences.

Trained essentially as a public relations gesture to maintain the support of the black community for the war, the battalion was never intended to see battle. In fact, General Patton originally opposed their deployment, claiming African Americans couldn't think quickly enough to operate tanks in combatconditions. But in the summer of 1944, following heavy casualties in the fields of France, the Allies--desperate for trained tank personnel--called the battalion up anyway.

While most combat troops fought on the front for a week or two before being rotated back, the men of the 761st served for more than six months, fighting heroically under Patton's Third Army at the Battle of the Bulge and in the Allies' final drive across France and Germany. Despite a casualty rate that approached 50 percent and an extreme shortage of personnel and equipment, the 761st would ultimately help liberate some thirty towns and villages, as well as several branch concentration camps. The racism that shadowed them during the war and the prejudice they faced upon their return home are an indelible part of their story. Shining through most of all, however, are the lasting bonds that united them as soldiers and brothers, the bravery they exhibited on the battlefield, and the quiet dignity and patriotism that defined their lives.

Front Jacket

A powerful wartime saga in the bestselling tradition of "Flags of Our Fathers, Brothers in Arms recounts the extraordinary story of the 761st Tank Battalion, the first all-black armored unit to see combat in World War II.

Author Biography

KAREEM ABDUL-JABBAR, six-time NBA Most Valuable Player, is the author of the New York Times bestseller Giant Steps, as well as Kareem and A Season on the Reservation. ANTHONY WALTON is the author of the critically acclaimed memoir Mississippi, as well as the coauthor of Reverend Al Sharpton's book Go and Tell the Pharoah.

Number of Pages: 336
Dimensions: 0.85 x 8.2 x 5.54 IN
Publication Date: May 10, 2005
Accelerated Reader:
Quiz Name: Brothers in Arms: The Epic Story of the 761st Tank Battalion, Wwii's Forgotten Heroes
Interest Level: Upper Grades, 9-12
Reading Level: 9.9
Point Value: 17
ISBN9780767909136
Author Kareem Abdul-Jabbar , Anthony Walton
PublisherCrown Publishing Group (NY)
GenreHistory and Education
FormatPaperback
PublishedMay 2005
LanguageENG- English
Pages336
Weight1.0 lb
Target AudienceTeens & young adults
Print SizeStandard Print

Related Subjects

History Nonfiction Social Science Wars & Conflicts

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About Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is one of the greatest basketball players of all time as well as a committed social justice activist. In 2020, the NBA created the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Social Justice Champion award in his honor. He is a New York Times bestselling author, an award-winning documentary producer who has won two NAACP Image Awards, and a twice Emmy-nominated narrator. He is the recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Ford Medal of Freedom, the Rosa Parks Award, the Double Helix Medal, the University of California Presidential Medal, and Harvard University's W. E. B. Du Bois Medal of Courage. He holds eight honorary doctorate degrees and is a U.S. Cultural Ambassador. Currently, Abdul-Jabbar serves as the chairman of Skyhook Foundation, bringing educational STEM opportunities to underserved communities. He also writes a biweekly newsletter commenting on the intersection of news, sports, and popular culture, for which he has won nine Columnist of the Year awards.

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