Liberators: Fighting on Two Fronts in World War II

by Lou Potter, William Miles, Nina Rosenblum

Follows a group of young black soldiers who, in the midst of the fierce racial eruptions of a pre-civil rights America, were called to Europe to fight the Nazis. 35,000 first printing. TV tie-in.

303 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 1992

Reviews

[Bill V · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't like the political slant of the book. I know blacks (African-Americans) suffered great injustices in the United States and this treatment continued as they bravely and diligently served their country but the book at times, in my opinion, read like a leftist tract. Some of the comments and combat actions struck me as strange. Also, my copy of the book came with an insert notifying me that there are some discrepancies about where the 761st Tank Battalion may or may not have been. This caused me to read the entire book with something of a skeptical eye. I'm sure these men served nobly and several gave their lives and suffered grievous injuries but the revelation diminishes the book to me.
I'm not quite sure why such an emphasis was given in the book to the plight of the Jews suffering the inhumane holocaust. The title does not mention nor hint at the connection between the black soldiers and the holocaust. Surely, it should be mentioned as it formed part of their experience but it was overdone.
Lastly, I understand the black soldiers fought in small units all over the front line but I would have liked more of an overall narrative as to how their combat actions fit into the bigger picture of the general war. The book is more about the individual actions and experiences of the soldiers without putting them into the context of the war at large.

[David · Rating 1 out of 5]

A fraudulent book and documentary film which was exposed by many, including my grandfather, Col. James Moncrief (of the 6th Armored Div.), who was one of the first few American soldiers to arrive at the Buchenwald camp. The deception was exposed by Jeffery Goldberg in an article "The Exaggerators" in The New Republic. E.G. McConnell, one of the black soldiers of the 761st featured in the book and film, has denounced it, saying, "It's a lie. We were never there," and he claims the filmmakers offered him a bribe to play along. The fraud was also covered in the book Public Broadcasting and the Public Trust, co-edited by David Horowitz and Lawrence Jarvik. The black battalion, the 761st, did play a key role in liberating the concentration camp at Gunskirchen, but it wasn't as well known, so apparently the creators of this book chose to have black soldiers liberating Buchenwald and Dachau, and made up their own version of history. One result of the scandal was the book being released with an insert notifying the reader of the claims against its veracity. Here's an article on it.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.time...

[Geicodave · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book describes the experience of the 761st Tank Battalion in Europe during WWII. It lays bare the racism and prejudice endured by black soldiers (and civilians) in all its pettiness, inhumanity, and cruelty. It shows that black soldiers and their units by and large did not receive due recognition for and appreciation of their contributions to the American war effort. The book's sole flaw lies in its assertion that the 761st liberated both the Dachau and Bergen-Belsen concentration camps. That assertion is open to question. That it is, however, does not make the book a "fraud" or a "hoax." It is beyond question that black soldiers, and this unit in particular, were unfairly treated and did not receive the recognition that their bravery and sacrifice deserved until decades after the war ended. Even if the battalion in fact did not liberate the camps in the manner described in the book, that does not change the fact that black soldiers were not given a fair or square deal or that they served honorably and with great courage.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

African-American soldiers fighting the enemy and racial discrimination during WWII. A history of the black soldier in the service of America, even as he was a slave in it. From the Revolutionary War to WWII, this volume highlights the presence of racism in the segregated armies through the countries history. The main focus is on the 761st Tank Battalion during 150 days on the front lines during the final days of the war, most of which is unknown and unreported in most histories of the war. This book sheds some light on the sacrifice of the black soldiers in the conflict.

[Selika]

Ok, but not as detailed as one would like.