The Black Panthers: A Story of Race, War, and Courage. The 761st Tank Battalion in World War II, tells the full and unvarnished history of this important American fighting force. It relies on extensive archival research, including documents not consulted in previous accounts as well as interviews with surviving soldiers and family members. Known as the first African American armored unit to see combat in World War II and as future baseball star Jackie Robinson’s one-time outfit, the 761st Tank Battalion emerged from the adversity of Camp Claiborne, Louisiana. Led by a small cadre of white and black officers, the men trained to the pinnacle of their craft to fight a common enemy. They proved their battle prowess on the parched Texas training fields against tank destroyer units bound for combat.
The 761st soon earned a coveted assignment to fight under General George S. Patton to fight head-to-head with the best of Hitler’s arsenal. Moving to the front in November 1944, trial by fire soon shook the unit to its core. Ambushed by a veteran German force, the 761st suffered heavy casualties in the confusion as they cut their way out of the enemy trap. Shaken, the men rallied to overcome self-doubt and vindicated their losses. Battle-hardened, the tankers saw intense fighting through November and December—when Germany launched its last-ditch offensive through the Ardennes. The 761st fought side-by-side with Patton’s Third Army. Moving through deep snow against uncertain opposition, the unit helped check the German advance and cut resupply routes to the forces surrounding beleaguered Bastogne They drove the enemy back, recapturing towns crucial to the final defeat of Germany.
Unit members come to life through primary source accounts, like Sergeant Ruben Rivers, one of only seven African American men awarded the Medal of Honor for World War II heroism; First Sergeant Sam Turley, a Medal of Honor nominee; and battalion commander Paul Bates who trained his nearly 700 men to be one of the best stand-alone tank units in the U.S. Army. The book optioned by Morgan Freeman and Revelations Entertainment (twice) to tell the unit’s story on screen.
347 pages
Reviews:
DiNicolo, a historian and a former contributing editor at Military Officer, examines the origins, training, and triumphs of the first African-American armored unit during WWII, the 761st Tank Battalion, called “The Black Panthers”. She blends declassified military documents with personal interviews to add texture and context, fleshing out the lives of unit recruits William McBurney, Paul Bates, Ivan Harrison, Trezzvant Anderson, Theodore Windsor, and Ruben Rivers (who would be posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor) as they endure humiliation and harassment in Jim Crow America while the military brass debated what role the black soldier could play.
DiNicolo brings readers up close with a view from the turret, inside the M3 Stuart light and M4 Sherman medium tanks with two .30s caliber machine guns and a 50 caliber gun, explaining armor tactics mixing these tracked vehicles with infantry, gunnery skills, and communications. However, the book really heats up when she writes of the intense, deadly clashes with General Patton’s 761st tanks taking on the powerful German Panzer units in snowy forests and French towns. Written with fine detail and in a spirited style, DiNicolo’s tribute to The Black Panthers illuminates a fighting armored unit that made both their community and their country proud.
Enter author/historian Gina DiNicolo who set the literary scene ablaze with her highly lauded book BLOOD STRIPE that tackled another topical issue – the struggle for equality between men and women in the armed forces in what is becoming one of the most controversial novels of the year. DiNicolo, a former Marine, writer, editor and historian has written for a number of military-oriented publications, has turned our attention in The Black Panthers: A Story of Race, War and Courage. The 761st Tank Battalion in World War II to the history of separatism African Americans endured and overcame in the military during World War II.
DiNicolo is an astute historian, one who has done her research into all things military and in her research has uncovered not only facts about the rise of African Americans in some of the more important aspects of WW II, but accompanies this fine book with many photographs and maps and biographies that alert us to the importance of the coming together of races in the powerful American fighting force.
Her synopsis provides a bare outline of the importance of this historical ‘novel’ (for the story is so fascinating to read that it feels like a novel rather than a history lesson) but there is so much more to be gained by every reader immersing themselves in the solid drama. The Black Panthers: A Story of Race, War and Courage. The 761st Tank Battalion in World War II, tells the full and unvarnished history of this important American fighting force. Known as the first African American armored unit to see combat in World War II and as future baseball star Jackie Robinson’s one-time outfit, the 761st Tank Battalion emerged from the adversity. Led by a small cadre of white and black officers, the men trained to the pinnacle of their craft to fight a common enemy. They proved their battle prowess on the parched Texas training fields against tank destroyer units bound for combat.’ DiNicolo draws focus on the training, deployment, combat and individuals – many of whom will be readily recognized names.
Not only does Gina DiNicolo advance her reputation as a fine military historian with this book, she proves that she is as eloquent a spokesman for racial equality. This is a book that deserves a wide audience: perhaps it will diminish some barriers in racial tensions. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp, January 16
From Rita Lorraine:
The Black Panthers: A Story of Race, War and Courage. The 761st Tank Battalion in World War II is a military masterpiece that chronicles the lives, victories, and in some cases, deaths of crew members of the first African American tank unit to see combat in WWII. Written by author, researcher and historian Gina M. Dinicolo, this novel brims over with exquisite detail that leaves readers feeling as if they’re right in the thick of battle.
This unique battalion unit was dubbed the “Black Panthers” because of their lively insignia of a snarling black panther with ears curled back, ready to devour; and the motto: “Come out fighting.” Brave, ambitious and proud to be American, they were ready and willing to fight for their country, but suffered racism, separatism, beatings and even murder at the hands of white soldiers during their quest to be treated as military equals.
After eventual clearance for combat, and “Old Blood and Guts” himself–General George S. Patton, rallied behind them. Even though he had doubts about the abilities of the 761st and other African American military men, he still sang their praises: “You’re the first Negro tankers to ever fight in the American Army. I would never have asked for you if you weren’t good. I have nothing but the best in my Army.” (P. 142)
He was right; they were the best. It took years of fighting racism, discrimination and enemy battles to prove they were the best, but the day finally came when this amazing unit was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation by President Jimmy Carter on January 24, 1978.
The Black Panthers at War is a “sleeper” that may seem like an ordinary war story, but actually shines like a rare military jewel. Ms. Dinicolo is an extraordinary writer whose prose is fast-paced, matter-of-fact, and packed with astonishing detail. With relentless precision, she presents the collective and individual stories behind the 761st Tank Battalion so that it unfolds like a movie on the silver screen.
The book offers rare black-and-white photographs of the battalion crew, including a photo of a young and hopeful Jackie Robinson (P. 127), who wanted to enroll in Officer Candidate School but was blocked due to army policy against black males. Robinson was later threatened with court martial after he refused to move to the back of a bus. There are also photographs of battalion tanks, German fighters, and even a map of the 761st’s route.
The back matter includes detailed notes and references, an extensive bibliography, a meticulous alphabetical index, and an acknowledgement page that explains how Ms. Dinicolo was able to harvest so much precious information about each soldier’s life.
This is an amazing book that deserves a permanent space on the book shelf of any history buff, professional historian, or higher education classroom.
Source: http://theblackhistorychannel.com/2016/the-black-panthers-at-war/
Readers of The Black Panthers: A Story of Race, War and Courage. The 761st Tank Battalion in World War II might at first anticipate a review of the notorious California Black Panthers group during the civil rights era, but this is a serious history of one of the most significant fighting forces in American history, and should be in the collection of any serious military reader.
The 761st unit not only fought the Germans during World War II, but made a name for themselves as the first African American tank unit to see combat, serving under General Patton to fight on the front lines. The unit experienced some of the most intense fighting of the war as it worked alongside Patton’s Third Army to forge inroads that would lead to military success.
It should be noted that military readers of World War II history should also expect a healthy dose of biographical details about the fighters, descriptions of the social and political forces of the times, and a lively survey that embraces the personal lives and perspectives of many of the men, as well as their military struggles.
This well-rounded approach adds depth and a lively, personal tone to the account that is compelling, bringing the unit’s entire experiences to life (“They moved through the frigid morning air. The roar of tank engines and the crunching of Sherman tracks broke the silence. The sound of German guns added to the cacophony.”).
Military accounts typically fail to add ‘you are there’ details, or focus so excessively upon battle events that personal lives are shadowed by war. Not so The Black Panthers at War. These features make for a recommendation beyond its primary audience of military history followers, and will attract anyone who would understand the special significance of the Black Panther force’s achievements and the changing lives of its members.
Great book. Lots of history.
A Magnificent Account Of Bravery In World War II
The men who made up the 761st Tank Battalion and took the fight from the training grounds of Texas to the killing floors of the Ardennes in the final months of World War II may be among the most courageous heroes of that entire bloody affair. Now Gina M. DiNicolo’s does proper justice to their amazing heroics in her gripping and unvarnished history, “The Black Panthers: A Story of Race, War and Courage. The 761st Tank Battalion in World War II” It’s a compelling and comprehensive account of the unit known as the first African-American tank unit to see combat in World War II. (They were happened to be the one-time unit of future baseball great Jackie Robinson, the first black man to break the color barrier in Major League Baseball.) Throughout this epic tale of courage under fire, DiNicolo takes us through the rigorous training in Texas that enabled this well-honed unit serving under General George S. Patton in a no-holds barred battle against the deadly German troops in November and December of 1944.
Author and historian Gina M. DiNicolo uses extensive archival documents for first person accounts of life in the 761st Tank Battalion. Some of these documents are seeing the light of day for the very first time, including interviews with surviving veterans and their family members. Trained at the U.S. Naval Academy with a degree in history, DiNicolo served in the Marine Corps in such fields as aviation, recruiting, history and public affairs. In addition to one other book of fiction, “Blood Stripe: The Susanna Marcasi Chronicles,” DiNicolo has written extensively for the Military Officer magazine and other publications. In other words, when it comes to military tactics, she knows her stuff.
In “The Black Panthers: A Story of Race, War and Courage. The 761st Tank Battalion in World War II” her writing soars like an eagle bringing us back to the fields of fire as the 761st Tank Battalion goes head to head with the best of Hitler’s arsenal in the key battles through the Ardennes. The men who made up the unit faced frequent trial by fire as Germany launched their last ditch offensives. Time and again, the American soldiers forced the enemy back – often fighting side by side with Patton’s Third Army – recapturing towns crucial in the fight and to final victory.
DiNicolo brings unit members to life and literally lifts them off the page with her spirited, powerful prose. Men like Sergeant Ruben Rivers (one of only seven African-American fighters to be awarded the coveted Medal of Honor), as well as First Sergeant Sam Turley and battalion commander Paul Bates are not just bland names in DiNicolo’s account of the fighting, they are real brothers-in-arms in solidarity against a common enemy of fascism and tyranny; the very freedoms we are gifted with every single day of our lives.
This is a magnificent account of bravery against all odds by members of “The 761st Tank Battalion” whose names deserve to be long remembered and spoken of with great reverence and grace.
The author really did their work on this book. It shows an unflinching look at what this unit went through and tankers in war faced in general.
This was tough to put down. As a military insider I recognized some of the characters, places, and languages. At first I thought that’s what kept me coming back to story but it was the well-crafted plot and the characters that kept my nose in the book over the course of just a few days. Looking forward to reading the next installment.
A really fun read! A bit more of the character’s sex lives than maybe I needed, but that’s just me. The story was great and I had a hard time putting it down!
Read this book!
Bought it, read it and loved it — think you will too! Found it to be a page-turner and was almost sad to see the book come to an end. Buy it and see what you think — you won’t be disappointed . . . Oh — I bought the Kindle version, but there wasn’t a place to review the book, but I wanted people to know it is WELL worth the read.
The Black Panthers succeeds on multiple levels. It chronicles the organization, training, and combat operations of a separate tank battalion in World War II, shedding light on a lesser known aspect of America’s armored experience. Its greatest strength, however, lies in the attention given to the individuals who served in the 761st Tank Battalion. The result is a rich narrative of disparate individuals with their own personal aspirations and fears who forge a winning team.
Robert S. Cameron, author of Mobility,Shock, and Firepower: The Emergence of the U.S. Army’s Armor Branch, 1917-1945
