Ten years in the making, this extraordinary and well researched history is a tribute to the Triple Nickles, America’s first black paratroopers. It is the first book on this subject, and is rich with statistics and historical information. Its author is the Sibert Medal winner of Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who dared to Dream.
This valuable
historical document showcases the lives of the 555th Parachute
Infantry Battalion that was never called to engage in combat because of their
colour. Their strength and determination to be recognized and accepted as
American citizens took years of fighting discrimination, segregation,
intolerance, bashings and death.
The artwork
included in the book is by Ashley Bryan, now an award-winning children’s book
author and illustrator. These paintings were created while Bryan was a
stevedore in the Army during WW2. There are also photos, which are few in
comparison to what they should be, for black battalion units that fought were
‘left out of the record’. They were ‘never filmed, never photographed, never
recognized’ until many years later.
This moving and
evocative journey through history filled with courage and strength, will remain
unforgettable to every reader who ventures into this narrative. Superbly
presented with fantastic prose, it will stay on the owner’s shelf as a
reference to all that was and all that wasn’t.
Reviewed by
Anastasia Gonis
Title: Courage Has No Colour: The True Story of the Triple Nickles - America’s
First Black Paratroopers
Author: Tanya Lee Stone
Publisher: Walker Books $19.95 RRP
Publication Date: November 2012
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 978076366487
Type: Historical Non Fiction
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