cover image American Patriots: A Young People's Edition: The Story of Blacks in the Military from the Revolution to Desert Storm

American Patriots: A Young People's Edition: The Story of Blacks in the Military from the Revolution to Desert Storm

Tonya Bolden, Gail Lumet Buckley. Crown Publishers, $15.95 (240pp) ISBN 978-0-375-82243-8

African-American heroes take center stage in American Patriots: The Story of Blacks in the Military from the Revolution to Desert Storm by Gail Buckley, adapted for younger readers by Tonya Bolden, from the author's adult book (with the same title). The volume spotlights the role of African-Americans from the Revolutionary War through the Gulf War, including Vaughn Love (who fought during the Spanish Civil War), Col. Fred V. Cherry, a POW in Vietnam, and Colin Powell, four-star general in Desert Storm. Among the women profiled: Maj. Charity Adams and Lt. Harriet Pickens, both of whom served in WWII, and Maj. Flossie Satcher, who served in Desert Storm. Direct quotes and a 16-page photo inset give the historical accounts a sense of urgency.