"Black and White Airmen: Their True History," by John Fleischman is the serendipitous story of two men who where classmates in the third grade and joined the US Army Air Force during World War II. These men lost touch after third grade due to the racial divide that either legally or socially separated the men, but their lives do show how racial segregation plotted both of these men on very different courses in life and in the military. It took these men fifty years to reconnect and reflect on their connection. John, an African American, was a famed Tuskegee Airmen, while Herb was a white B-17 bomber pilot. The race divide was prevalent during World War II, and John was only allowed to fly planes in his segregated unit. But the men eventually realized they flew on a mission together. John and his fellow Tuskegee Airmen escorted Herb and his fellow bombers on a dangerous mission into Axis-occupied Europe. Fleischman heard about their story through his friend whose sister is Herb's wife, and he knew their story was worth writing about. Fleischman's work is an entertaining look into two serviceman's drastically different experiences in World War II, but I do worry that it incorporates a lot of generalizations and stereotypes.

I think the story of racial segregation in the US military and the bravery of these two men deserves to be heralded, but I do get weary about books like these. Fleischman is definitely keeping tempo with Tom Brokaw's coined "greatest generation," which makes every historian flinch. Fleischman does not shy away from praising these men and stating "when grownups talked about the War, there was only the one, World War II" (9). He is holding these men and this war on so high a pedestal that when I put down this book, I had a strange feeling. Fleischman does a great job of relaying the details told to him by John and Herb, and maybe this is why I had that strange feeling. I had the sense I was being talked down to or pressured into thinking this was the greatest generation. These are the good ole boys, and they deserve your respect and admiration. Nobody could have done this but them. You are too young to understand, and the generation gap could not get any more wide. Since Fleischman was recreating what these men told him, I could tell he was getting their message across that this was the greatest generation, and I get that. I agree this generation did amazing things, but perhaps the historian in me is weary to hold an entire generation to such a high standard.

On a more positive note, I do think this book does a wonderful job of explaining military life and the experiences of two men in the AAF. This book goes into great detail about all the different aircrafts used in WWII, military slang, and different missions. I would suggest this book to anyone interested in planes or the Air Force. Fleischman included wonderful images especially those donated by Herb. He also does a great job in detailing the development of the Air Force and the history of African American pilots. Since he had two men to interview who lived and experienced this era fully, it is not surprising that his writing shines during periods of personal reflection. To read about what these men endured is astonishing. Fleischman does a great job of recreating the hardships faced by African Americans due to racial segregation and the terror felt when flying straight into a field of enemy antiaircraft "flak."

All in all, I would say this book is a useful resource for those interested in the Air Force and planes. However, I do feel that he generalizes a lot. Even his title suggests that the experiences of these two men where the experiences of every white and African American airmen. This generation of men deserves to be heralded, but I do sometimes wonder why this period and this war has completely captured the imagination of Americans. The History Channel should really be renamed the Hitler Channel, and I think this book follows in that note. Fleischman glorifies this generation, but again he is redeemed in his duplication of life during this time.

As a future secondary social studies teacher, I would possibly include excerpts of this book in my lessons about WWII. I think students would enjoy learning about how airplanes were utilized in missions and how life was so different during this period. I would probably keep this book as a resource in my classroom for students interested in military history, but I do think there are books out there that do a better job at presenting segregation and the racial tension experienced during this period. I really found this book to be a solid asset for those interested in military history. ( )

I would definitely include this book in a unit about WWII that focused on the US but it would most likely just be in the classroom as a possible resource rather than read it to the class.