The Harlem Hellfighters: When Pride Met Courage

Written by Walter Dean Myers and Bill Miles

Narrated by Corey Allen

New York Times bestselling author Walter Dean Myers and renowned filmmaker Bill Miles deftly tell the true story of the unsung American heroes of the 369th Infantry Regiment of World War I in The Harlem Hellfighters: When Pride Met Courage. At a time of widespread bigotry and racism, the African American soldiers of the 369th Infantry Regiment put their lives on the line in the name of democracy. The Harlem Hellfighters: When Pride Met Courage is a portrait of bravery and honor.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Nov 2, 2018
• ISBN: 9781980027836

Walter Dean Myers

Walter Dean Myers was the New York Times bestselling author of Monster, the winner of the first Michael L. Printz Award; a former National Ambassador for Young People's Literature; and an inaugural NYC Literary Honoree. Myers received every single major award in the field of children's literature. He was the author of two Newbery Honor Books and six Coretta Scott King Awardees. He was the recipient of the Margaret A. Edwards Award for lifetime achievement in writing for young adults, a three-time National Book Award Finalist, as well as the first-ever recipient of the Coretta Scott King-Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement.

Reviews for The Harlem Hellfighters

[sanguinity · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The 369th Infantry Regiment was a black WWI regiment whose mere existence was so troublesome to the United States Army, that the Army signed the 369th over to French command for the duration of the war. Even without adequate training, even having to fight with unfamiliar weapons under the command of officers they couldn't understand, the 369th performed valiantly, never giving up ground to the Germans and never allowing any of their men to be taken prisoner. This volume is written for kids, but it isn't a lightweight gloss on the material: it runs 150 pages, and Myers uses the space well, managing to explain the political conflicts that caused the regiment to be formed, and then signed over to French command. Myers does a nice job with the emotional notes, as well -- the soldiers' dreams that honor on the battlefield will be a stepping stone toward equality, the terror and rigors of trench warfare, the heroism of individual soldiers, the infuriating belittling of their achievements from their racist officers. Myers draws a rich picture of the 369th and the world it operated in, populating it with full individuals. Neither bad guys nor good guys become caricatures -- each have their own hopes, goals, histories, and fears.A marvelously done book, and highly recommended.