Harlem Hellfighters: African-American Heroes of World War I

By John Micklos, Jr.

When World War I began, it seemed unlikely that a unit such as the Harlem Hellfighters would ever be formed. Given their nickname by their German foes who admired their bravery, the Harlem Hellfighters were members of the 369th, an all-black regiment. The 369th played key roles in critical battles and helped secure an Allied victory. Infographics, sidebars, and fact boxes bring the experiences of these brave military men to life.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Capstone Young Readers
• Release date: May 1, 2019
• ISBN: 9781496664969

John Micklos, Jr.

John Micklos, Jr. has written more than 50 children’s books spanning a wide range of ages and genres. His work includes picture books, poetry books, and numerous nonfiction books. Popular titles include One Leaf, Two Leaves, Count with Me! (Penguin/Nancy Paulsen Books, 2017), which was chosen for inclusion in Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library program for multiple years. John’s other top-selling books include 125 True Stories of Amazing Pets (contributor) and 125 Cute Animals (contributor), both published by National Geographic Kids. He also has written dozens of biographies, history books, and social studies books for educational publishers such as Capstone and Cavendish Square. Biographies include Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Amelia Earhart, Alexander Graham Bell, Abraham Lincoln, Muhammad Ali, Sequoyah, Geronimo, and others. History topics include the Revolutionary War (six-book series), Civil War, Challenger tragedy, Gold Rush, Lewis and Clark Expedition, and many others. A resident of Newark, Delaware, John enjoys visiting schools (in person or via Zoom) and conducting writing workshops with students of all ages. His presentations and workshops center on writing poetry, nonfiction, and persuasive pieces, as well as the art of research and revision, to name just a few. Learn more about John’s work at www.JohnMicklosWriter.com.

Book preview

Military Heroes: Harlem Hellfighters by John Micklos

TABLE OF CONTENTS

COVER

TITLE PAGE

CHAPTER 1:THE WORLD AT WAR

CHAPTER 2:FORMING THE 15TH

CHAPTER 3:FIGHTING FOR EQUALITY

CHAPTER 4:A FEARED FIGHTING UNIT

CHAPTER 5:RETURNING AS HEROES

CHAPTER 6:CHANGING THE COURSE OF HISTORY

GLOSSARY

READ MORE

CRITICAL THINKING USING THE COMMON CORE

INDEX

COPYRIGHT

BACK COVER

CHAPTER 1

THE WORLD AT WAR

War raged across Europe from 1914 to 1918. The world’s first global conflict, what we know as World War I, claimed the lives of more than 8.5 million soldiers. It changed forever the scope of wars and the way they were fought.

One simple event triggered World War I. On June 28, 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria was assassinated by a young Bosnian Serb named Gavrilo Princip.

picture

Franz Ferdinand and his wife, Sophie, visited city hall in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, shortly before the assassination.

Austria-Hungary controlled Bosnia and Herzegovina, but many Bosnians sought independence. They thought killing the archduke might help bring independence. Instead, the killing led to a chain reaction that soon drew dozens of countries into the conflict. Germany and Austria-Hungary were the main combatants on one side. Those two countries and their allies