“Major General Gravett has done a fantastic job telling these stories, which, without him, would certainly be lost to history.”
“General Gravett provides a fascinating historical review of World War II from the Black perspective.”
Author – The Fighting Fortieth in War and Peace
Author – Fires & Furies: The L. A. Riots – What Really Happened
Author – My LAPD Journey – From Street Cop to Commander
Author – MY USMC JOURNEY From Private to Colonel
Author – The Many Forks in My Road
Author Website – KeithBushey.com
“Major General Gravett’s marvelous reflection on the many struggles, sacrifices, and contributions that so many unsung Black Patriotic American men and women played throughout the history of our nation’s military is commendable.”
“Major General Gravett vividly showcases the unsung, heroic combat duty of four, ‘all-Negro’ units . . . against the backdrop of pernicious racism, bigotry, and hypocrisy prevalent in the U.S. military throughout WWII.”
2 X Award Winning Author – PowerPoint Ranger – My Iraq War Logs
Author Website – PowerPoint Ranger.com
“Exhaustively researched, well-documented, engagingly written and insightful. I gained a strong appreciation for the roles of Black service members in WWII. MG Gravett, US Army (Retired), is in full command of the topic. His narrative style creates a compelling story from the facts of the matter that will involve the reader.”
“Superb writing remembering those who may have been lost to American history.”
“Army Major General Peter J. Gravett does a masterful job in his critique of the military in its treatment of African American soldiers throughout the history of the United States, with vivid details and descriptions of military policies, procedure, and protocols. His accounts are both stirring and soul searching and beg the question of fairness and equality of the African American men and women who put on a uniform in defense of America.”
“Battling while Black was, from my perspective, an extremely well written and documented chronology that despite the odds, our African-American brothers and sisters all still remained steadfastly committed to the real reason for the creation of our United States of America. Continued success dear friend for penning a well done, awesome, and creative masterpiece!!!”
Peter Gravett’s “Battling While Black” is an important and informative book about a part of American history that is still unknown. Highlighting the struggles and triumphs of four African-American combat units during World War II, it is a fascinating and compelling read.
Major General Gravett (full disclosure, the author is a friend of mine) writes with passion, verve, biting wit, and occasionally righteous anger. He is a Soldier of accomplishment writing about other Soldiers of accomplishment. The fact that he and they are African-American gives his book a unique perspective and power that will not be found in more academic studies of the same period and units. This is an important book. Most highly recommended.
The story of General Patton’s Heroic African American WW II Battalions is the story of overcoming the most ignorant and vile preconceptions about the African American men and women who served in the military and had to fight for the right to participate!
Major General Peter J. Gravett (US Army, Retired – the first ever Black division commander in the Army National Guard and the former Secretary for the California Department of Veteran Affairs ) has written “Battling While Black” – “a marvelous reflection on the many struggles, sacrifices, and contributions that so many unsung Black patriotic American men and women made…” I have read the book and highly recommend it.
Steve Marconi provides a review of MG Gravett’s book, “Battling While Black…” in the April 2024 issue of “San Pedro Today” magazine. Click this link for the online version of the article.
