I was all set to rate this book a little lower than five stars - there are inaccuracies, it's a little dry and the incredible detail of numerous specific events makes me wonder whether some artistic license was employed.

Brothers in Arms by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Anthony Walton Brothers in Arms by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Anthony Walton

Encased in steel, surrounded by highly explosive shells, a big and slow-moving target, every crew member was utterly vulnerable to enemy attack from all sides. Within days they’d be on the ground in Musa Qala with the rest of 3 Platoon – a mixed bunch of men Gez would die for.Even the most narrow minded person knows that there are black men with abilities and virtues that far exceed the average Opie. The 761st Tank Battalion fought bravely during the Battle of the Bulge; however, after the war, they did not receive the recognition they deserved. I was fascinated to learn Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s personal history; that his father was a cop in NYC who served with one of these heroes on the Department.

Brothers in Arms: Real War. True Friends. Unlikely Heroes. Brothers in Arms: Real War. True Friends. Unlikely Heroes.

A brilliant and moving narrative that through its imagery helps the reader appreciate the hardness of battle. Most white families, I'm sad to say, did not and do not talk about this essential part of American history.

In WWII, there were 433 Medals of Honor awarded to American military personnel for their self-sacrificing acts of heroism. Both in stateside training and European combat, they fought to overcome indifference, stereotypes, outright racism and even violence. This is well-known, but to this day, a myth persists that no blacks fought in combat during World War Two, except perhaps in isolated instances such as the famed Tuskegee Airmen of the 332nd Fighter Group. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar first became immersed in the history of the 761st Battalion through family friend Leonard “Smitty” Smith, a veteran of the unit.