When Jim Crow Met John Bull: Black American Soldiers in World War II Britain - Hardcover

Smith, Graham

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 185043039X ISBN 13: 9781850430391

Publisher: I.B. Tauris, 1987

Synopsis

An important chapter in the history of World War II is here explored for the first-time -- how the arrival of the black troops strained war-time Anglo-American relations, upset elements of the British political and military establishments and brought Britons face to face with social and sexual issues they had never raced before. This book, drawing on previously unpublished new material, covers an important but neglected dimension of diplomatic relations in World War II. As well as providing critical insights into the thinking of many leading political and military figures of the period, it paints an original and invaluable portrait of wartime Britain and its confrontation with the issue of race. It is a tale rich in human dignity -- and in instances of tragicomic hypocrisy.

About this title

About the Author:

Peter John, Sarah Cotterill, Hanhua Liu, Liz Richardson and Hisako Nomura are based at the Institute for Political and Economic Governance (IPEG), University of Manchester, UK. Alice Moseley, Graham Smith, Gerry Stoker and Corinne Wales are based at the Centre for Citizenship and Democracy, University of Southampton, UK.

From Library Journal:

This first full-length study of the "invasion" of wartime Britain by 100,000 black American soldiers is truly groundbreaking. "Overpaid, oversexed, and over here," the popular image of the Yankee soldier in Britain, referred strictly to whites; but the British also hosted members of a race few had ever encountered before. The players in this very complex situation were segregated black and white American soldiers, a British government afraid to offend the Americans and an American government afraid to offend the British, and a British public not used to Jim Crow segregation and unwilling to be "educated" into it. Highly recommended. Pat Ensor, Indiana State Univ. Lib., Terre Haute
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: I.B. Tauris
• Publication date: 1987
• ISBN 10: 185043039X
• ISBN 13: 9781850430391
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 265