The Harlem Hellfighters

The Harlem Hellfighters by Max Brooks with art by Caanan White (2014) 257 pages

This fictionalized historical graphic novel contains some characters that are amalgams and some that are real people. One real life black officer given some focus in the story is jazz band conductor James Reese Europe. Max Brooks explains at the end that he originally wrote a screenplay to tell the story of this African American regiment that fought in WWI. When no studios or producers bought it he eventually turned it into this graphic novel. It is exciting like a good historical movie. Life and death for the soldiers in the trenches and no man's land of France is, of course, gruesome. Racism is faced throughout their training in America and assignments "Over There." The popular song of the period How Ya Gonna Keep 'em Down on the Farm is sung by the soldiers many times, and it got stuck as I heard it in my head. The song takes on special meaning as the men think about how they will be treated when, or if, they return to America. The Harlem Hellfighters fought separately, but under French command, as top American military personnel routinely worked to repress them. The narrative structure of this story kept reminding me of the Civil War movie from 1989 Glory. This regiment in WWI fought valiantly and achieved much that sadly has often not been taught in American history. 

 

Armageddon in Retrospect

Armageddon in Retrospect by Kurt Vonnegut  234 pp.

This collection of previously unpublished works was released in 2008, one year after the author's death. The introduction is by his son, Mark and the text of a speech Vonnegut was scheduled to make at Butler University which Mark gave in his place - Vonnegut died a couple weeks before. The remainder of the book is anecdotes and short stories about war, based on Vonnegut's World War II experiences. Much of the writing is grim laced with Vonnegut's quirky humor. As a long term (40+ years) Vonnegut fan, I think this is a marvelous book. I listened to the audiobook which was a less than stellar narration by actor Rip Torn.

Dogs of War

Dogs of War by Sheila Keenan, art by Nathan Fox, 208 pages
A 2014 Top Ten Graphic Novel for Teens

Three stories set during different wars tell of the relationship between soldiers and the dogs that aid them. In World War I, we meet Boots, who helps lead medics to soldiers in need on the battlefield. But she's more than just that - a companion and best friend to Donnie, a medic's assistant, and a spot of light in the otherwise dark and dank trenches of France. Then there's Loki, a mischievous sled dog in Greenland during World War II, who helps his human, Cooper, through a blizzard and away from Nazis after they go to retrieve a pilot from a plane crash. And finally, there's Sheba, trained to find booby traps and alert soldiers to snipers in the jungles of Vietnam. She's sorely missed by Lanford once he gets home and discovers that he hasn't left the war behind. I really enjoyed this set of stories. As Sheila Keenan mentions at the end in her author's note, dogs have been following humans everywhere and providing comfort ever since their domestication. And that's very apparent in these three stories. It's clear that these dogs are more than just fellow soldiers or equipment, like Sheba is classified as during the Vietnam War. A fantastic read for dog-lovers everywhere and especially for kids who enjoy war stories. While the age levels I've seen for this book say it's geared towards kids in grade 7-12, depending on how you feel about pictures of war, older elementary students would be able to handle - and most importantly, enjoy - this great graphic novel.

(Read as part of YALSA's Hub Challenge)