“In this exceptionally researched volume, Cline shows that the act of desegregating was far more complicated than expected…Readers will appreciate the wide variety of voices represented, including various military branches as well as officers and enlisted men and women from different regions of the United States…This is an essential, insightful read on an often-overlooked subject, for those interested in military history and African American history.”
–Library Journal [Starred Review]
“[An] immersive history [of] first-person accounts of Black soldiers. Richly detailed and thoughtfully presented, this is a treasure chest of insight into the Black military experience.”
–Publishers Weekly
“This is a majestic work, rigorously researched and compellingly argued. The first-person narratives of African American service members are nothing less than epic stories of struggle and survival, where the battle begins long before one even steps foot on the battlefield. Arriving at a time when military service, racial equity, and national security are once again part of the national debate, Cline’s book deserves a broad audience.”
–Paul Ortiz, author of An African American and Latinx History of the United States
“An outstanding and necessary book, Twice Forgotten makes a compelling argument for the Korean War as central to the mid-century civil rights movement. Lovely and clear, devastating and bracing, the book’s oral histories capture the perennial dilemma of Black soldiers fighting for a democracy denied them and the fearsome determination of those committed to change. Cline’s work offers a model for deep, compassionate, and righteous listening.”
–Adriane Lentz-Smith, author of Freedom Struggles: African Americans and World War I
“Drawing upon extensive archival and oral history research, this book offers a nuanced view of desegregation in the military, a deep examination of the Korean War experience from the African American perspective and, finally, a connection between the experiences of African American veterans and elements of the civil rights movement in the United States that both preceded and followed the Korean War. This is an ambitious undertaking and yet also an easy and enjoyable read. It offers a rich view of a topic in tremendous need of exactly this kind of comprehensive examination.”
–Doug Boyd, Director of the Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History at the University of Kentucky Libraries
