Never heard of them. The usual answer. The same went for me till June 10,2000 when I personally met a Triple Nickler at Carter's Grove, Colonial Williamsburg, Va. The interest stirred in me to know more of these fine paratroopers in the U.S. ARMY during WW II. It seems that this is the only book with the Triple Nickles' history. Take advantage of this book while there are still some out there. Guaranteed, you'll want to know more about these fine paratroopers who endured so much because of their race, but stood as exemplary models that most of us would fall short. Maybe if we, as readers, pay more tribute to these fine men, more will come forward with their books to help resurrect the historical memories that we beckon to know more. If The Triple Nickles is the only book available, I highly suggest reading it to witness the start of the finest intergrated fighting force of the world. Don't let this piece of history slip through your finger tips!

We were lucky enough to get this book at a Black Educators Conference, but had the sad, but familiar, experience of wanting to share with a young man for inspiration -- and never seeing it again.

The book is written for young adults, but can keep the interest of adults reading it. It tells the story of the first Black paratroop squadron, which served in WWII. As was similar in many of the early US military/minority encounters, these men were trained to fight but then given kitchen duty. Eventually they were given a chance with the 82nd Airborne and went on to have many successful missions.

I found the book to be inspiring and humbling. It would do both blacks and whites good to read it to remember how things were, and not sugarcoat history.

Gavin, I love the man, but the book is a biased (albeit the author acknowledges his bias) and under-researched account of a complex leader. Gavin was an orphan raised in Pennsylvania who earned an appointment to West Point after enlisting in the Army. He rose to become the Division Commander of the 82nd Airborne Division (the youngest Brigadier General since Custer)during WWII and amassed an incredible war record. Following the war, he rose to the rank of 3 stars before retiring amid a controversy over his testimony before the senate. As the division commander, he fully integrated black airborne soldiers into the 82nd. He would later become JFK's ambassador to France. He protested the war in Vietnam and wrote several books.

If you want a more thorough account of this truly exceptional and interesting leader, read Paratrooper: the Life of James M. Gavin by T. Michael Booth, Duncan Spencer. It is well researched and gives a more thorough representation of Gavin's life, although Mrs. Gavin claims the book gives short shrift to Gavin's time at Arthur D. Little as the CEO.

If you are more interested in a cursory review of Gavin's life, then Bigg's rendition is for you. You can read it in an evening.

Airborne!