Review: Come All You Brave Soldiers: Black in the Revolutionary War by Clinton Cox

Synopsis: This book tells the story of the thousands of black men who served as soldiers fighting for independence from England during the American Revolutionary War. (from the online description)

Review: Written in simple prose with basic vocabulary, this book is intended for elementary or middle-school aged children as an introduction to the part African-Americans played in the War of Independence.

Starting with Crispus Attucks, who died in the Boston Massacre, Cox moves chronologically through the war, introducing the reasons for the war and how they affected both free and slave alike. There is a limited amount of information about blacks during this time, as formal record keeping was sketching at best, and so much was destroyed. Often, the prose feels like a basic review of the war - but that isn't Cox's fault. He does a fine job of putting in information about blacks. He also does a good job of giving an unbiased few. He speaks of both the honor and the injustice faced by blacks, giving an overview of the country. He is honest, though, and doesn't hide how horrible it was for blacks during that time, how unfairly they were treated.

I highly recommend this book to teachers and home-school parents. It's an excellent source for learning, with a plethora of topics for discussion. It's easy enough for younger children to read, but challenging enough it isn't topic to engage older children.

Bookmarks: 7 of 10

Awards: None

ISBN 0-590-47577-0
Year Published: 1999
Date Finished: 7-31-2016
Pages: 181