Black Yanks

Defending Leroy Henry in D-Day Britain

Author: Kate Werran and J. Robert Lilly

Hardcover

The dramatic story of one of the earliest successes of the Civil Rights Movement, Black Yanks re-examines the UK and USA's 'special relationship' in the build up to D-Day

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Hardcover

PRODUCT INFORMATION

Summary

The dramatic story of one of the earliest successes of the Civil Rights Movement, Black Yanks re-examines the UK and USA's 'special relationship' in the build up to D-Day

Description

This is the story of how an African American soldier from Missouri ended up on death row in D-Day Britain and the extraordinary campaign that set him free. The drama played out over a tumultuous six weeks, set against a backdrop of the most audacious sea-borne invasion ever attempted. As the build-up to D-Day escalates, Leroy Henry's story unfolds, allowing us to view a pivotal point in history with an entirely new perspective, making race, the 'special relationship' and the British peoples' collective power key considerations. The fascinating, alternative timeline reveals an edgier wartime society, hidden tensions in Anglo-American relations and the moment the British tabloid press learned to roar. Ultimately this court martial and everything it stood for provoked mind-blowing decision-making at the highest military level. Within the pages of Blinded by Colour, Kate Werran unearths archival material to reveal the story behind the first significant, if uncelebrated, win in the civil rights movement, a story that has been overlooked for nearly eight decades. Until now. 30 b/w illustrations

Critic Reviews

'as compelling as any TV crime drama'

DAILY MAIL

'The author takes the complex threads of this culture and weaves them together expertly. The result is superb. A rich retelling of a vital episode in history.'

HISTORY OF WAR

‘… a pivotal point in history with an entirely new perspective making race, the 'special relationship' and the British people's collective power key considerations.’

THE BATH MAGAZINE

'It is a remarkable story, and one told with considerable flair...'

'This is as good a tale as any thriller'

BRISTOL POST

‘In describing the background, the trial, the subsequent British reaction to Henry’s being sentenced to death, Kate Werran illuminates changing British views and the longer-term influence on American Civil Rights.’

ARMY RUMOUR SERVICE (British Army forum)

About the Author

KATE WERRAN is a specialist on the US army that was stationed in Britain before, during and after D-Day. Her first, award-winning book An American Uprising in Second World War England was optioned for documentary and scripted drama. Kate came to writing after a career in journalism, and she has produced critically acclaimed twentieth-century history programmes for the BBC, Channel 4 and Channel 5. In 2024, she was elected to the Royal Historical Society as an Associate Fellow.