An Army Afire - by Beth Bailey (Hardcover)

About the Book

"By the Tet Offensive in early 1968, what had been widely heralded as the best qualified, best-trained army in US history was descending into crisis as the Vietnam War raged without end. Morale was tanking. AWOL rates were rising. And in August of that year, a group of Black soldiers seized control of the infamous Long Binh Jail, burned buildings, and beat a white inmate to death with a shovel. The days of 'same mud, same blood' were over, and by the end of the decade, a new generation of Black GIs had decisively rejected the slights and institutional racism their forefathers had endured. Acclaimed military historian Beth Bailey shows how the Army experienced, defined, and tried to solve racism and racial tension (in its own words, 'the problem of race') in the Vietnam War era. Some individuals were sympathetic to the problem but offered solutions that were more performative than transformational, while others proposed remedies that were antithetical to the army's fundamental principles of discipline, order, hierarchy, and authority. Bailey traces a frustrating yet fascinating arc where the army initially rushed to create solutions without taking the time to fully identify the origins, causes, and proliferation of racial tension. It was a difficult, messy process, but only after Army leaders ceased viewing the issue as a Black issue and accepted their own roles in contributing to the problem did change become possible"--

Book Synopsis

By the late 1960s, what had been widely heralded as the best qualified, best-trained army in US history was descending into crisis as the Vietnam War raged without end. Morale was tanking. AWOL rates were rising. And in August 1968, a group of Black soldiers seized control of the infamous Long Binh Jail, burned buildings, and beat a white inmate to death with a shovel. The days of "same mud, same blood" were over, and a new generation of Black GIs had decisively rejected the slights and institutional racism their forefathers had endured.

As Black and white soldiers fought in barracks and bars, with violence spilling into surrounding towns within the US and in West Germany, Vietnam, South Korea, and Japan, army leaders grew convinced that the growing racial crisis undermined the army's ability to defend the nation. Acclaimed military historian Beth Bailey shows how the US Army tried to solve that racial crisis (in army terms, "the problem of race"). Army leaders were surprisingly creative in confronting demands for racial justice, even willing to challenge fundamental army principles of discipline, order, hierarchy, and authority. Bailey traces a frustrating yet fascinating story, as a massive, conservative institution came to terms with demands for change.

Review Quotes

"A brilliant, original, and compelling book that makes a distinctive contribution to our understanding of the U.S. military and American race relations."--Journal of American History

"An Army Afire is a fine book that effectively shows how measures like the DRRI, as well as the decline of the Vietnam War and the receding influence of the Black Power movement, all contributed to the start of true integration within the Army by the mid-1970s."-North Carolina Historical Review

"An Army Afire will interest scholars who study institutional change, policy implementation, diversity ideologies and race. The book is clearly and engagingly written and is accessible to those not familiar with the US military and its acronyms."--Ethnic and Racial Studies

"Army Afire reveals the truth of the U.S. Army's struggle with racial strife and fermenting black protest during the late 1960s . . . [by showing] just how engulfed the Army was by the flames of racial discord. . . . [A]n important contribution to the history of racism and reform within the U.S. military."--Pacific Historical Review

"Bailey's study provides important insights into the changing military and also makes a real contribution by demonstrating the ways that change played out in contexts outside the social movements of the period."--Journal of Southern History

"An Army Afire is an exceptional book because it captures the problem the military continues to face today: How should the military address racial, ethnic, and gender differences while continuing to be a profession of arms? . . . [A] much-needed reflection on the military's racial reckoning."--H-War

"A detailed examination of the U.S. Army's efforts to address "the problem of race" in the late 1960s and early '70s . . . . [Bailey's] in-depth reporting on the Army's attempts to "assess and address Black soldiers' complaints" sheds light on what was accomplished, as well as how far there is left to go. It's a valuable study of the challenges to institutional reform."--Publishers Weekly

"An essential addition to the historiography of the Vietnam War era and the US Army, as it relates the racial conflict in the US to the experiences of American soldiers worldwide. Bailey expands the field of military history and is taking the discipline to exciting new places. This book is a must read for all who are interested in the history of race relations in the US, and should be required reading for all military historians . . . . Highly recommended."--CHOICE

"Bailey has done a great service by exploring the military side of the "racial crisis" of the 1960s and '70s, a topic that has been underexplored by historians . . . . insightful."--Randal Maurice Jelks, Los Angeles Review of Books

"Bailey's account of the way the army responded to the growing crisis is original and informative."--Eric Foner, London Review of Books