Lost Battalions: The Great War and the Crisis of American Nationality

During World War I's bloodiest period, two military units distinguished themselves through exceptional service: the 369th Infantry, an African American regiment known as the Harlem Hellfighters, and the 77th Infantry, a unit of New York City immigrants later called the "lost battalion." Despite their valor and loyalty as soldiers, both groups returned to a country that reinforced discriminatory laws and social practices that treated them as second-class citizens. Richard Slotkin examines a nation confronting social inequality at a critical historical juncture, combining social analysis with depictions of combat that illustrate the courage and mutual support of these soldiers. Enduring severe combat conditions and significant casualties, the men in these battalions formed lasting bonds through their shared wartime experience. The book presents both a detailed combat narrative and a social history, documenting the struggle for equality that occurred alongside the broader context of the war.