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The Port Chicago Mutiny
Robert L. Allen
244 pp (6 x 9), with 16 pages of b&w photographs
Trade Paper, ISBN: 1-59714-028-7, $14.95
Published in collaboration with the Equal Justice Society
During World War II, Port Chicago was a segregated naval munitions base on the outer shores of San Francisco Bay. Black seamen were required to load ammunition onto ships bound for the South Pacific under the watch of their white officers—an incredibly dangerous and physically challenging task.
On July 17, 1944, an explosion rocked the base, killing 320 men—202 of whom were black ammunition loaders. In the ensuing weeks, white officers were given leave time and commended for heroic efforts, whereas 328 of the surviving black enlistees were sent to load ammunition on another ship. When they refused, fifty men were singled out and charged—and convicted—of mutiny. It was the largest mutiny trial in U.S. naval history.
First published in 1989, The Port Chicago Mutiny is a thorough and riveting work of civil rights literature, and with a new preface and epilogue by the author emphasize the event’s relevance today. More than a mutiny trial, the incident raises questions about the powers of the military, about the prosecution of civil disobedience, and about the rights of the individual.
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Reviews:
“A gripping exposé of a shocking injustice.”—Publishers Weekly
“Apocalyptic…stirring…part history, part investigative tract, part courtroom drama, and part psychological analysis…Definitive.”—San Francisco Chronicle
“A compelling tale.”—Boston Herald
“Haunting…a splendid addition to the less glorious annals of military history.”—Kirkus Reviews
“Robert Allen, a remarkable investigative journalist as well as a scholar, has revealed an incredible occurrence during World War II.”—Studs Terkel |
