This moving tribute to the Harlem Hellfighters - the name given by the Germans to the regiment of African American soldiers who earned a reputation for bravery when the USA joined the First World War in 1917 - combines short poetic texts with panels and full-page illustration to dramatic effect. Known also for their musical talents, the regiment's band brought the new sounds of jazz and ragtime to Europe. Perfectly matched to the passages of free verse, the illustrations have a haunting and occasionally disturbing impact as they document both the horrors of war and the bravery of men fighting for their country whilst defying its racism and its historic denial of their rights in the injustice of segregation with its roots in the slave-owning society of a previous age.