Ostensibly writing an account focusing on Lt. Col. Hiram E. Mann's experiences as a member of the famous Tuskegee Airmen (as indicated by the book's title), author Dr. Patrick C. Coggins, an academic who leads workshops in cultural issues, has not limited himself to one person's story. Instead, he uses this forum to shed light on the larger history of the formation of the Tuskegee Airfield and the development of the all African-American 99th Pursuit Squadron. He delineates the biases faced by the men who comprised that team, in the era of widespread racial segregation. Written with minute attention to detail, the book also describes the position of African American men prior to World War II, providing a richer context for the important, indeed revolutionary, nature of the accomplishments of the Tuskegee Airmen.

Coggins also recounts the deeds of the Tuskegee Airmen during the war. Still segregated in the country and even within the Army for which they fought, the group performed admirably in the spotlight of expected failure. "The Tuskegee Airmen experience began in the 1940s as a government funded experiment to prove that 'Blacks' could not fly airplanes." He examines the accomplishments of Mann and his cohort in the light of "the seven Kwanzaa Principles."

Given the book's title, the reader could reasonably expect a more complete biography of Lt. Col. Mann within its pages; however, what is included is inspiring. Mann stated, "Because there was no military draft at that time, it meant that I was volunteering with my own free-will. I was convinced that I could best serve my country by joining the pilot training program of the military."

Tuskegee Airmen Pilot is a useful study of the exploits of the famous fighter pilot squadron under adverse conditions both at home and at war, and will be welcomed by readers interested in the inner workings of the American military, and the history of civil rights.

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