Join the Smith-Harris House and the East Lyme Public Library as we celebrate the 100th anniversary of America’s participation in the Great War.  We’ll take a detailed, chronological look at how the Great War has been portrayed in American literature, and how these books both represented current historical scholarship and impacted the literary landscape.  Copies will be available at the Check Out Desk.

Harlem Hell Fighters (2014) by Max Brooks.  In 1919, the 369th infantry regiment marched home triumphantly from World War I. They had spent more time in combat than any other American unit, never losing a foot of ground to the enemy, or a man to capture, and winning countless decorations. Though they returned as heroes, this African-American unit faced tremendous discrimination, even from their own government. The Harlem Hell Fighters, as the Germans called them, fought courageously on—and off—the battlefield to make Europe, and America, safe for democracy.  

In THE HARLEM HELL FIGHTERS, bestselling author Max Brooks and acclaimed illustrator Caanan White bring this history to life. From the enlistment lines in Harlem to the training camp at Spartanburg, South Carolina, to the trenches in France, they tell the heroic story of the 369th in an action-packed and powerful tale of honor and heart.

Program registration is required. Register online here.