Black Yanks

The dramatic story of one of the earliest successes of the British Civil Rights Movement, Black Yanks re-examines the UK and USA's 'special relationship' in the build up to D-Day. This is the story of how an African American soldier from Missouri ended up on death row in D-Day Britain - and the extraordinary campaign that set him free. The drama played out over a tumultuous six weeks, set against a backdrop of the most audacious sea-borne invasion ever attempted. As the build-up to D-Day escalates, Leroy Henry's story unfolds, allowing us to view a pivotal point in history with an entirely new perspective, making race, the 'special relationship' and the British peoples' collective power key considerations. The fascinating, alternative timeline reveals an edgier wartime society, hidden tensions in Anglo-American relations and the moment the British tabloid press learned to roar. Ultimately this court martial - and everything it stood for - provoked mind-blowing decision-making at the highest military level. Kate Werran unearths archival material to reveal the story behind the first significant - if uncelebrated - win in the civil rights movement, a story that has been overlooked for nearly eight decades. Until now.