The Color of War

In July 1944, two battles—one in the Pacific and one on American soil—changed the course of history. The first was the brutal fight for Saipan, a turning point in World War II that secured the U.S. path to victory over Japan. The second erupted thousands of miles away at California’s Port Chicago Naval Ammunition Depot, when a massive explosion killed hundreds of Black sailors who had been relegated to dangerous munitions work. Instead of receiving recognition for their sacrifice, the survivors were blamed, and when they protested unsafe conditions, the Navy put them on trial in the largest mutiny case in U.S. history. In The Color of War, historian James Campbell weaves together these two overlooked stories to reveal how the fight for freedom abroad was mirrored by a struggle for justice at home. Both harrowing and revelatory, the book illuminates a pivotal month that reshaped the war—and America itself.