Two new books take on lesser-known chapters of WWII and Cold War-era Black history

NPR's Book of the Day

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Books, Arts

4.2 • 672 Ratings

🗓️ 6 February 2026

⏱️ 18 minutes

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Summary

Two new books focus on lesser-known chapters of Black history. First, Kings & Pawns tells the story of Jackie Robinson and Paul Robeson, who were pitted against each other during the Red Scare. In today’s episode, author Howard Bryant, a frequent contributor to NPR’s Weekend Edition, speaks with Scott Simon about how the men got caught between patriotism and activism. Then, NPR investigative reporter Cheryl W. Thompson tells NPR’s Ayesha Rascoe about Forgotten Souls, a history of the 27 Tuskegee Airmen who went missing during World War II.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey, it's NPR's Book of the Day. I'm Andrew Limbaung. We are currently in Black History Month,
0:08.1	and we've got two books for you today that, yeah, you'll probably find them in the history section,
0:13.2	but they both make a point of grounding themselves in the present. In a bit, we'll hear about
0:17.7	the 27 Tuskegee Airmen who went missing during flights overseas.
0:21.8	It's a book of reporting that would not be possible, if not for the records and letters,
0:26.1	passed down from generation to generation.
0:29.0	But first, sports writer Howard Bryant has a book out about two civil rights figures
0:32.4	who were pitted against each other on the national stage.
0:35.7	The book is titled Kings and Ponds, Jackie Robinson, and Paul Robeson in America.
0:40.4	And while the book is set in the late 1940s and early 1950s during a period known as the
0:46.0	Red Scare and Robinson and Robeson are both long gone, Brian tells NPR Scott Simon that
0:51.3	a critical character in the story is Jackie Robinson's widow, Rachel Robinson, who is still alive today.
0:59.7	How's that for the past not being all that past?
1:03.3	That's after the break.
1:05.2	On NPR's Wildcard podcast, Melinda French Gates on seeing her ex-husband Bill Gates's name in the latest Epstein
1:13.0	files. For me, it's personally hard whenever those details come up, right? Because
1:17.7	brings back memories of some very, very painful times in my marriage. Watch or listen to
1:24.5	that wildcard conversation on the NPR app or on YouTube at NPR Wildcard.
1:29.8	Jackie Robinson and Paul Robeson were both heroes.
1:34.2	Robinson, the great athlete who broke baseball's color barrier and inspired millions across America with his courage under a hail of hatred.
1:43.0	As Count Basie's band sang,
1:45.1	And to see Jackie Robinson, get that ball,
	...

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