Don Troiani’s African American Soldiers

Using a masterful combination of artistry and accuracy, Don Troiani has dedicated his career to transforming our understanding of the military soldier. Don now turns his talents to capturing the under-recognized African-American soldiers as they fought in the French and Indian War, the War of Independence, the War of 1812, and the American Civil War. Don’s battle paintings, figure studies, and artifact collection are teamed with historian John Rees’s insightful text.

This long-needed work combines Troiani’s magnificent art--the dramatic battle paintings and authentically illustrated uniformed soldier studies--with Rees’s introductory chapters on the four wars. Using primary sources, Rees gives a true picture of the contributions of the many Black soldiers over the 100-year history.

Together Troiani and Rees provide the most comprehensive, authoritative, and well-researched study of the Black soldier in early America.

Don Troiani is well known for his extremely accurate historical and military paintings, scenes of great characters and grand action that have defined America’s military heritage. An expert researcher with an extensive library and impressive private artifact study collections of Civil War, War of 1812, Revolutionary War, and World War II uniforms, equipage, insignia, and weapons, he has served as a consultant on films, including Cold Mountain and Night at the Museum 3, and television programs. His work has appeared in many publications and is represented in the collections of numerous museums, including the Smithsonian’s Museum of History and Technology, the U.S. Marine Corps Museum, and the National Museum of African American History and Culture. His work has most recently been featured in a long-running exhibition at the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia. His eleven books published over the last twenty-five years are still in print have sold more than 200,000 copies. He lives in Southbury, Connecticut.

John U. Rees has been writing for over thirty years on the experiences and material culture of common soldiers and women in the armies of the American Revolution. He has produced over 200 monographs, topics including soldiers’ food and cooking gear, equipment and personal belongings, campaign shelters, battle and campaign studies, and the role and numbers of women with the Continental Army. (Many articles available online at https: //tinyurl.com/JohnURees-articles). John’s first book was ＂They Were Good Soldiers＂ African Americans Serving in the Continental Army, 1775-1783 (Helion, 2019). He lives in New Hope, Pennsylvania.