Today, the incorporation of blacks into military service under terms of full equality is widely remembered as a straightforward, relatively effortless process and a shining example of the effectiveness of America's military command. Foxholes and Color Lines challenges this view, revealing both the intense political conflict at the time and the strenuous opposition to racial integration within all branches of the armed forces.

This provocative study of the military's changing attitudes toward race also proves timely in light of the parallels between integration and current battles over the inclusion and role of women and gays in today's armed forces.

Describing the impact of national politics and the civil rights movement, the authors conclude that the keys to successful reform lay in strong civilian and military leadership and the ability to build on the traditions within the military's organizational culture that promoted rather than retarded social change.