While this is meant to honor the role of the black soldier during World War I, the irony in some of the text's prose and the saturated dark illustrations bring it just short of a celebration. Jim Reese, the charismatic leader of the band of musical players, eventually-turned Harlem Hellfighters - the 369th Infantry Regiment, embodied the soulful passion, talent, bravery, courage, and plight of thi ...