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37 reviews for:
The Arsenal of Democracy: Fdr, Detroit, and an Epic Quest to Arm an America at War
A.J. Baime
4.23 AVERAGE
37 reviews for:
The Arsenal of Democracy: Fdr, Detroit, and an Epic Quest to Arm an America at War
A.J. Baime
4.23 AVERAGE
Topic was interesting, writing was great, but the narrator on Audible was AWFUL. Took me 3 weeks to power through the last 90 minutes
Utterly amazing
This book is amazing and 10x time better than Fordlandia book. It was immensely enjoyable to read about the family, business, war, and politics. Like how the ford company started then how it overcame few hard hurdles and ended up at the top of the game. Worth to read!
This book is amazing and 10x time better than Fordlandia book. It was immensely enjoyable to read about the family, business, war, and politics. Like how the ford company started then how it overcame few hard hurdles and ended up at the top of the game. Worth to read!
I seem to be on a bit of a Second World War procurement kick, having recently finished Freedom's Forge. The Arsenal of Democracy is a much narrower book, focusing on B-24 production at Willow Run and the family drama of the Fords.
Henry Ford was the most famous industrialist in the world, having made the automobile a mass commodity with his Model T. But through the 20s and 30s, his politics and management style became increasingly deranged. Henry Ford published lengthy anti-Semitic screeds, accepted high honors from Adolf Hitler, and turned against his son and heir Edsel in favor of Harry Barrett, a boxer with criminal ties who ran a thousand strong Ford security arm as a private mafia.
Edsel was a fascinating character. The Fords had come from very little to the peak of wealth and privilege, but Edsel was trapped in the shadow of his father. Where Henry Ford was an austere puritan, Edsel was an easygoing man who made friends everywhere and enjoyed drinking, dancing, and smoking.
As Nazi Germany went on the march, Edsel maneuvered Ford into FDR's military buildup. Airpower would be key, and despite the elder Henry Ford's pacifist beliefs and pro-German lean, Edsel broke ground Willow Run, a massive superfactory that had the goal of turning out a B-24 Liberator heavy bomber every hour.
But nothing went easy. The factory was 27 miles from Detroit proper, and there was nowhere near enough housing nearby. Strikes and race riots interrupted production. Design changes caused major hitches in the factory, while trained labor was a continual problem. Meanwhile, Henry Ford sunk into senility, Barrett continued being a mafioso, and Edsel Ford was dying of stomach cancer. Though timelines slipped, Willow Run achieved it's design goal, and B-24s helped win the Battle of the Atlantic and pound Nazi Germany to pieces.
Baime is a pop historian, and he has a talent for keeping a story moving even if it means missing the bigger picture or possible moving a detail or bit of dialog around. If you're going to read one book on the subject, go with Freedom's Forge, but this is still worth a look if you want a second view.
Henry Ford was the most famous industrialist in the world, having made the automobile a mass commodity with his Model T. But through the 20s and 30s, his politics and management style became increasingly deranged. Henry Ford published lengthy anti-Semitic screeds, accepted high honors from Adolf Hitler, and turned against his son and heir Edsel in favor of Harry Barrett, a boxer with criminal ties who ran a thousand strong Ford security arm as a private mafia.
Edsel was a fascinating character. The Fords had come from very little to the peak of wealth and privilege, but Edsel was trapped in the shadow of his father. Where Henry Ford was an austere puritan, Edsel was an easygoing man who made friends everywhere and enjoyed drinking, dancing, and smoking.
As Nazi Germany went on the march, Edsel maneuvered Ford into FDR's military buildup. Airpower would be key, and despite the elder Henry Ford's pacifist beliefs and pro-German lean, Edsel broke ground Willow Run, a massive superfactory that had the goal of turning out a B-24 Liberator heavy bomber every hour.
But nothing went easy. The factory was 27 miles from Detroit proper, and there was nowhere near enough housing nearby. Strikes and race riots interrupted production. Design changes caused major hitches in the factory, while trained labor was a continual problem. Meanwhile, Henry Ford sunk into senility, Barrett continued being a mafioso, and Edsel Ford was dying of stomach cancer. Though timelines slipped, Willow Run achieved it's design goal, and B-24s helped win the Battle of the Atlantic and pound Nazi Germany to pieces.
Baime is a pop historian, and he has a talent for keeping a story moving even if it means missing the bigger picture or possible moving a detail or bit of dialog around. If you're going to read one book on the subject, go with Freedom's Forge, but this is still worth a look if you want a second view.
Growing up in the Midwest U.S., a lot of what A.J. Baime wrote about the growth and changes experienced by Detroit during the Second World War, when it played a major role in terms of its industrial contributions to the Allied war effort, resonated very strongly with me.
Looking back over 70 years, we tend to take for granted the collaborative relationships between the federal government (as represented by President Franklin D. Roosevelt and the U.S. military) and industry in getting this country on a firm footing to meet the threat posed by the Axis Powers. Here the reader learns how it was that Ford Motor Company --- which prior to the Second World War, had but a brief experience with commercial aviation --- took on the enormous task (thanks to Edsel Ford, the son of Henry Ford the automobile pioneer and himself President of Ford Motor Company between 1919 and 1943) of building in record time a massive facility --- at Willow Run, MI near Detroit --- wherein they painstakingly developed the process of turning out B-24 heavy bombers in assembly line fashion. (Bear in mind that such a bold undertaking had never been done before in U.S. history. So, there was no certainty that Edsel Ford's plans for producing bomber planes on a massive scale in record time would succeed.) Figures like Charlie "Cast Iron" Sorensen, Ford's chief tool designing engineer William Pioch, and Charles Lindbergh loomed large in making Willow Run a resounding success story after a shaky start early in 1943. (At its peak, Willow Run managed to produce 1 B-24 Liberator an hour, eventually producing 80% of all B-24 Liberators which saw action in the war.)
Baime also provides the reader with an interesting short history of the Ford Motor Company and the complex --- and at times, fractious --- relationship between Henry and Edsel Ford. All in all, "The Arsenal of Democracy" offers a fascinating tale of how America galvanized its industries for the Second World War and helped bring about the decisive Allied victory over Hitler, Fascist Italy and Imperial Japan.
Looking back over 70 years, we tend to take for granted the collaborative relationships between the federal government (as represented by President Franklin D. Roosevelt and the U.S. military) and industry in getting this country on a firm footing to meet the threat posed by the Axis Powers. Here the reader learns how it was that Ford Motor Company --- which prior to the Second World War, had but a brief experience with commercial aviation --- took on the enormous task (thanks to Edsel Ford, the son of Henry Ford the automobile pioneer and himself President of Ford Motor Company between 1919 and 1943) of building in record time a massive facility --- at Willow Run, MI near Detroit --- wherein they painstakingly developed the process of turning out B-24 heavy bombers in assembly line fashion. (Bear in mind that such a bold undertaking had never been done before in U.S. history. So, there was no certainty that Edsel Ford's plans for producing bomber planes on a massive scale in record time would succeed.) Figures like Charlie "Cast Iron" Sorensen, Ford's chief tool designing engineer William Pioch, and Charles Lindbergh loomed large in making Willow Run a resounding success story after a shaky start early in 1943. (At its peak, Willow Run managed to produce 1 B-24 Liberator an hour, eventually producing 80% of all B-24 Liberators which saw action in the war.)
Baime also provides the reader with an interesting short history of the Ford Motor Company and the complex --- and at times, fractious --- relationship between Henry and Edsel Ford. All in all, "The Arsenal of Democracy" offers a fascinating tale of how America galvanized its industries for the Second World War and helped bring about the decisive Allied victory over Hitler, Fascist Italy and Imperial Japan.
Reviewer's reflection: I was thinking about this book, and particularly its (in retrospect, strange) title, as I finished Sheehan's A Fiery Peace in a Cold War: Bernard Schriever and the Ultimate Weapon, which I reviewed here: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10220188-a-fiery-peace-in-a-cold-war ... I'm guessing that once you put that much time into historical research, it must be (really, really) difficult to distill all of that work into a cogent title. (That will make sense if you keep reading....)
A good (indeed, very good) piece of history, strangely titled (and, if the title had fewer than 18 words, one might think of it as a misnomer), and, at times, somewhat scattershot in terms of organization. But, nonetheless, an entertaining and informative work, well worth reading (with the caveat that, if you're easily distracted, the title and topical ramblings could give you a headache).
With the understanding that none of these would sell books, I might offer the following alternative titles:
But I digress.... In any event, you get the idea.
Labeling aside, I'd recommend the book if you're interested in, among other things:
- the history of the Ford family (Henry-Edsel-Henry II);
- WWII - there are plenty of anecdotes and perspectives that will be new, even to knowledgeable readers;
- military aircraft, defense acquisition, and government contracts, particularly from a historical perspective;
- Detroit (and Michigan automotive) history, particularly with regard to employment and race;
- Harry Bennett - the boxer turned union busting executive and surrogate heir to Henry Ford - one of the most colorful (and, potentially, despicable) characters you'd want to meet; and
- FDR during WWII.
There's plenty of good nuggets in here to make the book worthwhile.
A good (indeed, very good) piece of history, strangely titled (and, if the title had fewer than 18 words, one might think of it as a misnomer), and, at times, somewhat scattershot in terms of organization. But, nonetheless, an entertaining and informative work, well worth reading (with the caveat that, if you're easily distracted, the title and topical ramblings could give you a headache).
With the understanding that none of these would sell books, I might offer the following alternative titles:
The Histories of the Ford Family and Motor Company, With Particular Emphasis on Ford's Brief Foray into Military Aircraft, Sprinkled With WWII Anecdotes (So You Can Distinguish It From a Greek Tragedy)
... or ... maybe ....
Mass Production of the Consolidated B-24 Liberator By Ford, An Excellent Excuse To Examine the Tortured History of the Ford Family
... or ... I dunno ....
The Edsel You Don't Know: Why An Unpopular Car (not discussed in the book) Was Named After A Great American, Who Mass Produced An Important Military Airplane (Designed By Another Company); And, Yes, His Father, Initially A Genius, Became A Reprehensible Human, Fully Deserving Of Your Scorn
... or ... maybe, instead ....
The Duel: Edsel Ford and Charles Sorensen Versus Henry Ford and Harry Bennett; Or The Sordid Tale of How WWII's Industrial Surge Permitted The Ford Motor Company To Break Free From The Tentacles of a Senile, Anti-Semitic, and Anti-Union Icon Emboldened By A Ruthless, Lawless Thug
But I digress.... In any event, you get the idea.
Labeling aside, I'd recommend the book if you're interested in, among other things:
- the history of the Ford family (Henry-Edsel-Henry II);
- WWII - there are plenty of anecdotes and perspectives that will be new, even to knowledgeable readers;
- military aircraft, defense acquisition, and government contracts, particularly from a historical perspective;
- Detroit (and Michigan automotive) history, particularly with regard to employment and race;
- Harry Bennett - the boxer turned union busting executive and surrogate heir to Henry Ford - one of the most colorful (and, potentially, despicable) characters you'd want to meet; and
- FDR during WWII.
There's plenty of good nuggets in here to make the book worthwhile.
I loved this book. My liking it though, was undoubtedly tinged by my having worked in a GM auto assembly plant for 18 years. It was fascinating to read about the Detroit of the 1940’s and how it became the “Arsenal of Democracy” during WW II. A lot of the story had to do with Henry Ford, Edsel Ford, Henry Ford II and all the people who helped them. That was fine with me because that story was also fascinating. Henry Ford, the one who started his family automotive empire, was a genius who was also a despicable person, especially to his son Edsel. Edsel however, was an admired and respected person to most people around him at the time. I knew nothing of the story of Edsel Ford before this book. The main story in the book was that of the Willow Run Bomber Plant, which eventually churned out a B-24 Liberator at the rate of a “bomber an hour” toward the end of the war, something people did not believe was possible. Edsel Ford and his people did an unheard of thing by producing complicated airplanes in the manner of an automobile assembly plant. All through the book I had the nagging memory that “Willow Run” was a GM plant, but it was newly built by Edsel Ford to be a B-24 bomber assembly plant for the war effort. It was only at the end of the book that I discovered that the plant, which was incredibly huge, was sold to GM in 1953 and produced transmissions for years. There is so much I don’t know, or have forgotten about the history of Ford, GM and Chrysler and many, many other well known companies concerning what they did for the war. I had also forgotten that there were NO cars, trucks or auto parts produced for commercial purposes from 1942 to 1945. This fact is making me want to find out what my GM assembly plant produced during the war. I have a vague memory of being told that they made trucks, but I’m not sure, and hope to find out.
8/1/14: I found out that the GM Norwood (OH) assembly plant made 4x4 trucks during the war years. This was called "Plant C" during the war, the "C" meaning Cincinnati. It was astounding to find out, according to the book "Echoes of Norwood", that the plant also made the Norden bombsight during the war, and was one of 6 factories that made it. Also made at the plant where I worked for many years, were "combat aircraft landing gear". What revelations!
8/1/14: I found out that the GM Norwood (OH) assembly plant made 4x4 trucks during the war years. This was called "Plant C" during the war, the "C" meaning Cincinnati. It was astounding to find out, according to the book "Echoes of Norwood", that the plant also made the Norden bombsight during the war, and was one of 6 factories that made it. Also made at the plant where I worked for many years, were "combat aircraft landing gear". What revelations!