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A review by mburnamfink
The Arsenal of Democracy: FDR, Ford Motor Company, and Their Epic Quest to Arm an America at War by A.J. Baime
4.0
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.