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Arsenal of Democracy : FDR, Detroit, and an Epic Quest to Arm an America at War by A. J. Baime (2014, Hardcover)
Marks Military History Books (26442)
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About this product
Product Identifiers
PublisherHoughton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company
ISBN-100547719280
ISBN-139780547719283
eBay Product ID (ePID)172011301
Product Key Features
Book TitleArsenal of Democracy : Fdr, Detroit, and an Epic Quest to Arm an America at War
Number of Pages384 Pages
LanguageEnglish
TopicIndustries / Automobile Industry, Public Policy / Military Policy, United States / 20th Century, Military / World War II, United States / State & Local / MidWest (IA, Il, in, Ks, Mi, MN, Mo, Nd, Ne, Oh, Sd, Wi), Business
Publication Year2014
IllustratorYes
GenrePolitical Science, Biography & Autobiography, Business & Economics, History
AuthorA. J. Baime
FormatHardcover
Dimensions
Item Height1.4 in
Item Weight20.8 Oz
Item Length9 in
Item Width6 in
Additional Product Features
Intended AudienceTrade
LCCN2013-045019
TitleLeadingThe
Dewey Edition23
Reviews"A.J. Baime's prose is an amazing magic lantern shining through the flawed, frustrating and mesmerizing lives of an epic cast of characters; FDR; the anti-semitic Henry Ford; his gargoyle of a henchman Harry Bennett; the workers who would become America's middle class; and, as well, Henry's tragic son, Edsel, who lost his health and, ultimately, his life, trying to make good on his promise to deliver a "bomber an hour" during WWII. This is captivating history told at its most intimate level of detail; at the same time, Baime's scope is grand and humane, even when he is bringing to life the most inhumane of people or moments. An engrossing, highly researched page-turner." -Doug Stanton, author of In Harm's Way and Horse Soldiers "When you talk the history of Detroit, it's usually the stuff about beavers, the Model T, the '57 Chevy, the '67 riots and bankruptcy. But what A.J. Baime has done with a precise and entertaining pen is resurrect Detroit's most important era - WWII - and the obscure and tortured man who may have saved the world." -Charlie LeDuff, author of Detroit: An American Autopsy "Wars are fought on many fronts, and A.J. Baime chronicles this little known, but terrifically important battle to build America's bomber force with narrative zest and delicious detail. Put simply, it's a great read." -Neal Bascomb, bestselling author of Hunting Eichmann and The Perfect Mile "Fast-moving and rich with detail, Baime's book shows how the Fords worked a World War II miracle with rivets and steel. Engrossing." -Stephan Talty, author of Agent Garbo and Empire of Blue Water "A.J. Baime has a great way of telling a story. We didn't just win World War II because we had the best soldiers.We did it because we could build airplanes literally faster than the Germans could shoot them down. An exciting read." -Jay Leno , "A.J. Baime's prose is an amazing magic lantern shining through the flawed, frustrating and mesmerizing lives of an epic cast of characters; FDR; the anti-semitic Henry Ford; his gargoyle of a henchman Harry Bennett; the workers who would become America's middle class; and, as well, Henry's tragic son, Edsel, who lost his health and, ultimately, his life, trying to make good on his promise to deliver a "bomber an hour" during WWII. This is captivating history told at its most intimate level of detail; at the same time, Baime's scope is grand and humane, even when he is bringing to life the most inhumane of people or moments. An engrossing, highly researched page-turner." -- Doug Stanton, author of In Harm's Way and Horse Soldiers "When you talk the history of Detroit, it's usually the stuff about beavers, the Model T, the '57 Chevy, the '67 riots and bankruptcy. But what A.J. Baime has done with a precise and entertaining pen is resurrect Detroit's most important era - WWII - and the obscure and tortured man who may have saved the world." --Charlie LeDuff, author of Detroit: An American Autopsy "Wars are fought on many fronts, and A.J. Baime chronicles this little known, but terrifically important battle to build America's bomber force with narrative zest and delicious detail. Put simply, it's a great read." --Neal Bascomb, bestselling author of Hunting Eichmann and The Perfect Mile "Fast-moving and rich with detail, Baime's book shows how the Fords worked a World War II miracle with rivets and steel. Engrossing." --Stephan Talty, author of Agent Garbo and Empire of Blue Water "A.J. Baime has a great way of telling a story. We didn't just win World War II because we had the best soldiers.We did it because we could build airplanes literally faster than the Germans could shoot them down. An exciting read." --Jay Leno "[Edsel Ford] has deserved a better legacy, and A.J. Baime has given it to him . . . The Arsenal of Democracy is a touching and absorbing portrait of one of the forgotten heroes of World War II . . . A.J. Baime has given us a memorable portrait not just of an industry going to war but of a remarkable figure who helped to make victory possible." -- Wa ll Street Journal "Accessible, surprising history . . . Forthright and absorbing." --P ublishers Weekly "A.J. Baime has a gift for taking stories about cars and turning them into epic tales of man and his machine versus other man and his machine... The Arsenal of Democracy shows how capitalism and the American spirit really won WWII. You'll never look at Detroit or our flag the same again." -- Inked, "A.J. Baime's prose is an amazing magic lantern shining through the flawed, frustrating and mesmerizing lives of an epic cast of characters; FDR; the anti-semitic Henry Ford; his gargoyle of a henchman Harry Bennett; the workers who would become America's middle class; and, as well, Henry's tragic son, Edsel, who lost his health and, ultimately, his life, trying to make good on his promise to deliver a "bomber an hour" during WWII. This is captivating history told at its most intimate level of detail; at the same time, Baime's scope is grand and humane, even when he is bringing to life the most inhumane of people or moments. An engrossing, highly researched page-turner." - Doug Stanton, author of In Harm's Way and Horse Soldiers "When you talk the history of Detroit, it's usually the stuff about beavers, the Model T, the '57 Chevy, the '67 riots and bankruptcy. But what A.J. Baime has done with a precise and entertaining pen is resurrect Detroit's most important era - WWII - and the obscure and tortured man who may have saved the world." -Charlie LeDuff, author of Detroit: An American Autopsy "Wars are fought on many fronts, and A.J. Baime chronicles this little known, but terrifically important battle to build America's bomber force with narrative zest and delicious detail. Put simply, it's a great read." -Neal Bascomb, bestselling author of Hunting Eichmann and The Perfect Mile "Fast-moving and rich with detail, Baime's book shows how the Fords worked a World War II miracle with rivets and steel. Engrossing." -Stephan Talty, author of Agent Garbo and Empire of Blue Water "A.J. Baime has a great way of telling a story. We didn't just win World War II because we had the best soldiers.We did it because we could build airplanes literally faster than the Germans could shoot them down. An exciting read." -Jay Leno "Accessible, surprising history . . . Forthright and absorbing." - Publishers Weekly "A.J. Baime has a gift for taking stories about cars and turning them into epic tales of man and his machine versus other man and his machine… The Arsenal of Democracy shows how capitalism and the American spirit really won WWII. You'll never look at Detroit or our flag the same again." - Inked, "Wars are fought on many fronts, and A.J. Baime chronicles this little known, but terrifically important battle to build America's bomber force with narrative zest and delicious detail. Put simply, it's a great read." Neal Bascomb, bestselling author of Hunting Eichmann and The Perfect Mile "Fast-moving and rich with detail, Baime's book shows how the Fords worked a World War II miracle with rivets and steel. Engrossing." Stephan Talty, author of Agent Garbo and Empire of Blue Water, "When you talk the history of Detroit, it's usually the stuff about beavers, the Model T, the '57 Chevy, the '67 riots and bankruptcy. But what A.J. Baime has done with a precise and entertaining pen is resurrect Detroit's most important era - WWII - and the obscure and tortured man who may have saved the world ." --Charlie LeDuff, author of Detroit: An American Autopsy "Wars are fought on many fronts, and A.J. Baime chronicles this little known, but terrifically important battle to build America's bomber force with narrative zest and delicious detail. Put simply, it's a great read." Neal Bascomb, bestselling author of Hunting Eichmann and The Perfect Mile "Fast-moving and rich with detail, Baime's book shows how the Fords worked a World War II miracle with rivets and steel. Engrossing." Stephan Talty, author of Agent Garbo and Empire of Blue Water "A.J. Baime's prose is an amazing magic lantern shining through the flawed, frustrating and mesmerizing lives of an epic cast of characters; FDR; the anti-semitic Henry Ford; his gargoyle of a henchman Harry Bennett; the workers who would become America's middle class; and, as well, Henry's tragic son, Edsel, who lost his health and, ultimately, his life, trying to make good on his promise to deliver a "bomber an hour" during WWII. This is captivating history told at its most intimate level of detail; at the same time, Baime's scope is grand and humane, even when he is bringing to life the most inhumane of people or moments. An engrossing, highly researched page-turner." Doug Stanton, author or In Harm's Way and Horse Soldiers "A.J. Baime has a great way of telling a story. We didn't just win WorldWar II because we had the best soldiers.We did it because we could build airplanes literally faster than the Germans could shoot them down. An exciting read." Jay Leno, "A.J. Baime's prose is an amazing magic lantern shining through the flawed, frustrating and mesmerizing lives of an epic cast of characters; FDR; the anti-semitic Henry Ford; his gargoyle of a henchman Harry Bennett; the workers who would become America's middle class; and, as well, Henry's tragic son, Edsel, who lost his health and, ultimately, his life, trying to make good on his promise to deliver a "bomber an hour" during WWII. This is captivating history told at its most intimate level of detail; at the same time, Baime's scope is grand and humane, even when he is bringing to life the most inhumane of people or moments. An engrossing, highly researched page-turner." -- Doug Stanton, author of In Harm's Way and Horse Soldiers "When you talk the history of Detroit, it's usually the stuff about beavers, the Model T, the '57 Chevy, the '67 riots and bankruptcy. But what A.J. Baime has done with a precise and entertaining pen is resurrect Detroit's most important era - WWII - and the obscure and tortured man who may have saved the world." --Charlie LeDuff, author of Detroit: An American Autopsy "Wars are fought on many fronts, and A.J. Baime chronicles this little known, but terrifically important battle to build America's bomber force with narrative zest and delicious detail. Put simply, it's a great read." --Neal Bascomb, bestselling author of Hunting Eichmann and The Perfect Mile "Fast-moving and rich with detail, Baime's book shows how the Fords worked a World War II miracle with rivets and steel. Engrossing." --Stephan Talty, author of Agent Garbo and Empire of Blue Water "A.J. Baime has a great way of telling a story. We didn't just win World War II because we had the best soldiers.We did it because we could build airplanes literally faster than the Germans could shoot them down. An exciting read." --Jay Leno "[Edsel Ford] has deserved a better legacy, and A.J. Baime has given it to him . . . The Arsenal of Democracy is a touching and absorbing portrait of one of the forgotten heroes of World War II . . . A.J. Baime has given us a memorable portrait not just of an industry going to war but of a remarkable figure who helped to make victory possible." -- Wa ll Street Journal "Accessible, surprising history . . . Forthright and absorbing." --P ublishers Weekly "A.J. Baime has a gift for taking stories about cars and turning them into epic tales of man and his machine versus other man and his machine... The Arsenal of Democracy shows how capitalism and the American spirit really won WWII. You'll never look at Detroit or our flag the same again." -- Inked, "A.J. Baime's prose is an amazing magic lantern shining through the flawed, frustrating and mesmerizing lives of an epic cast of characters; FDR; the anti-semitic Henry Ford; his gargoyle of a henchman Harry Bennett; the workers who would become America's middle class; and, as well, Henry's tragic son, Edsel, who lost his health and, ultimately, his life, trying to make good on his promise to deliver a "bomber an hour" during WWII. This is captivating history told at its most intimate level of detail; at the same time, Baime's scope is grand and humane, even when he is bringing to life the most inhumane of people or moments. An engrossing, highly researched page-turner." -- Doug Stanton, author of In Harm's Way and Horse Soldiers "When you talk the history of Detroit, it's usually the stuff about beavers, the Model T, the '57 Chevy, the '67 riots and bankruptcy. But what A.J. Baime has done with a precise and entertaining pen is resurrect Detroit's most important era - WWII - and the obscure and tortured man who may have saved the world." --Charlie LeDuff, author of Detroit: An American Autopsy "Wars are fought on many fronts, and A.J. Baime chronicles this little known, but terrifically important battle to build America's bomber force with narrative zest and delicious detail. Put simply, it's a great read." --Neal Bascomb, bestselling author of Hunting Eichmann and The Perfect Mile "Fast-moving and rich with detail, Baime's book shows how the Fords worked a World War II miracle with rivets and steel. Engrossing." --Stephan Talty, author of Agent Garbo and Empire of Blue Water "A.J. Baime has a great way of telling a story. We didn't just win World War II because we had the best soldiers.We did it because we could build airplanes literally faster than the Germans could shoot them down. An exciting read." --Jay Leno "[Edsel Ford] has deserved a better legacy, and A.J. Baime has given it to him . . . The Arsenal of Democracy is a touching and absorbing portrait of one of the forgotten heroes of World War II . . . A.J. Baime has given us a memorable portrait not just of an industry going to war but of a remarkable figure who helped to make victory possible." -- Wa ll Street Journal "Accessible, surprising history . . . Forthright and absorbing." --P ublishers Weekly "A.J. Baime has a gift for taking stories about cars and turning them into epic tales of man and his machine versus other man and his machine... The Arsenal of Democracy shows how capitalism and the American spirit really won WWII. You'll never look at Detroit or our flag the same again." -- Inked , "Wars are fought on many fronts, and A.J. Baime chronicles this little known, but terrifically important battle to build America's bomber force with narrative zest and delicious detail. Put simply, it's a great read." Neal Bascomb, bestselling author of Hunting Eichmann and The Perfect Mile "Fast-moving and rich with detail, Baime's book shows how the Fords worked a World War II miracle with rivets and steel. Engrossing." Stephan Talty, author of Agent Garbo and Empire of Blue Water "A.J. Baime's prose is an amazing magic lantern shining through the flawed, frustrating and mesmerizing lives of an epic cast of characters; FDR; the anti-semitic Henry Ford; his gargoyle of a henchman Harry Bennett; the workers who would become America's middle class; and, as well, Henry's tragic son, Edsel, who lost his health and, ultimately, his life, trying to make good on his promise to deliver a "bomber an hour" during WWII. This is captivating history told at its most intimate level of detail; at the same time, Baime's scope is grand and humane, even when he is bringing to life the most inhumane of people or moments. An engrossing, highly researched page-turner." Doug Stanton, author or In Harm's Way and Horse Soldiers "A.J. Baime has a great way of telling a story. We didn't just win WorldWar II because we had the best soldiers.We did it because we could build airplanes literally faster than the Germans could shoot them down. An exciting read." Jay Leno, "A.J. Baime's prose is an amazing magic lantern shining through the flawed, frustrating and mesmerizing lives of an epic cast of characters; FDR; the anti-semitic Henry Ford; his gargoyle of a henchman Harry Bennett; the workers who would become America's middle class; and, as well, Henry's tragic son, Edsel, who lost his health and, ultimately, his life, trying to make good on his promise to deliver a "bomber an hour" during WWII. This is captivating history told at its most intimate level of detail; at the same time, Baime's scope is grand and humane, even when he is bringing to life the most inhumane of people or moments. An engrossing, highly researched page-turner." - Doug Stanton, author of In Harm's Way and Horse Soldiers "When you talk the history of Detroit, it's usually the stuff about beavers, the Model T, the '57 Chevy, the '67 riots and bankruptcy. But what A.J. Baime has done with a precise and entertaining pen is resurrect Detroit's most important era - WWII - and the obscure and tortured man who may have saved the world." -Charlie LeDuff, author of Detroit: An American Autopsy "Wars are fought on many fronts, and A.J. Baime chronicles this little known, but terrifically important battle to build America's bomber force with narrative zest and delicious detail. Put simply, it's a great read." -Neal Bascomb, bestselling author of Hunting Eichmann and The Perfect Mile "Fast-moving and rich with detail, Baime's book shows how the Fords worked a World War II miracle with rivets and steel. Engrossing." -Stephan Talty, author of Agent Garbo and Empire of Blue Water "A.J. Baime has a great way of telling a story. We didn't just win World War II because we had the best soldiers.We did it because we could build airplanes literally faster than the Germans could shoot them down. An exciting read." -Jay Leno "[Edsel Ford] has deserved a better legacy, and A.J. Baime has given it to him . . . The Arsenal of Democracy is a touching and absorbing portrait of one of the forgotten heroes of World War II . . . A.J. Baime has given us a memorable portrait not just of an industry going to war but of a remarkable figure who helped to make victory possible." - Wa ll Street Journal "Accessible, surprising history . . . Forthright and absorbing." -P ublishers Weekly "A.J. Baime has a gift for taking stories about cars and turning them into epic tales of man and his machine versus other man and his machine… The Arsenal of Democracy shows how capitalism and the American spirit really won WWII. You'll never look at Detroit or our flag the same again." - Inked, "Wars are fought on many fronts, and A.J. Baime chronicles this little known, but terrifically important battle to build America's bomber force with narrative zest and delicious detail. Put simply, it's a great read." Neal Bascomb, bestselling author of Hunting Eichmann and The Perfect Mile, "Wars are fought on many fronts, and A.J. Baime chronicles this little known, but terrifically important battle to build America's bomber force with narrative zest and delicious detail. Put simply, it's a great read." - Neal Bascomb, bestselling author of Hunting Eichmann and The Perfect Mile
Dewey Decimal940.53/1
Table Of ContentIntroduction xi Prologue xiii PART I. The Motor City 1. Henry3 2. The Machine Is the New Messiah9 3. Edsel16 4. Learning to Fly23 5. Father vs. Son31 6. The Ford Terror39 7. The Nazi Connection50 PART II. The Liberator 8. Fifty Thousand Airplanes65 9. "Gentlemen, We Must Outbuild Hitler"75 10. The Liberator86 11. Willow Run99 12. Awakening106 13. Strike!115 14. Air Raid!122 PART III. The Big One 15. The Grim Race129 16. "Detroit's Worries Are Right Now"141 17. Will It Run?150 18. Bomber Ship 01160 19. Roosevelt Visits Willow Run167 20. A Dying Man175 PART IV. The Rise of American Airpower 21. Unconditional Surrender185 22. Taking Flight195 23. "The Arsenal of Democracy Is Making Good"206 24. Death in Dearborn215 PART V. The Battle of Dearborn 25. Operation Tidal Wave229 26. The Detroit Race Riot of 1943239 27. "The United States Is the Country of Machines"250 28. Ford War Production Exceeds Dreams258 29. D-Day269 30. The Final Battle278 Epilogue 285 A Note on the Text and Acknolwedgments 293 Notes 297 Index 343
SynopsisA New York Times Bestseller A dramatic, intimate narrative of how Ford Motor Company went from making automobiles to producing the airplanes that would mean the difference between winning and losing World War II. In 1941, as Hitler's threat loomed ever larger, President Roosevelt realized he needed weaponry to fight the Nazis--most important, airplanes--and he needed them fast. So he turned to Detroit and the auto industry for help. The Arsenal of Democracy tells the incredible story of how Detroit answered the call, centering on Henry Ford and his tortured son Edsel, who, when asked if they could deliver 50,000 airplanes, made an outrageous claim: Ford Motor Company would erect a plant that could yield a "bomber an hour." Critics scoffed: Ford didn't make planes; they made simple, affordable cars. But bucking his father's resistance, Edsel charged ahead. Ford would apply assembly-line production to the American military's largest, fastest, most destructive bomber; they would build a plant vast in size and ambition on a plot of farmland and call it Willow Run; they would bring in tens of thousands of workers from across the country, transforming Detroit, almost overnight, from Motor City to the "great arsenal of democracy." And eventually they would help the Allies win the war. Drawing on exhaustive research from the Ford Archives, the National Archives, and the FDR Library, A. J. Baime has crafted an enthralling, character-driven narrative of American innovation that has never been fully told, leaving readers with a vivid new portrait of America--and Detroit--during the war., The story of the dramatic transformation of Detroit from "motortown" to the "arsenal of democracy," featuring Edsel Ford, who rebelled against his pacifist father, Henry Ford, to build the industrial miracle Willow Run, a manufacturing complex capable of producing B-24 Liberator bombers at a rate of one per hour--a crucial component in winning the war.
LC Classification NumberHD9710.U54B35 2014
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