brad kaste
Charter Member
RE: Book review "Freedom's Forge"
Hi All,
Probably like a lot of you, I've been a WWII wonk reader for decades. However,...the books I most cherish in my mini library are the books dealing with the "arsenal for democracy." Most of these books are heavy with archival photographs. This book is different. "Freedom's Forge" by Arthur Herman is a true double thumbs<label for="rb_iconid_14">
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</label>up reading book. It deals with two distinct businessmen who made this miracle of armament production ramp up so quickly: "Big Bill" Knudsen,...a Danish immigrant and Henry J. Kaiser,..a maverick California industrialist. Truly,...these two unsung heroes mobilized the various factories throughout the US to build armaments that would propel the Allies to victory in WWII. Without me rambling much more,....I've included a few reviews too:
A narrative of America's industrial mobilization for WWII, Herman's history heroizes two business executives at the center of affairs, Henry Kaiser, builder of the Liberty ships, and William Knudsen, president of General Motors. While Kaiser's hyperkinetic flamboyance lingers in the recognition his name still provokes in WWII readers, the more effacing Knudsen, Herman makes clear, was the critical character. An expert in organizing assembly lines, Knudsen was tapped by FDR in 1940 to convert consumer into military production, which he initiated through private enterprises. New Dealers who wanted the government, not big business, to direct mobilization nominally won in early 1942 by ousting Knudsen and establishing the War Production Board. But Knudsen's profit-motive template had momentum and prevailed, as Herman dramatizes in the manufacturing setups for such weapons as the B-24 and B-29 bombers, Sherman tanks, and aircraft carriers. What with the millions of workers needed to build them, Rosie the Riveter included, swarming factory floor and shipyard, Herman's story will resonate with readers whose parents and grandparents won the war with a welding torch.
What is covered in most textbooks in a page-the crucial role of American industry in winning World War II-takes up the entirety of Herman's (Gandhi & Churchill: The Epic Rivalry That Destroyed an Empire and Forged Our Age) fascinating volume. As he has in past books, Herman here approaches a chapter of history by investigating the personalities who shaped it. He brings to life William Knudsen of General Motors and shipbuilder Henry J. Kaiser via their interactions with FDR. It would be easy to overwhelm readers with recountings of the extraordinary number of planes, ships, or tanks produced. However, Herman will keep his audience thoroughly engaged as the war unfolds from the perspective of U.S. industry and its regulators. At a time when Wall Street is often pitted against Main Street, readers will be surprised by the cooperative relations forged between government and industry during World War II. VERDICT Recommended for the invaluable insights regarding how government administrators and industry leaders worked together to produce a winning arsenal. Economists and general readers alike will benefit from its historical perspective.
Hi All,
Probably like a lot of you, I've been a WWII wonk reader for decades. However,...the books I most cherish in my mini library are the books dealing with the "arsenal for democracy." Most of these books are heavy with archival photographs. This book is different. "Freedom's Forge" by Arthur Herman is a true double thumbs<label for="rb_iconid_14">
A narrative of America's industrial mobilization for WWII, Herman's history heroizes two business executives at the center of affairs, Henry Kaiser, builder of the Liberty ships, and William Knudsen, president of General Motors. While Kaiser's hyperkinetic flamboyance lingers in the recognition his name still provokes in WWII readers, the more effacing Knudsen, Herman makes clear, was the critical character. An expert in organizing assembly lines, Knudsen was tapped by FDR in 1940 to convert consumer into military production, which he initiated through private enterprises. New Dealers who wanted the government, not big business, to direct mobilization nominally won in early 1942 by ousting Knudsen and establishing the War Production Board. But Knudsen's profit-motive template had momentum and prevailed, as Herman dramatizes in the manufacturing setups for such weapons as the B-24 and B-29 bombers, Sherman tanks, and aircraft carriers. What with the millions of workers needed to build them, Rosie the Riveter included, swarming factory floor and shipyard, Herman's story will resonate with readers whose parents and grandparents won the war with a welding torch.
What is covered in most textbooks in a page-the crucial role of American industry in winning World War II-takes up the entirety of Herman's (Gandhi & Churchill: The Epic Rivalry That Destroyed an Empire and Forged Our Age) fascinating volume. As he has in past books, Herman here approaches a chapter of history by investigating the personalities who shaped it. He brings to life William Knudsen of General Motors and shipbuilder Henry J. Kaiser via their interactions with FDR. It would be easy to overwhelm readers with recountings of the extraordinary number of planes, ships, or tanks produced. However, Herman will keep his audience thoroughly engaged as the war unfolds from the perspective of U.S. industry and its regulators. At a time when Wall Street is often pitted against Main Street, readers will be surprised by the cooperative relations forged between government and industry during World War II. VERDICT Recommended for the invaluable insights regarding how government administrators and industry leaders worked together to produce a winning arsenal. Economists and general readers alike will benefit from its historical perspective.