The Arsenal of Democracy: FDR, Detroit, and an Epic Quest to Arm an America at War

Catherine Tremonti said Eye Opening. This is a very interesting book. I grew up in the Detroit area and I was amazed to learn the history of the auto industry there and the critical part it played in World War II. I listened to it as an audio book and then gave the paperback to my son. He is a design engineer and was pleased to see credit given to engineers for the truly amazing developments detailed in the book.. "What an awesome story about the work behind the stage" according to Denesius. Wow!I never realized the extent of the contribution of American industry to the war effort in the 19What an awesome story about the work behind the stage Denesius Wow!I never realized the extent of the contribution of American industry to the war effort in the 1940's. The author doesn't just glorify the participants and players. You read about the frailties and inevitable human failures, balanced against the will to overcome and succeed as one. Reading about the patriotism and unity that allowed this country to achieve stratospheric industrial production levels that confounded, humbled and ultimately overcame our enemies across 2 oceans and 3 continents brought forth tears. Tears not just for what we accomplished then, but also for how far we have fallen. Looking at our fractured and dysfunctional p. 0's. The author doesn't just glorify the participants and players. You read about the frailties and inevitable human failures, balanced against the will to overcome and succeed as one. Reading about the patriotism and unity that allowed this country to achieve stratospheric industrial production levels that confounded, humbled and ultimately overcame our enemies across 2 oceans and What an awesome story about the work behind the stage Wow!I never realized the extent of the contribution of American industry to the war effort in the 19What an awesome story about the work behind the stage Denesius Wow!I never realized the extent of the contribution of American industry to the war effort in the 1940's. The author doesn't just glorify the participants and players. You read about the frailties and inevitable human failures, balanced against the will to overcome and succeed as one. Reading about the patriotism and unity that allowed this country to achieve stratospheric industrial production levels that confounded, humbled and ultimately overcame our enemies across 2 oceans and 3 continents brought forth tears. Tears not just for what we accomplished then, but also for how far we have fallen. Looking at our fractured and dysfunctional p. 0's. The author doesn't just glorify the participants and players. You read about the frailties and inevitable human failures, balanced against the will to overcome and succeed as one. Reading about the patriotism and unity that allowed this country to achieve stratospheric industrial production levels that confounded, humbled and ultimately overcame our enemies across 2 oceans and 3 continents brought forth tears. Tears not just for what we accomplished then, but also for how far we have fallen. Looking at our fractured and dysfunctional p. continents brought forth tears. Tears not just for what we accomplished then, but also for how far we have fallen. Looking at our fractured and dysfunctional p. Riveting, Enthralling and One Helluva Great Read! lae2930 It has been a while since I have enjoyed a book so thoroughly and been as captivated as I was by this one. I literally stayed up all night thinking, one more chapter then I'll go to bed and then I just couldn't put it down.I loved the way the author was able to parallel the story of the Ford family dynamics along with the trajectory of the US involvement in the war and the ramping up once we were involved. I am a big fan of nonfiction history and loved that I discovered new tidbits about the war, our government and the automobile industry during an explosive time of growth and opportunity. The good, bad and ugly is all covered well without

J. Critics scoffed: Ford didn't make planes; they made simple, affordable cars. 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. So he turned to Detroit and the auto industry for help. 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. 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. 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". Drawing on exhaustive research from the Ford Archives, the National Archives, and the FDR Library, A. But bucking his father's resistance, Edsel charged ahead. Baime has cra