The Arsenal of Democracy : : Fdr, Detroit, and an Epic Quest to arm an America at war

Locations
Call Number: 940.531 Ba, Adult Book / Nonfiction / History / United States / General / Baime, A. J
On Shelf At: Downtown Library, Pittsfield Branch, Traverwood Branch

Location & Checkout Length	Call Number	Checkout Length	Item Status
Downtown 2nd Floor 4-week checkout	940.531 Ba	4-week checkout	On Shelf
Pittsfield Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Nonfiction / History / United States / General / Baime, A. J	4-week checkout	On Shelf
Traverwood Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Nonfiction / History / United States / General / Baime, A. J	4-week checkout	On Shelf

The Motor City. Henry ; The machine is the new messiah ; Edsel ; Learning to fly ; Father vs. son ; The Ford terror ; Danger in Nazi Germany -- The Liberator. Fifty thousand airplanes ; "Gentlemen, we must outbuild Hitler" ; The liberator ; Willow Run ; Awakening ; Strike! ; Air raid! -- The big one. The grim race ; "Detroit's worries are right now" ; Will it run? ; Bomber ship 01 ; Roosevelt visits Willow Run ; A dying man -- The rise of American airpower. Unconditional surrender ; Taking flight ; "The Arsenal of Democracy is making good" ; Death in Dearborn -- D-Day and the battle of Dearborn. Operation Tidal Wave ; The Detroit race riot of 1943 ; "The United States is the country of machines" ; Ford war production exceeds dreams ; D-Day ; The final battle.
Tells the incredible story of how Detroit answered the call to arms during WWII, 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."

REVIEWS & SUMMARIES

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COMMUNITY REVIEWS

Somewhat mistitled. submitted by GJBarnett2 on July 5, 2014, 10:48pm This work really focuses on the role of the Ford family and Ford Motor Company in industrial mobilization and production during WWII with emphasis on the Willow Run B-24 plant and the internal machinations of the Machiavellian Harry Bennett under the patronage of the increasingly decrepit Henry Ford against the latter's son Edsel and grandson Henry II. Very little attention is given to the other major players in what FDR described as "The Arsenal Of Democracy" outside the context of the Ford family and its business. One minor annoyance: While Edsel Ford's promise and goal that the Willow Run Plant would produce a B-24 every hour figures prominently, it is never explained why, although the plant operated 24-hours per-day, that goal was figured to be only 400 B-24s per month rather than 720, the actual number of hours in 30 days.

Shoddy research. submitted by Steve Amick on August 24, 2016, 5:07pm This is the sad new era of "journalistic" nonfiction--no primary research, just cherry picking from all same old sources. (To be fair, a lot of the primary sources are being pitched by library, so often all they have to go on is an article quoting and earlier, primary source, and so they only get that section of it.)

He got so much, regarding one person in particular, so wrong in places where he could have just dug a little deeper, questioned a few things, All will be revealed soon. This author will have serious egg on his face in roughly 2018, maybe late 2017.

Father and Son submitted by cheryl piotrowski on December 18, 2016, 7:22am This book, as it says, is about father and son, their differences and their contributions in helping our country during a very important point in history. It certainly accomplishes this. Of course there are more players, but this book isn't about them. I am grateful for the role that Edsel Ford played overcoming obstacles within his own family and company to help our nation. I think it is an important book to read.