Freedom's Forge
How American Business Produced Victory in World War II

This is a history of the effort to mobilize war production in the US in WWII - a biography of the "arsenal of democracy". This is a massive story that is essential in understanding the link between the US during the great depression and the post-war economic boom. The book is organized around the wa......more

In this book, two individuals are followed that - according to the author - helped American industries in becoming the arsenal of democracies. In so doing, they transformed America’s military into the biggest and most powerful in the world. They also laid the foundations for a postwar prosperity tha......more

I'm conflicted by this book. One one hand, it's a great examination of the American business machine in WWII - little acknowledged yet obviously a vital component to our success in the war, not to mention the postwar boom. On the other hand, it's quite slanted and partisan. The mustache-twirling vil......more

I thoroughly enjoyed this read! It was both incredibly fascinating and well written! If you're interested in economics, history, The New Deal, capitalism, business, production and World War II, you'll most likely enjoy what this book offers. It closely follows the actions and leadership of the two me......more

When I was in tenth grade, I was giddy at the prospect of finally getting to cover WWII in a class. The subject had been of interest for me since I was eight years old and my Dad took me on "45-minute walks" to tell me the story of the war. By age ten, I was reading books about it. So you might imag......more