Baimes fastpaced book, the arsenal of democracy, the ford motor company and its production of the b24 liberator heavy bomber take center stage. How detroit went from motor city to the arsenal of democracy. The definitive history of detroit s role in world war ii. And from 1940 to 1945 the motor city became the center of the greatest industrial production miracle in history. Arsenal of democracy chapter association of the united. The arsenal of democracy book austin public library. This book is less about the role of detroit as the arsenal of democracy, and more about the discord between edsel ford and his father, henry, and harry bennett head of the service department. Appropriately, detroit grew to be known as the arsenal of democracy, a term coined by president franklin d. It is generally agreed that no american city contributed more to the allied powers during wwii than detroit. Robert casey, retired curator of transportation, henry ford museum the book clearly shows the enormous impact of wwii and the auto industrys essential role.
The museum relies on cash donations, corporate sponsorships and donated or loaned memorabilia to expand, improve and maintain our exhibits for educational purposes. Fastmoving and rich with detail, baimes book shows how the fords worked a world war ii miracle with rivets and steel. Arsenal of democracy is an engaging portrait of what was arguably the auto industrys finest hour. The arsenal of democracy chapter, formerly known as the greater detroit chapter, was chartered in 1959 with don c. Detroit arsenal s location in the heart of a major metropolitan area provides personnel with a wide array of offduty activities and events. The only son of automotive wizard henry ford has deserved a better legacy, and a. Baime the arsenal of democracy is a fantastic chronicle about a father and son who had to turn their thriving automobile business into an aviation powerhouse. 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.
Fdr, detroit, and an epic quest to arm an america at war a. Baimes telling of the relationship between henry ford and his son edsel is excellent. Fdr, detroit, and an epic quest to arm an america at war baime, a. Roosevelt in a fireside chat radio broadcast on december 29, 1940, nearly a year before the united states formally entered the war. Detroit arsenal of democracy is a michigan nonprofit company and federal 501c3 tax exempt status, created to help educate the public about american history. It transformed the city and sparked a race riot in 1943 that left 34 people dead and 670 injured. 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 in 1941, as hitlers threat loomed ever larger, president roosevelt realized he needed weaponry to fight the nazismost important, airplanesand he needed them fast. Baime is the new york times bestselling author of the arsenal of democracy. The arsenal of democracy tells the incredible story of how detroit answered the.
The arsenal of democracy a truly outstanding chronically of one of american industrys most outstanding achievements in a time of critical wartime need. The concept of america as an actual arsenal came from the american playwright robert emmet sherwood, who was quoted in the may 12. Ford, ferrari, and their battle for speed and glory at le mans. Fdr, ford motor company, and their epic quest to arm an america at war. Detroits role in the war, when the auto factories turned out tanks and warplanes, earned it a place in history as the arsenal of democracy. Frd, detroit, and an epic quest to arm and america at war by a. Although billed as a history of how the detroit auto industry geared up to arm the. Baime 2015, paperback at the best online prices at ebay. Even if you have read numerous factual books about ww ll, this is still a book worth reading.
Images from the arsenal of democracy is a fascinating photographic survey of the prodigious contributions of the american automobile industry to the allied victory in world war ii. Arsenal of democracy includes an analysis of wartime production nationally, on the automotive industry level, by individual automakers, and at the single plant level. Baime 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. Roosevelt during one of his fireside chat radio broadcasts. Robert casey retired curator of transportation, henry ford museum this wellwritten book is one of the most important studies of industrial mobilization to appear in a long time. Master parachute wings, jumpmaster and faa senior rigger. Ford motor company would erect a plant that could yield a bomber an hour. For more information about living and working in southeast michigan, visit the following sites links do not imply endorsement. In the speech, delivered on december 29, 1940, roosevelt made a call to arm and support the. Truman and the four months that changed the world, was published in 2017. Fdr, detroit, and an epic quest to arm an america at war. He credits his father henry lind usn 4246, and his uncle richard usn 4245, uncle ian usa 4345, and john blix, usa 4245, who served in wwii for his love of history. Detroit athletic club member and many local civic groups.
He wrote that american business was the protector of democracy while the american free press was one of the most effective weapons in the arsenal of democracy. Appropriately, then, detroit grew to become known as the arsenal of democracy after a fireside chat conducted by president franklin d. Notwithstanding this point, the book is a real page turner and is. Fdr, detroit, and an epic quest to arm an america at war and go like hell. The images of the industrys productive achievements are deeply impressive, as are those of the men and women who wrought these miracles of production. Fdr, detroit, and an epic quest to arm an america at war 9780547719283 by baime, a.
Baime, an automotive writer for the wall street journal, sets several ambitious goals for his 2014 book the arsenal of democracy. Fortunately for readers of this superbly written yet concise work, he meets them. Roosevelt in a fireside chat radio broadcast on december 29, 1940, nearly a year before the united states. As anniversary of pearl harbor approaches, books look back at wwii and our arsenal of democracy. The book is published by wayne state university press. The american automobile industry in world war ii, awardwinning historian charles k. So he turned to detroit and the auto industry for help. Baime is the awardwinning new york times bestselling author of the arsenal of democracy 2014 and go like hell 2009. Baime talked about his book, the arsenal of democracy. Baimes fastpaced book, the arsenal of democracy, the ford. Through the book we meet edsel ford, william sorenson, harry bennett. In this yearlong classroom research project, high school students collect information, photographs, documents and other primary sources related to the detroit factories that retooled for war production during world war ii. But in the arsenal of democracy he ups his game and gives his readers the complete story of how a struggling ford motor company won the contract to build b24 bombers with the goal of one per hour.
The students original research will help the society develop a new webbased resource for researchers and the general public. It is generally agreed that no american city contributed more to the allied powers during world war ii than detroit. Knudsens term for it was an arsenal of democracy fdr later borrowed the phrase for one of his most famous fireside chats. Within the first year and a half after the attack on pearl harbor, 350,000. Baime is a longtime regular contributor to the wall street journal, and his articles have also appeared in the new york times, popular science, and mens journal. American radiator and standard sanitary corp, american blower corp 8007 joseph campau avenue, detroit, mi 48211. Synopsis throughout world war ii, detroit s automobile manufacturers accounted for onefifth of the dollar value of the nations total war production, and this amazing output from the arsenal of democracy directly contributed to the allied victory. Hyde details the industrys transition to a wartime production powerhouse and some of its notable achievements along the way. The gallery is divided into three main sections, representing the arenas where detroit was linked to.
Both books are in development for major motion pictures. The chapter is made up of both individual and corporate members and represents the entire state of michigan. How detroit factories retooled during wwii to defeat. Detroit became known as the arsenal of democracy after a fireside chat delivered by president franklin roosevelt. Fdr, detroit, and an epic quest to arm an america at war, by a. Fdr, detroit, and an epic quest to arm an america at war by a. The arsenal of democracy exhibition explores the ways that detroit shaped the outcome of world war ii and how the war changed detroit. Smart news keeping you current how detroit went from motor city to the arsenal of democracy detroit already had car manufacturing capability. But as baime points out, americans believed that no single detroit.