Launching Liberty: The Epic Race to Build the Ships That Took America to War

A massive, unparalleled shipbuilding industry is conjured almost out of thin air by Americans gearing up for war in this gripping account from journalist Most (The Race Underground). In 1939, German U-boats were sinking Allied merchant ships faster than they could be built—at the time, new cargo ships took up to a year to complete. A desperate Winston Churchill and a canny FDR—who wanted to ready his own nation for war—turned to Henry J. Kaiser, the industrialist who had brought the Hoover Dam to completion ahead of schedule but had never, in fact, built a boat. It hardly mattered, however, as, in Most’s telling, the endeavor’s astronomical success was ensured by the competence, determination, and, most importantly, progressive-minded politics of its masterminds. Kaiser and FDR made the radical decision to allow African Americans, “Okies and Arkies,” and women into the shipbuilding workforce; created Kaiser Permanente Healthcare to serve them (it’s now the largest nonprofit healthcare organization in America); and had worker-led initiatives to innovate the shipbuilding process, soliciting employee feedback on what would speed up the workflow. These worker-focused policies compressed the shipbuilding time frame to an astonishing 60 days or less. The result is not only a fascinating slice of WWII history but a heartening glimpse of American industrial potential. (Aug.)