Arthur Herman's case study on how American titans of industry worked in tandem with government to win World War II reveals the extent to which industrial policy can strengthen a nation in crisis.
Freedom’s Forge reveals how two extraordinary American businessmen–General Motors automobile magnate William “Big Bill” Knudsen and shipbuilder Henry J. Kaiser–helped corral, cajole, and inspire business leaders across the country to mobilize the “arsenal of democracy” that propelled the Allies to victory in World War II. Drafting top talent from companies like Chrysler, Republic Steel, Boeing, Lockheed, GE, and Frigidaire, Knudsen and Kaiser turned auto plants into aircraft factories and civilian assembly lines into fountains of munitions.
In four short years. they transformed America’s army from a hollow shell into a truly global force, laying the foundations for the country’s rise as an economic as well as military superpower.
Freedom’s Forge vividly re-creates American industry’s finest hour, when the nation’s business elites put aside their pursuit of profits and set about saving the world.
