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Freedom’s Forge is a badass cross section of World War II history, construction in the West, and American ingenuity. Arthur Herman tells the story of the “arsenal of democracy” including Bill Knudsen and the business leaders across the country who turned manufacturing and construction companies into war machines. America and the Allies prevailed in World War II because our businesses innovated, mobilized, and armed the Allies with more (and better) weapons and war machinery. 

I appreciated the opening sections of the book which showed how far behind the United States had fallen following World War I. The top companies and private sector leaders were hesitant to support the Federal government because their companies were villainized during World War I. These companies also had to navigate the bureaucracy of the government and the inept and under-resourced military departments to arm and clothe troops for war. 

I loved the sections profiling the entrepreneurs who jumped into the war effort and pivoted their businesses to make every piece of the planes, boats, jeeps, tanks, clothes, and ammunition needed to win the war. 

Quotes

“If the country was going to make itself seriously ready for war, neither the politicians nor the generals nor the admirals were willing to take the lead. American business and industry would have to figure it out on their own.”

“America’s production plant had become obsolete, run down by depression and a government committed to taxing business and giving more power to labor unions.”

“From the moment Knudsen kicked off the armament program in July 1940 until August 1945, the United States had produced $ 183 billion in arms. In those five years, America’s shipyards had launched 141 aircraft carriers, eight battleships, 807 cruisers, destroyers, and destroyer escorts, 203 submarines, and, thanks to Henry Kaiser and his colleagues, almost 52 million tons of merchant shipping. Its factories turned out 88,410 tanks and self-propelled guns, 257,000 artillery pieces, 2.4 million trucks, 2.6 million machine guns—and 41 billion rounds of ammunition.”