Ships for Victory
A History of Shipbuilding under the U.S. Maritime Commission in World War II
Published on 16. November 2001
Book
Paperback/Softback
944 pages
978-0-8018-6752-1 (ISBN)
Description
During World War II, America's shipbuilding industry, mobilized under the U.S. Maritime Commission, set records of production that have never been equaled. Given the daunting task of building ships faster than they were being sunk, shipbuilding firms across the country found new ways to increase their efficiency and scale of production. Huge new shipyards were built, a labor force of 640,000 was employed, and over 55 million deadweight tons of ocean-going ships were delivered, including the famous Liberty and Victory ships. First published in 1951, Ships for Victory chronicles this remarkable wartime program in magisterial detail: the development of revolutionary construction methods; the upheavals in management, awarding of contracts, and allocation of steel and other materials; the recruitment, training, housing, and union activities of the workers; the crises, confusions, and scandals that arose; and the role of shipbuilding within the total war effort.
Reviews / Votes
Tells the story of the gigantic task accomplished by American shipyards during World War II... This important book shows how the development of streamlined methods of construction made possible standards of production which would have seemed fantastic only a few years before. Publishers Weekly An excellent and very readable account of the U.S. Maritime Commission's experience... The volume is thoroughly documented; the authors are always thoughtful of the reader in explaining technical shipping terms; and the approach is dispassionate, frank, and duly critical. The volume represents a fine addition to our wartime administrative histories. American Political Science Review Lane has done a pioneering job in this scholarly and monumental history of shipbuilding under the U.S. Maritime Commission in World War II... Not only a highly informative but an absorbing book. Evening Sun (Baltimore) A warts and all account of an economic and manufacturing miracle. A brilliant book. Work Boat World 2004 This excellent book describe the whole programme in great detail. Asia Pacific Shipping 2004More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Baltimore, MD
United States
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Illustrations
28 s/w Photographien bzw. Rasterbilder, 50 Graphiken
50 Charts; 28 Halftones, black and white
Dimensions
Height: 229 mm
Width: 152 mm
Thickness: 55 mm
Weight
1498 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-8018-6752-1 (9780801867521)
DOI
10.56021/9780801867521
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Frederic C. Lane (1900-1984) was a noted maritime historian of medieval and Renaissance Venice. Among his many books are Venetian Ships and Shipbuilders of the Renaissance and Venice, A Maritime Republic, both available from Johns Hopkins. Arthur Donovan is a professor of humanities at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy.
Content
Contents: Preface to the 2001 Edition, by Arthur Donovan Preface to the 1951 Edition Chapter 1: The Commission and the Shipbuilding Industry Chapter 2: Emergency Shipbuilding before the Declaration of War Chapter 3: Design and Initial Procurement for the Liberty Ship Chapter 4: Contracts with Shipbuilders and Their Supervision Chapter 5: Expansion and Reorganization after Pearl Harbor Chapter 6: Excess Capacity and the Cancellation of the Higgins Contract Chapter 7: Speed and Productivity in Multiple Production Chapter 8: Building the Labor Forc eChapter 9: Collective Bargaining Chapter 10: The Battle for Steel Chapter 11: Guiding the Flow of Materials Chapter 12: Increasing the Supplies of Components Chapter 13:Stabilization and Morale in the Labor Force Chapter 14: Managing Managements Chapter 15: Changing Managements Chapter 16: Cracks in Welded Ships Chapter 17: The Victory Ship Chapter 18: Military and Minor Type sChapter 19: The Contrast between 1943 and 1944 Chapter 20: The Manpower and Managerial Crisis Chapter 21: Administrative Problems-(A) The Regional Offices Chapter 22: Administrative Problems-(B) The Flow of Mone yChapter 23: Administrative Problems-(C) The Commission and the War Shipping Administration Chapter 24: Adventures in Hindsight Biographical Note Index