Launching Liberty

Launching Liberty recounts the remarkable story of how the United States, under President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s leadership, rapidly expanded its wartime shipbuilding efforts by partnering with private entrepreneurs like Henry Kaiser. The book highlights the extraordinary push to produce massive cargo ships, called “Liberty Ships,” through a nationwide competition that drastically shortened construction times. It also explores the diverse efforts of American workers—including women and African Americans—whose dedication helped turn the nation’s wartime vision into reality during World War II.