Assesses the pivotal role of American big business in building weapons and enabling industrial dominance for Allied forces in World War II, tracing the contributions of Danish immigrant William Knudsen and shipbuilding industrialist Henry Kaiser.

The gentle giant -- The master builder -- The world of tomorrow -- Getting started -- Call to arms -- Arsenal of democracy -- Ships, strikes, and the Big Book -- Countdown -- Going all out -- Ships for liberty -- The production express -- Steel men and Cast-iron Charlie -- Agony at Willow Run -- Victory is our business -- The man from Frisco -- Superbomber -- The Battle of Kansas -- Fire this time -- Reckoning -- Appendix A. Growing the arsenal of democracy, 1940-1945 -- Appendix B. Joining the arsenal of democracy.