Building for War: The Epic Saga of the Civilian Contractors and Marines of Wake Island in World War II

"...the book is by turns intriguing, informative, gripping, and at times very moving. The defenders, civil and military, who fought on Wake are well—memorialized in this highly recommended and definitive study. “ — Naval Historical Foundation

This intimately researched work tells the story of the thousand—plus Depression—era civilian contractors who came to Wake Island, a remote Pacific atoll, in 1941 to build an air station for the U.S. Navy. Author Gilbert charts the contractors' hard—won ...