Prairie Forge: The Extraordinary Story of the Nebraska Scrap Metal Drive of World War II

by James J. Kimble

Overview

In the wake of Pearl Harbor, President Roosevelt called for the largest arms buildup in our nation's history. A shortage of steel, however, quickly slowed the program’s momentum, and arms production fell dangerously behind schedule. The country needed scrap metal. Henry Doorly, publisher of the Omaha World-Herald, had the solution. Prairie Forge tells the story of the great Nebraska scrap drive of 1942—a campaign that swept the nation and yielded five million tons of scrap metal, literally salvaging the war effort itself.
 James J. Kimble chronicles Doorly’s conception of a fierce competition pitting county against county, business against business, and, in schools across the state, class against class—inspiring Nebraskans to gather 67,000 tons of scrap metal in only three weeks. This astounding feat provided the template for a national drive. A tale of plowshares turned into arms, Prairie Forge gives the first full account of how home became home front for so many civilians.
  

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780803254169
Publisher:	UNP - Bison Books
Publication date:	05/01/2014
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	NOOK Book
Pages:	256
Sales rank:	1,017,508
File size:	4 MB

About the Author

James J. Kimble is an associate professor in the Department of Communication and the Arts at Seton Hall University. He is the coproducer of Scrappers: How the Heartland Won World War II, a feature documentary on the 1942 scrap drives.

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations ix

Preface xi

Introduction: Home Front, Battlefront 1

1 The Scrap Deficit, or How Not to Win a War 12

2 Henry Doorly and the Nebraska Plan 32

3 Summertime Scrapping in the City 51

4 Mobilizing Greater Nebraska 77

5 The Second-Half Comeback 100

6 The Nebraska Plan Goes National 123

Epilogue: Home Front, Battlefront (Revisited) 146

Appendix: Nebraska County Scrap Results 150

Notes 163

Bibliography 199

Index 209

Editorial Reviews

"Solid, thoroughly researched. . . . [Prairie Forge] should be on the shelf of every Nebraska public library."—Bruce D. Cohen, H-Net

H-Net - Bruce D. Cohen

"With ease, Kimble tells a story that goes beyond junk collecting and illuminates the fascinating tale of how Nebraska helped forge the way for one of the most significant military victories in Western history."—Erin Seaward-Hiatt, L Magazine

L Magazine - Erin Seaward-Hiatt

"Kimble's research and interviews breathe life into this little-known contribution to the U.S. war effort. Prairie Forge is an entertaining, well-written narrative of the tremendous role Nebraskans, Henry Doorly, and scrap metal played in shaping the early years of the war."—Tom Mele, Scrap Magazine

Scrap Magazine - Tom Mele

"A worthwhile contribution and an enjoyable read on a topic of surprising interest and importance."—Maury Klein, Journal of American History

Journal of American History - Maury Klein

"Kimble's well-crafted narrative capably examines this often poorly understood moment of American history."—Thomas H. Berg, South Dakota History

South Dakota History - Thomas H. Berg

"Prairie Forge is a little gem of a book."—Denise M. Bostdorff, Rhetoric & Public Affairs

Rhetoric & Public Affairs - Denise M. Bostdorff

“An excellent home front story about Nebraska and World War II.”—R. Douglas Hurt, head of the Department of History at Purdue University and author of The Great Plains during World War II

R. Douglas Hurt

Kimble’s enticing narrative takes us back to a largely forgotten aspect of wartime America.”—David L. Bristow, editor of Nebraska History

David L. Bristow

“In his engaging book, James J. Kimble relates to us how publisher Henry Doorly combined patriotism, hucksterism, and the spirit of competition, first in Nebraska and then in the entire country, to keep the steel furnaces going full blast and thereby shorten the war. For anyone interested in the home front and the American production miracle this . . . is must reading.”—William L. O’Neill, professor emeritus of history, Rutgers University, and author of A Democracy at War: America’s Fight at Home and Abroad in World War II

 

William L. O'Neill

Kimble’s unmistakable passion for the history of World War II’s scrap metal drive makes the subject come alive. Echoing the spirit of the state’s football team, so tough it was once known as the Bugeaters, the Nebraskans in this story were determined to seize victory by changing the course of World War II.”—Mike Babcock, publisher and editor of Hail Varsity Magazine

Mike Babcock