CORK WARS: INDUSTRY AND INTRIGUE IN WORLD WAR II

David Taylor, non-graduating 1982

In 1940, with German U boats blockading all commerce across the Atlantic Ocean, a fireball at the Crown Cork and Seal factory lit the sky over Baltimore. Rumors of Nazi sabotage led to an FBI investigation and pulled an entire industry into the machinery of national security as World War II deepened.

In Cork Wars, David A. Taylor traces this fascinating story through the lives of three men and their families, who were all drawn into this dangerous intersection of enterprise and espionage. The three were connected by the unique properties of a seemingly innocuous substance. Cork, unrivaled as a sealant and insulator, was used in gaskets, bomber insulation, and ammunition, making it crucial to the war effort.

Taylor weaves this by turns beautiful, dark, and outrageous narrative with the drama of a thriller. From the factory floor to the corner office, Cork Wars reflects shifts in our ideas of modernity, the environment, and the materials and norms of modern life. World War II buffs—and anyone interested in a good yarn—will be gripped by this bold and frightening tale of a forgotten episode of American and world history.

"An absorbing and illuminating read, Cork Wars is hard to put down. Clear, concise, and vivid, Taylor's prose pulls the reader in from the first and never lets go. Anyone who likes a good story well told should read this book..."

—Maury Klein, author of A Call to Arms: Mobilizing America for World War II

ISBN: TBD