© 2026 Michigan State University Board of Trustees
Public Media from Michigan State University
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

When Detroit made cars ... and tanks

Wayne State University Press

  

  

Current State's Peter Whorf speaks with Dr. Charles Hyde, former Wayne State University professor and author of the 2014 book, "Images from the Arsenal of Democracy."

Seventy-five years ago, the U.S. was tooling up to enter into the cauldron of World War. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt termed our nation’s weapons and war goods build-up an “Arsenal of Democracy”.

"Images from the Arsenal of Democracy" is the 2014 book by former Wayne State University professor Dr. Charles Hyde. The book follows the wartime transformation of the Detroit auto industry into the war machine of the early 1940's.

Current State's Peter Whorf speaks with Dr. Hyde about the book.

Related Content
WKAR has closed the gap left by the loss of federal funding. Because of you, trusted journalism, inspiring stories, and classical music remain freely available to everyone in mid-Michigan.
Now the work continues — your monthly gift helps maintain this success and keeps public media free for all.