Many weapons and inventions were credited with winning World War II, most famously in the assertion that “the atomic bomb ended the war, but radar won the war.” What is less well known is that both airborne radar and the atomic bomb were invented in British laboratories, but built by Americans. The same holds true for many other American weapons credited with the Allied victory, in particular, the Liberty Ship and the Landing Ship Tank. Both were innovated by British naval architects, but adopted, adapted and built in extraordinary quantities by American engineers (e.g., Gibbs and Cox) and area shipbuilders (Newport News and Norfolk Naval Shipyards).

Ferreiro shares stories of how these vessels brought vital arms, supplies, and troops to the front lines across the globe, culminating in Allied victories.