PositiveThe Military ReviewWert categorizes the \'barons\' as visionaries, inventors, dreamers, etc., for each chapter. This organization aids the reader to draw connections between the similar actions of the persons he is discussing. This book is not an overview of how many pounds of meat were produced or miles of rail tracks built, but a much deeper look into the lives and the social and political connections of the men behind the companies that contributed significantly to the war effort ... Wert provides opposing points of view of these men. While he provides praise for these giants from many sources at the time, he also presents information on the baron’s controversies with the public and the government about excess profits, contract disputes, and corruption ... His writing style is very easy to follow and a quick read. The book is intended for an audience familiar with the Civil War. This would be a good book for those interested in the U.S. strategic-industrial base as some of the same characteristics and needs arose during World War I.
