Kansas City B-25 Factory (Images of Aviation)

Nice layout and photo history of the B-25 factory, staff, and plane. 5 stars.The 'like new' book shipped in an envelope (my pet peeve) not so 'like new'. Patterned indentions on the soft cover almost looked like it was driven over with a fork truck. Dog earing on the corners not so good (and might not have come with the shipping packaging). If it were 'new' I would have sent back. As it turned out, the price went from being a bargain for what was 'like new' to just barely acceptable for what I received, so I kept it. A harrumph 2 stars.

The only problem with this book is that it is too short! Wonderful account of the rush to build planes for our WWII effort.This factory transformed many families in the Kansas City, Kansas, area. My grandmother worked there throughoutthe war, and my mother joined her after serving in the Army Signal Corps. The book is well done and has many picturesand good accounts of the workflow, observed through the eyes of what we know now as preferred manufacturingpractices. The author does not gloss over mistakes made and problems that were avoidable, but also clearly praisesthe designers' ability to put something this massive together without the help of computers. After the war the plant waschanged to the "BOP" GM plant (Buick, Oldsmobile & Pontiac) and my father worked there. Obviously I have connectionsto the plant and it was fascinating to be able to peek behind the scenes all these years later.

Yes, a Fine piece of History, in texts and a Treasury of Photos of WW II workers and a modern factory. Surprisingly diverse spread of workers pictured. I highly Recommend this Historical Book! Wc

An interesting little book, especially for KC natives. I would have liked more production pictures and fewer publicity shots of groups of people from the factory photographers.

Good little book on the B-25 -Thanks!!

great book

As a kid growing up in northern Oklahoma, I would see B-25s flying over daily. They were used as multi engine trainers. I later read of the Doolittle raid and the B-25 forever held fascination. When I was in school at Maxwell AFB, they had a B-25 on static display near my BOQ and I would just go out a stare at it. So upon learning about its production at Fairfax in KC, KS I was delighted to discover this little book. What I did not know is that Fairfax was scheduled to begin production of the Lockheed P-80. My dad had worked on the first P-80s at Lockheed Burbank. The end of the war shut down the plant. So the P-80 stayed in California for production.

I hired on at the GMAD-BOP [General Motors Assembly Division-Buick Olds Pontiac] plant in 1962. I started on the assembly line and worked my way up a variety of positions to Foreman, then Clerk to General Superintendant, and finally a Labor Relations Manager. I moved on in 1971. Over those nine years I often met old-timers and heard stories of the war days when B-25 Bombers were built there. I was left wondering and craving for more. This book delivers! It is an amazing story complete with many photos, of a people at war, and the great effort to deliver. Excellent story to read, pass on, and be long remembered.