Anglo-American Shipbuilding in World War II: A Geographical Perspective

The expansion of the shipbuilding industry in Britain and the United States between 1938 and 1945 was one of the greatest economic feats in history. This study examines in detail the unprecedented growth both in total industrial capacity and that of individual shipyards. Lindberg and Todd go beyond the normal descriptive historical account of this expansion to analyze it through the application of a geographical perspective. Specifically, they apply the geographic concepts of clustering and agglomeration to the merchant and naval shipbuilding industries of both nations during this vital era. Beginning with the emergence of a modern shipbuilding capability in the late nineteenth century, the authors examine how these geographic concepts were progressively implemented in both the United States and Britain as a result of new technological demands on navies as well as changing geostrategic considerations. While World War I marked the initial large-scale example of clustering/agglomeration, the interwar period would witness a quick demise of both the industry and the major shipyard agglomerations. This important work explains how, as a result of the war, the governments and the shipbuilding industries of two nations were able to reconstitute and greatly expand their capabilities in the face of ever-increasing demands for both warships and merchant vessels.