Heavy Metal: The Hard Days and Nights of the Shipyard Workers Who Build America's Supercarriers

This is an extraordinary story of American can-do, this inside look at building the world’s most dangerous aircraft carrier, the USS John F. Kennedy. It reveals the brawn, brains, and brass of Newport News Shipbuilding yard in Virginia. With 30,000 employees, the shipyard transformed naval warfare with the carrier, weighing 100,000 tons and featuring futuristic technology.

This book follows the steelworkers who built the next-generation aircraft carrier, battling layoffs, extreme weather, impossible deadlines, workplace dangers, and a pandemic. The shipyard dominates Newport News, shaping the city’s growth from a backwater to the home of the premier naval contractor in the United States. This indelible moment captures the history of a shipyard, a city, and a country.

(This book may contain a sharpie mark on the top or bottom edge and may show mild signs of shelfwear.)