Since its original publication in 1968, Welcome to the Monkey House has been one of Kurt Vonnegut s most beloved works. This special edition celebrates a true master of the short-story form by including multiple variant drafts of what would eventually be the title story. In a fascinating accompanying essay, Building the Monkey House: At Kurt Vonnegut s Writing Table, noted Vonnegut scholar Gregory D. Sumner walks readers through Vonnegut s process as the author struggles false start after false start to hit upon what would be one of his greatest stories. The result is the rare...

When President Roosevelt called for the country to be the great "Arsenal of Democracy," Detroit helped turn the tide against fascism with its industrial might. Locals were committed to the cause, putting careers and personal ambitions on hold. Factories were retooled from the ground up. Industrialist Henry Ford, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, aviator Charles Lindbergh, legendary boxer Joe Louis, future baseball Hall of Famer Hank Greenberg and the real-life Rosie the Riveters all helped drive the city that was "forging thunderbolts" for the front lines. With a panoramic narrative, author...