This book describes and analyzes FDR's methods of war mobilization, by focusing on his administration's race manpower policies. Widespread but little-known racial violence threatened to disrupt the American war effort, and the Army as well as production officials struggled throughout the war to control and retain the allegiance of African-Americans. Like the century's three other Democratic presidents fighting wars, FDR struggled to contain racial unrest by deploying new policy tools suited to particular forms of friction.

This book describes and analyzes FDR's methods of war mobilization, by focusing on his administration's race manpower policies. Widespread but little-known racial violence threatened to disrupt the American war effort, and the Army as well as production officials struggled throughout the war to control and retain the allegiance of African-Americans. Like the century's three other Democratic presidents fighting wars, FDR struggled to contain racial unrest by deploying new policy tools suited to particular forms of friction.