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The sack of Detroit : General Motors and the end of American enterprise / Kenneth Whyte.

By: Material type: TextTextPublisher: New York : Alfred A. Knopf, 2021Copyright date: ©2021Edition: First editionDescription: viii, 418 pages ; 25 cmContent type:
  • text
Media type:
  • unmediated
Carrier type:
  • volume
ISBN:
  • 9780525521679
  • 0525521674
  • 9780525563426
  • 0525563423
Subject(s):
Contents:
American berserks -- All roads lead to Detroit -- Bursts of untamed idealism -- The plague of the twentieth century -- The rise of the honkers -- Savior sans tailfins -- "This means taking on Detroit" -- Head of the clan, at sea -- "I intend to be a crusader" -- Something stupid -- Anarchy on wheels -- Exposed -- Playing a losing hand -- Kill shot -- No defects, no negligence -- The death of Alfred P. Sloan -- The end of Detroit -- Avoidable deaths -- The end of American enterprise.
Summary: "A provocative, ground-breaking history of the downfall of the American auto industry from the widely praised author of Herbert Hoover: An Extraordinary Life in Extraordinary Times"-- Provided by publisher.Summary: A provocative, groundbreaking history of the downfall of the American auto industry. In the 1950s, when America enjoyed massive growth and affluence, no companies contributed more to its success than automakers. They were the biggest and best businesses in the world: their leadership revered, their methods imitated, and their brand synonymous with the nation's aspirations. But by the end of the 1960s, Detroit's profits had evaporated and its famed executives had become symbols of greed, arrogance, and incompetence. The reversal hit hardest at General Motors, which found itself the main target of a Senate hearing on auto safety that publicly humiliated its leadership and shattered its reputation. In The Sack of Detroit, Kenneth Whyte recounts the epic rise and unnecessary fall of America's most important industry. At the center of his absorbing narrative are the titans of the automotive world, and the crusaders for safety such as Ralph Nader and a group of senators led by Abraham Ribicoff and Robert Kennedy. Their collision left Detroit in a ditch, launched a new era of consumer advocacy and government regulation, and contributed significantly to the decline of American enterprise. This is a vivid story of politics, business, and a sudden, seismic shift in American priorities that is still felt today. -- From dust jacket.
Holdings
Item type Home library Collection Call number Materials specified Status Date due Barcode Item holds
Adult Book Adult Book Main Library NonFiction 338.7629 W629 Available 33111010749253
Total holds: 0

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

"Vigorous, provocative... The Sack of Detroit is compelling, bold and stylishly written."
-- Barbara Spindel, The Wall Street Journal


A provocative, revelatory history of the epic rise--and unnecessary fall--of the U.S. automotive industry, uncovering the vivid story of innovation, politics, and business that led to a sudden, seismic shift in American priorities that is still felt today, from the acclaimed author of Hoover


In the 1950s, America enjoyed massive growth and affluence, and no companies contributed more to its success than automakers. They were the biggest and best businesses in the world, their leadership revered, their methods imitated, and their brands synonymous with the nation's aspirations. But by the end of the 1960s, Detroit's profits had evaporated and its famed executives had become symbols of greed, arrogance, and incompetence. And no company suffered this reversal more than General Motors, which found itself the main target of a Senate hearing on auto safety that publicly humiliated its leadership and shattered its reputation.

In The Sack of Detroit, Kenneth Whyte recounts the epic rise and unnecessary fall of America's most important industry. At the center of his absorbing narrative are the titans of the automotive world but also the crusaders of safety, including Ralph Nader and a group of senators including Bobby Kennedy. Their collision left Detroit in a ditch, launched a new era of consumer advocacy and government regulation, and contributed significantly to the decline of American enterprise. This is a vivid story of politics, business, and a sudden, seismic shift in American priorities that is still felt today.

"This is a Borzoi book"

Includes bibliographical references and index.

American berserks -- All roads lead to Detroit -- Bursts of untamed idealism -- The plague of the twentieth century -- The rise of the honkers -- Savior sans tailfins -- "This means taking on Detroit" -- Head of the clan, at sea -- "I intend to be a crusader" -- Something stupid -- Anarchy on wheels -- Exposed -- Playing a losing hand -- Kill shot -- No defects, no negligence -- The death of Alfred P. Sloan -- The end of Detroit -- Avoidable deaths -- The end of American enterprise.

"A provocative, ground-breaking history of the downfall of the American auto industry from the widely praised author of Herbert Hoover: An Extraordinary Life in Extraordinary Times"-- Provided by publisher.

A provocative, groundbreaking history of the downfall of the American auto industry. In the 1950s, when America enjoyed massive growth and affluence, no companies contributed more to its success than automakers. They were the biggest and best businesses in the world: their leadership revered, their methods imitated, and their brand synonymous with the nation's aspirations. But by the end of the 1960s, Detroit's profits had evaporated and its famed executives had become symbols of greed, arrogance, and incompetence. The reversal hit hardest at General Motors, which found itself the main target of a Senate hearing on auto safety that publicly humiliated its leadership and shattered its reputation. In The Sack of Detroit, Kenneth Whyte recounts the epic rise and unnecessary fall of America's most important industry. At the center of his absorbing narrative are the titans of the automotive world, and the crusaders for safety such as Ralph Nader and a group of senators led by Abraham Ribicoff and Robert Kennedy. Their collision left Detroit in a ditch, launched a new era of consumer advocacy and government regulation, and contributed significantly to the decline of American enterprise. This is a vivid story of politics, business, and a sudden, seismic shift in American priorities that is still felt today. -- From dust jacket.

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