A vignet about how John Wayne, saves the day and gets a ship stuck on the way during a launching ceremony is priceless. The Yard is intertwined with discussions of the economics of shipbuilding formerly a huge industry in the United States dating from the earliest days of the country, has now virtually disappeared. Bath, ME, is one of the places where shipbuilding started in the United States and it is the only early shipbuilding area in the country where ships are still built. The book shows how the town and shipyard support each other economically. The book also explains how the shipyard takes care of its workers.
Shipbuilding is dangerous business and workers are injured.
But BIU finds work for its injured personnel and sees that they continue to have an opportunity to contribute for the rest of their lives. The whole tone of this fun book is summed up by a quote from a Bath Iron Works weapons system electrician, Don t tell management this, but I d work here for free. He worked for electric utilities and engineering firms and is a registered professional engineer in several states. He is now retired and lives in Illinois.