Fonthill's The Consolidated B-24 Liberator

The United States had basically two heavy bombers during WWII. One was the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, a 1935 design. The other was the Consolidated B-24 Liberator from 1940. While the B-17 got most of the press, the B-24 was built in much larger numbers with at one time, a plane an hour coming off the assembly line at the huge Willow Run plant.

The B-24 was better in almost every way to the B-17. It was larger, faster, and carried a greater bomb load over a longer distance. It was also fairly difficult to fly in formation. Most of the positive attributes was why it was the main heavy in the Pacific until the advent of the B-29.

Typical of any aircraft that has been in production for any length of time, the B-24 was continually improved. It was also built as several factories across the middle of the US where it was felt they would be safe from any possible future enemy bombardment. This distribution of main assembly sites meant that frequently no two sites were building the exact same sub-variant of aircraft. As you might imagine, getting things up and running meant ensuring a timely supply of components from the varioius sub-manufacturers, which were also spread around the country near their main contractor.

This book is not a simply comparison of the various sub-types of the B-24. It is much more than that and looks in depth into the personalities behind the development and construction of the aircraft. The decision making that went into where to build the plane and only a small portion of the book is devoted to the airframe itself. I would dare say that a goodly portion of the book is devoted to the Willow Run factory as that was the main production point and just getting the facility built and operating was a herculean task.

In all, it takes every bit of the 624 pages to tell the various stories within the book's covers. It is not a quick read, but one that once you get involved, is one that you have trouble putting down for the night. A book that tells a story that has not really been told before and provides an insight into one of the more successful ventures of the war. Highly recommended.

February 2026

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