Heavy Metal

“Journalist Fabey (Crashback) chronicles the construction of the USS John F. Kennedy at a Newport News, Va., shipyard in this richly detailed account… Fabey also empathetically portrays the workers’ fears of layoffs, illnesses, injuries, and mistakes, as well as the satisfaction they take in contributing to the national defense. This poignant portrait of working-class life will appeal to fans of Studs Terkel.” — Publishers Weekly“Heavy Metal, which plows sturdily through the swells and troughs of big-ticket ship construction, does a noble thing in affirming that nowhere else in the world has this species of freedom been built so well and for so long.” — Wall Street Journal“A deep-diving contribution to marine engineering and transportation history.” — Kirkus Reviews“Heavy Metal presents a fresh, sympathetic perspective on the human aspects of the shipbuilding industry. It is an excellent read for anyone looking to understand the technology behind the design and construction of the Gerald R. Ford-class carriers. This book would be useful to crews preparing for complex shipyard periods.” — U.S. Naval Institute’s Proceedings “One can hardly read this book without thinking that the nation owes those shipbuilders far more than it knows.” — Daily Press

Michael Fabey has reported on military and naval affairs for most of his career. In his work for National Geographic Traveler, the Economist Group, Defense News, Aviation Week, and Janes, he has collected more than two dozen reporting awards, including the prestigious Timothy White Award. Few journalists have had as much firsthand experience of America’s naval ships and aircraft and the officers who command them. He is the author of Crashback: The Power Clash Between the US and China in the Pacific. A Philadelphia native, he currently resides in Spotsylvania, Virginia.

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