Cork Wars: Intrigue and Industry in World War II
Independent Publisher Book Award winner for world history 
“Reads like a thriller … particularly timely as we step lightly though portents of possible similar corruption and conspiracy.” — San Francisco Review of Books
“A fascinating tale… all the suspense of a novel.” — Sheilah Kast, On the Record, WYPR
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“A captivating story . . . Cork Wars is a valuable addition to the literature on World War II…” — Journal of American History
In 1940, with German U-boats blockading all commerce across the Atlantic Ocean, a fireball at the Crown Cork and Seal factory lit the sky over Baltimore. Newspapers said that you could see its glow from Philadelphia. Rumors of Nazi sabotage led to an FBI investigation and pulled an entire industry into the national security web as America stood on the brink of war.
Cork Wars traces this story through the lives of three families, all drawn into this dangerous intersection of business and espionage: self-made mogul Charles McManus, son of Irish immigrants, who grew up on Baltimore’s rough streets. Frank DiCara, a teenager growing up in a neighborhood near the McManus factory, would come under government suspicion and soon have to support his family with a wartime job. Melchor Marsa, Catalan by birth, managed the company’s plants in Spain and Portugal—and was perfectly placed to serve as a spy.
Drawing on in-depth interviews with family members, personal collections, and recently declassified government records, the book weaves this by turns beautiful, dark, and outrageous narrative with the drama of a thriller. From the factory floor to the corner office, Cork Wars traces shifts in our ideas of modernity, the environment, and the materials and norms of American life. Anyone interested in a good yarn will be gripped by this bold and frightening tale of a forgotten episode of American history.
More Praise for ‘Cork Wars: Intrigue and Industry in World War II’
“Absorbing and illuminating . . . Taylor’s prose pulls the reader in from the first and never lets go.” — Maury Klein, author of A Call to Arms: Mobilizing America for World War II
“An exciting true narrative of spies, intrigue, submarine warfare, soldiers, sailors, tree farmers, and assembly line workers, all caught up in history . . . Cork Wars is a tale you won’t want to miss.” — Bernard A. Weisberger, author of Cold War, Cold Peace
“A vivid slice of life from that time that speaks to ours. A landmark achievement!” — Douglas Brinkley, author of Rightful Heritage: Franklin D. Roosevelt and the Land of America
“Taylor’s absorbing account…hopefully represents a trend …. [T]he most compelling part of Taylor’s book is how families of outsiders—immigrants from Ireland, Italy, Spain, and Eastern Europe—demonstrated unbelievable resilience in the face of hostility and deprivation at home and total war abroad.” — Technology and Culture
“An engaging account of the cork industry and its importance to the war effort . . . Recommended” — Choice: Current Reviews for Academic Libraries, American Library Association
“Immigrants, spies, and businessmen populate David Taylor’s fascinating history of the important role that cork played in World War II. Next time you hold a wine cork in your hand, it’ll be hard not to think of a Baltimore factory and a story stretching from Maryland and California to Portugal and Morocco.” — Meredith Hindley, author of Destination Casablanca: Exile, Espionage, and the Battle for North Africa in World War II
“This well-researched, well-told story takes readers into a world of espionage, industrial ingenuity, and American resilience. A compelling history with surprising breadth.” — Robert Whitaker, author of The Mapmaker’s Wife: A True Tale Of Love, Murder, And Survival In The Amazon
“Richly researched history, delivered with a novelist’s heart.” — Mark Athitakis, author of The New Midwest: A Guide to Contemporary Fiction of the Great Lakes, Great Plains, and Rust Belt
“Cork Wars captures the drama of three families whose lives are bound up with a precious forest product—and the urgency of war.” — Mary Otto, author of Teeth: The Story of Beauty, Inequality, and the Struggle for Oral Health in America
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Family Stories in ‘Cork Wars’
Frank DiCara’s story of growing up in Baltimore when Italian-Americans came under suspicion as the U.S. entered World War II:
Melchor Marsa’s story of taking his family to work in Spain and Portugal for business during some of the most turbulent years in the twentieth century:
When Cork Was Modern
Author Interviews, Articles and More
- “When Cork Was Modern” On the Record interview with Sheilah Kast on Baltimore’s NPR station, WYPR
- Climate Change Lessons from an Unexpected Source: America’s Forgotten Cork Crisis: Discover magazine article
- A 1940s American Cork Dream All Things Considered interview on NPR
- During World War II, the U.S. Saw Italian-Americans as a Threat to Homeland Security Smithsonian article
- In Portugal, Uncorking Some Unexpected Culinary Delights Washington Post
- Playlist for Cork Wars on Large-Hearted Boy