Inside the Iron Works: How Grumman's Glory Days Faded

By Geary Hobson

Book Overview

Skurla, former president and chairman of Grumman Aerospace, and Gregory, the former editor of an aviation and space magazine, trace the triumphs and disappointments of America's onetime top aerospace contractor, from its rise in the 1930s to the company's takeover by one of its biggest competitors. The company's rise and fall is seen through the ey

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 155750329X
• ISBN13: 9781557503299
• Release Date: January 2004
• Publisher: Naval Institute Press
• Length: 225 Pages
• Weight: 1.14 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.5" x 1.0" x 6.5"

Customer Reviews

Brought Me back

I used to work for Grumman during the F-14 "glory days". In fact before I became a Budget Planner, I used to work in the Clean Room attaching "honeycomb" for the F-14 wings. Grumman did it right back in those days regarding employee morale. Every once in awhile, employees were encouraged to watch "fly bys" of the Tomcat over the runway by Plant 4. It was a great period of my life. The book brought back memories as well...

An aerospace giant that lost focus and lost independence

"Unfulfilled destiny" is how George Skurla sums up the fortunes of the company he spent his entire professional career with. He begins the book in a somber mood, thus trying to convey his depression at seeing the aftermath of what had been a mighty company reduced to the junior partner in one of today's big-name aerospace firms. Skurla follows the highs and lows of a company that had built thousands of airplanes for the U.S...

The Inside Scoop

This is a wonderful inside look into a uniquely American Company. This history of the Grumman Corp. will be of great interest to both aerospace and business professionals.