James Lachlan MacLeod Books

Karl Kae Knecht's name is synonymous with the city of Evansville. As editorial cartoonist for the Evansville Courier, he amused readers and spurred them to a higher social good. He mocked the Axis powers and kept local morale high during World War II and commented daily on issues from the Great Depression to the Space Race. He also worked tirelessly as a civic booster. Knecht helped establish Evansville College and was almost single-handedly responsible for the establishment of Mesker Park Zoo. In this absorbing account, illustrated with over seventy cartoons, University of Evansville historian James Lachlan MacLeod tells the fascinating story of Knecht's life and analyzes his cartooning genius.

During World War II, the city of Evansville manufactured vast amounts of armaments that were vital to the Allied victory. The Evansville Ordnance Plant made 96 percent of all .45-caliber ammunition used in the war, while the Republic Aviation Plant produced more than 6,500 P-47 Thunderbolts - almost half of all P-47s built during the war. At its peak, the local shipyard employed upward of eighteen thousand men and women who forged 167 of the iconic Landing Ship Tank vessels. In this captivating and fast-paced account, University of Evansville historian James Lachlan MacLeod reveals the enormous influence these wartime industries had on the social, economic and cultural life of the city.