Writers LIVE: David Taylor, Cork Wars: Intrigue and Industry in World War II

Cork Wars is a history involving World War II, immigration and cork. It’s a story about how cork—from cork oak forests around the Mediterranean—was a big deal in the mid-20th century. It was so big that when Germany cut supplies with the Atlantic blockade, cork companies and their workers got caught up in the life-and-death geopolitical struggle. What began as a simple trade in bark and bottle caps quickly grew into a global drama with sabotage, espionage, and profiteering.

In Cork Wars, David A. Taylor traces the fascinating story through the lives of Charles McManus, Frank DiCara, Melchor Marsa, and their families.

Journalist David A. Taylor teaches science writing at Johns Hopkins University. He is the author of Soul of a People: The WPA Writers’ Project Uncovers Depression America and Ginseng, the Divine Root: The Curious History of the Plant That Captivated the World.

Writers LIVE programs are supported in part by a bequest from The Miss Howard Hubbard Adult Programming Fund.

Recorded On: Thursday, January 31, 2019