Driving Honda by Jeffrey Rothfeder
An interesting look inside the history and guiding philosophies of the Honda conglomerate.
For some reason, the author spends the final chapter on an only-tangentially-related diatribe on national manufacturing policy.
Blackett’s War by Stephen Budiansky
A look at the inception of what came to be known as “operations research.” Effectively, the intentional application of scientific principles to processes and decision making–specifically in the context of World War II.
When your merchant ships are being sunk by U-boats, should you group them into convoys or send them alone? Should you use your airplanes to bomb factories or submarines? To get your troops fed faster, should you build another mess hall or reorganize the one you have?
The Admirals by Walter R. Borneman
A group biography of the only five-star Fleet Admirals in U.S. history (thus far). After their backgrounds and early careers we then get a high-level history of WWII in the Pacific theater.
Implicitly covers the transition in naval theory from great fleet-on-fleet engagements won by battleships to standoff battles via carrier groups and projected air power.