Tractor Wars: John Deere, Henry Ford, International Harvester, and the Birth of Modern Agriculture: John Deere, Henry Ford, International Harvester, and and the Birth of Modern Agriculture
A**N
The cut-throat business of tractors
Who would have thought the history of tractors would turn out to be so interesting? Now, I must admit to skipping some of the more technical/mechanical sections, but overall I found this a pretty fascinating read, turning my attention to something I had simply never even thought about before – the development of tractors for farming and the rivalry between the various companies that made them and wanted dominance in the market. Pretty cut-throat business, building tractors - apparently. Overall this is a book perhaps more for the enthusiast than the general reader but there’s something to be gained by just about any reader here, and I came away from my reading feeling better informed and maybe, just maybe, willing to look at tractors with a bit more attention.
L**L
Interesting book at a good price.
Loving all things farm equipment, I've found this telling of historic brand development very interesting.
J**B
Absolutely brilliant and hugely enjoyable
Written as fluid as an intriguing conversation with an expert in the field, Mr. Dahlstrom’s book is truly remarkable.Fully leveraging the dream-job of John Deere’s Manager of Archives and History (!), the author immerses the reader in the trials and tribulations of the early 20th century genesis of mechanized “traction engines”.The history, background and pluck of the fascinating people that created it all, is as remarkable as the machinery. Corporate board rooms, world wars, trade and transport, finance; it’s all here.I absolutely loved the pace of the text and liberal use of direct quotes (awesome sentence phrasing and unapologetic direct-speak back then!). Very interesting photos throughout.Took my time reading this book to savor it.
R**E
Good history
I have been interested in tractors for many years and have read a lot regarding the ag equipment industry's history. So there wasn't a lot of new information for but I did learn some new things Mostly about Ford whose history isn't as well-documented as Deere and IH.I've seen other reviewers note that the book seems to end somewhat abruptly in the late 1920s. To me this supports a not-so-obvious theme that runs through this book. While there is a lot of balanced history between all three makers, I took away that the story being told here really is about Deere's advances to successfully compete against IH and Ford in the tractor market. The book ends at the point where Deere got its act together.
E**D
On time and in shape
Book was delivered on time and as advertized. Thank you. Very interesting book
A**D
Not for a general audience
I expected this to be about how Ford and John Deere fought for supremacy in tractors, but it was a detailed account of those two companies, International Harvester and others, and the specific types of tractors they delivered and when they delivered them, including horsepower, the types of plows they pulled, etc. If you're really interested in that type of minutia, this is the book for you, but it isn't for the general reader. If you're interested in the business competitive factors, personalities, and impact on the growth of agriculture generally, I'm sure there are better books to read. The author is an archivist for John Deere, and he's a very competent writer who has done his research. His audience is not the general public.
