"Mr. Dahlstrom...has written a superb history of the tractor and this long-forgotten period of capitalism in U.S. agriculture. We now know the whole story of when farming, business and the free-market economy diverged, divided and conquered." —Wall Street Journal Discover the untold story of the “tractor wars,” the twenty-year period that introduced power farming—the most fundamental change in world agriculture in hundreds of years. Before John Deere, Ford, and International Harvester became icons of American business, they were competitors in a forgotten battle for the farm. From 1908-1928, against the backdrop of a world war and economic depression, these brands were engaged in a race to introduce the tractor and revolutionize farming. By the turn of the twentieth century, four million people had left rural America and moved to cities, leaving the nation’s farms shorthanded for the work of plowing, planting, cultivating, harvesting, and threshing. That’s why the introduction of the tractor is an innovation story as essential as man’s landing on the moon or the advent of the internet—after all, with the tractor, a shrinking farm population could still feed a growing world. But getting the tractor from the boardroom to the drafting table, then from factory and the farm, was a technological and competitive battle that until now, has never been fully told. A researcher, historian, and writer, Neil Dahlstrom has spent decades in the corporate archives at John Deere. In Tractor Wars, Dahlstrom offers an insider’s view of a story that entwines a myriad of brands and characters, stakes and plots: the Reverend Daniel Hartsough, a pastor turned tractor designer; Alexander Legge, the eventual president of International Harvester, a former cowboy who took on Henry Ford; William Butterworth and the oft-at-odds leadership team at John Deere that partnered with the enigmatic Ford but planned for his ultimate failure. With all the bitterness and drama of the race between Ford, Dodge, and General Motors, Tractor Wars is the untold story of industry stalwarts and disruptors, inventors, and administrators racing to invent modern agriculture—a power farming revolution that would usher in a whole new world.

The farm tractor brought the Industrial Revolution to the farm. It lifted the burden from the horse power to horsepower and brought mechanized power into the hands of all farmers. This book tells the fascinating story of the development of the farm tractor with more than 250 color photos of tractors from across the United States.

Here is the biggest, best, and most complete history of classic farm tractors. All North American models make their appearance--from John Deere and Farmall to fascinating "orphans" like the Steel Mule, from the late 1800s steamers through the high-powered workhorses of the 1970s. In addition to hundreds of high-detail large-format photography of tractors and equipment (see below for samples), the volume includes 100 color and black-and-white archival photos, advertising posters, and brochures. The result is an unparalleled look at the icon of American agriculture. Chapter 1: Muscles to Motors Chapter 2: Allis-Chalmers Chapter 3: J.I. Case Chapter 4: Caterpillar Chapter 5: John Deere Chapter 6: Ford Chapter 7: International Harvester Chapter 8: Massey-Ferguson Chapter 9: Minneapolis-Moline Chapter 10: Oliver Corporation Chapter 11: Orphans and Others

Providing an interesting glimpse into the steam traction engines and internal combustion tractors that revolutionized the world of farming, this collection focuses on American tractors from the late 1850s to the beginning of the Great Depression. With farm journal advertisements--dating from 1909 through 1929--this account considers how something as ordinary and utilitarian as a tractor seems to have inherent standards of good design, correct proportion, and beauty. Intended for tractor enthusiasts, historians, artists, illustrators, students of industrial design, and graphic art lovers, this fascinating book recounts an important piece of history.