This is the second volume in a trilogy of books that look in depth at the history of David Brown tractors, and a remarkable record of a proud company during what is probably the greatest period of its history. Part Two focuses on the period during which the motto of this celebrated Yorkshire company was "Mechanising the world's farms." It was no idle boast, as this book explains - the company expanded its product line to embrace a host of different models, becoming a serious contender on the global market. The famous Cropmaster remained in production until 1953, but the exciting new developments that followed included the six-cylinder 50D, the innovative rowcrop 2D and a range of crawlers and industrial tractors. Diversifying still further, David Brown added the old-established firm of Harrison, McGregor & Guest, together with its range of Albion implements, to its portfolio in 1955. The early 1960s saw the arrival of the Implematic range before the era of red David Brown tractors came to an end in 1964. This highly illustrated book is the result of many years of meticulous research during which time the author has met and interviewed many of David Brown's key personnel including directors, engineers and sales people. Many of the illustrations are taken from David Brown's own archives and will not have been seen before.

This is the first in a trilogy of books profiling in detail David Brown and its products. David Brown was a Yorkshire company, based around Huddersfield. Its roots lay in wooden-pattern making for the looms and weaving machinery of the area in the 1850s. This led to the manufacture of the machine-cut iron gears in which the company excelled. In 1914 the company patented a worm thread for gears that eventually was adopted as the British Standard thread. Their involvement with tractors began before World War II when they had an agreement with Harry Ferguson to manufacture the Ferguson-Brown. When working with Ferguson proved difficult the company developed its own ranges of wheeled and crawler tractors, the VAK series. Development was interrupted by the war during which the company's gears were used in the Merlin engines that powered the Spitfires. This closely researched, highly illustrated title tells the full story of this remarkable company's early years. It concludes when the VAK 1/C became one of Britain's most popular tractors of the 1950s - the Cropmaster. Author Stuart Gibbard has interviewed many of the surviving engineers, designers and other staff involved in the development and marketing of David Brown's products.

"Blades spinning, wheels turning, tractors roaring! It's maize-harvesting day on the farm and Tractor Dave can't wait to help out. But when disaster strikes, it's up to Dave to save the harvest"--Back cover.

In this off-beat book perfect for reading aloud, a Caldecott Honor winner shares the story of a duck who rides a bike with hilarious results. One day down on the farm, Duck got a wild idea. “I bet I could ride a bike,” he thought. He waddled over to where the boy parked his bike, climbed on, and began to ride. At first, he rode slowly and he wobbled a lot, but it was fun! Duck rode past Cow and waved to her. “Hello, Cow!” said Duck. “Moo,” said Cow. But what she thought was, “A duck on a bike? That’s the silliest thing I’ve ever seen!” And so, Duck rides past Sheep, Horse, and all the other barnyard animals. Suddenly, a group of kids ride by on their bikes and run into the farmhouse, leaving the bikes outside. Now ALL the animals can ride bikes, just like Duck! Praise for Duck on a Bike “Shannon serves up a sunny blend of humor and action in this delightful tale of a Duck who spies a red bicycle one day and gets “a wild idea” . . . Add to all this the abundant opportunity for youngsters to chime in with barnyard responses (“M-o-o-o”; “Cluck! Cluck!”), and the result is one swell read-aloud, packed with freewheeling fun.” —Publishers Weekly “Grab your funny bone—Shannon . . . rides again! . . . A “quackerjack” of a terrific escapade.” —Kirkus Reviews

A little boy has a series of adventures and misadventures with a bunch of wild animals.

The little grey Fergie is Britain's best-loved tractor, the light user-friendly machine that finally replaced the horse on farms. This highly illustrated account covers the full history of Harry Ferguson's tractor products from his pioneering work before the 1930s to the merger with Massey in 1957. The author has had access to fresh archive material and has interviewed many of the surviving men who were associated with Ferguson. The appeal of the Fergie lay in its lightness and utility, and also in the system of mechanized farming of which it was a part. Throughout the book, reference is made to the implements which lay at the heart of the system. Stuart Gibbard has won "Tractor and Machinery" magazine's award for the best British tractor book five years running.