The author takes you through his research and makes you interested in tractors and other farm equipment. He shows you the history behind each item that was made and the men behind them and then the fight of the mighty Ford against Dreer, and Internationa Harvester. Of course like the auto industry Ford, when could buy smaller companies if the products that they were producing were of quality and he would buy the tools that made the equipment as well. At times he would do this just to put people out of business. While reading there were times when I thought why did not they join forces to compete against Ford I think it was not in their nature to do so. This was an excellent book, that took me by surprise.

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.

I appreciated the knowledge and research that has gone into this wonderful book.
I love the rural life and the concept of ‘living on the land’ so found great interest in the evolution of farming with and without mechanical help. The tractor has allowed so much more to be achieved with farmland and I would suggest any rural person should take the time to enjoy this book. A unique story to be treasured!

I commend Neil Dahlstrom for his research and understanding of the rural lifestyle!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

<a href="https://e357.net/beingernest/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Tractor-Wars.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-7263" src="https://e357.net/beingernest/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Tractor-Wars-201x300.jpg" alt="" width="201" height="300" /></a>There's something about tractors that draws a boy's attention. I learned to drive in the 1960s on a 1948 Farmall Cub on my grandfather's land in Vermont, and at a recent visit to a farm stand, I was delighted to find an almost identical, so it's not surprising that <strong>Tractor Wars</strong> caught my eye.

In <strong>Tractor Wars</strong>, Neil Dahlstrom gives us an inside look at the birth of the farm tractor starting in the late 1800s and culminating with Ford's transition to overseas manufacturing in Ireland at the end of the 1920s. Drawing heavily on biographies, board room records, and newspaper clippings, the book's focus is on corporate strategies, alliances, and competitions. Readers may be surprised to discover how late to the game John Deere was, but not especially surprised that when Henry Ford entered the fray with his Fordson tractor, his techniques of mass production and ruthless pricing gave him immediate dominance in the field(s).<!--more-->

While the focus is on the competition, largely between Harvester (which became International Harvester), Deere, and Ford, what I found most interesting was how the story of the tractor meshed with other events. The rise of an industrialized economy and the outbreak of war in Europe meant the beginning of the exodus from the farm, and the tractor was a large part of the mechanization of agriculture that allowed for much larger yields and reduced labor. Henry Ford, who looms large in this tale, grew up on a farm but had no love for farming and was frustrated by the inefficiencies he saw in farm practice. Not only did he want to make farming a modern business, but he wanted to free the agricultural workforce to work in factories.

[caption id="attachment_7268" align="alignright" width="300"]<a href="https://e357.net/beingernest/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/20211024_124606.jpg"><img class="wp-image-7268 size-medium" src="https://e357.net/beingernest/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/20211024_124606-300x200.jpg" alt="Ernest Lilley on a reitred Farmall Cub" width="300" height="200" /></a> Though it came almost 10 years after the tractors covered in Tractor Wars, the International Harvester Farmall Cub holds a special place in my memory.[/caption]

At the turn of the century, horse and mule were the rule in farming, but over the next two decades, the adoption of power machinery lead to bigger farms and paved the way to modern agribusiness. Ford, always the champion of the average buyer produced a smaller tractor than Harvestor, or eventually, Deere. Aimed at the small farm and priced to be affordable to anyone his Fordson tractor would dominate sales for over a decade.

Neil Dahlstrom puts human faces on the drama in a very readable way. I would have liked more about the technical evolution of the machines, but if it's not the main thrust it's not neglected. The text is about the companies and the men that ran them, but the story is set against the rise of the industrial age, which it shows from a unique perspective.

History buffs will want to read this title. It is detailed. I learned a few new things. Looking forward to discussing my highlights with other history enthusiasts.

4 stars
So much better than what I expected. I do feel there is a huge audience for this book. I loved it and the history. Thanks for the ARC of this book.

I appreciate the publisher allowing me to read this book. This is a well researched read on tractors I couldn't put down.