Books in United States

Explore our curated list of books about farming, tractors, and rural life.

Loaded 10 more books
Cover of 150 years of International Harvester

150 years of International Harvester

The Story of a Classic <p>International Harvester and the Farmall brand are legendary names. As both tireless machines and valued collector pieces, they are among the most popular tractors in the world.</p> <p>In this information-packed photo-encyclopedia, learn about the history and evolution of these famous agricultural icons. With more than 1,900 photos and detailed data on every tractor, truck, hay rake and hemp machine built in the company's history, <i>150 Years of International Harvester</i> is the ultimate resource for these great farm machines.</p>

View details
Cover of A corporate tragedy: the agony of International Harvester Company

A corporate tragedy: the agony of International Harvester Company

In an examination of the disastrous fall of International Harvester Company, this book details the powerful forces that have undermined American industry and the dizzying succession of management blunders that are being repeated throughout American companies every day

View details
Cover of Farmall century 1923-2023: the evolution of red tractors and crawlers in the golden age of International Harvester

Farmall century 1923-2023: the evolution of red tractors and crawlers in the golden age of International Harvester

"Marking the seventy-fifth anniversary of Farmall tractors, this authoritative guide is a model-by-model history that traces the evolution and design of some of the most versatile and capable machines of the 20th century. Complete with historical imagery and lush studio photography of rare machines hard at work in the fields, pastures, and farm settings, it is a must-read for every Farmall enthusiast"--

View details
Cover of International Harvester, Mccormick, Navistar: milestones in the company that helped build America

International Harvester, Mccormick, Navistar: milestones in the company that helped build America

The passion for invention is a deeply ingrained part of American culture. In the decades after our independence, the new nation burst with names every schoolchild should learn: Robert Fulton, Eli Whitney, Samuel Morse-and above all, Cyrus McCormick. Cyrus McCormick, inventor of the first mechanical reaper, liberated the American farmer, and changed the course of history. Until 1831, when he marketed the first truly practical machine, grain was still harvested as it had been in the time of the Pharaohs. McCormick also pioneered modern sales and marketing techniques, and as the twentieth century dawned, his McCormick Harvesting Machine Company became International Harvester, an industrial powerhouse ranked with U.S. Steel and Standard Oil. Celebrating this year its 175th anniversary, McCormick's company, now Navistar International, has been a vital force in the American landscape, its tractors and trucks crucial to its industrial development. Milestones is the first fully illustrated history of the rich heritage of Navistar International, from its founding by Cyrus McCormick to its vitality today. This lavishly illustrated, oversized volume is packed with original photography, nostalgic advertising, fascinating detail and history, and American pride.

View details
Cover of The Deerings of International Harvester

The Deerings of International Harvester

This is the story of the Deering family which became one of the richest families in the US during the first half of the Twentieth Century. It is the story of William Deering who risked his already substantial fortune by investing in a small company in Illinois which was manufacturing a reaper for the farming industry in America. Deering's business ability and his willingness to take on risk resulted in his being the sole owner of the Deering Harvesting Company. His company was second only to the largest farm equipment manufacturer, the McCormick Harvesting Machine Company. The Deering family and the McCormick families, both located in the Chicago area, were major rivals and fierce competitors. In 1902 the J. P. Morgan organization was successful in merging the two, giant farm equipment manufactures into one company to be known as International Harvester. International Harvester became the fourth largest corporation in the US by 1909, and the Deering family owned approximately one-third of that company. You will see how the Deering family blended into management of this giant corporation, their accomplishments both within the company and most importantly their philanthropic and other endeavors. The story will be told of the huge mansions the Deerings built, the changing relationships between the McCormicks and the Deerings and the major philanthropic and charitable efforts they have and continue to support. When one learns the story of these two families, one also learns the story of the huge corporation named International Harvester. "The McCormicks of International Harvester" written by Ray Burhop, tells the story of the McCormick family. This book can be considered the companion to that book as it completes the story of the two families which were the catalyst and driving force in the creation of International Harvester Corporation.

View details
Cover of The International Harvester Co March 3, 1913

The International Harvester Co March 3, 1913

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.<br><br>This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.<br><br>As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

View details
Cover of Tractor Wars John Deere, Henry Ford, International Harvester, and the Birth of Modern Agriculture

Tractor Wars John Deere, Henry Ford, International Harvester, and the Birth of Modern Agriculture

<b>"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." <b>—<i>Wall Street Journal</i><br></b><br><b>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.</b></b><br><br>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. <br><br> 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.<br> <br>A researcher, historian, and writer, Neil Dahlstrom has spent decades in the corporate archives at John Deere. In <i>Tractor Wars</i>, 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. <br><br>With all the bitterness and drama of the race between Ford, Dodge, and General Motors, <i>Tractor Wars</i> 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.

View details
Cover of United States of America, Petitioner, Vs. International Harvester Company, Et Al. , Defendants Transcript of Proceedings

United States of America, Petitioner, Vs. International Harvester Company, Et Al. , Defendants Transcript of Proceedings

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.<br><br>This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.<br><br>As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

View details
Cover of Vintage International Harvester Tractors

Vintage International Harvester Tractors

Introduced in 1922, International Harvester's Farmall tractor was an inexpensive, lightweight, general-purpose, row-crop tractor that revolutionized farming around the world. In this tribute, abundant illustrations accompany the text in celebration of the Farmall and other International Harvester tr

View details