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A little over a century ago a quiet revolution began to take place on American farms. The back-breaking work and daily drudgery that was farming was changing, and the vehicle that was making the change was the American farm tractor. The first machines were steam-powered giants, but at the turn of the 20th century the internal combustion engine appeared as a viable alternative to steam. This advance changed the face of agriculture forever.

The farm tractor could undertake work that previously had required either human or animal motive power - it was reliable, it was more efficient, it was more powerful. Initially tractors were generally used for pulling ploughs in open fields or for powering threshing machines, but soon smaller, more manoeuvrable tractors became a common sight in the fields and orchards of America. As technology improved, so the tractor evolved and advanced, and specialized machines began to appear: narrow and enclosed bodies for orchards, higher ground clearance for rice-fields, special tracks for cotton. Today's machines, while perhaps lacking the nostalgic glamour of the classic and vintage machines, are highly impressive vehicles, worthy descendants of a noble line.

This book provides a wonderfully illustrated overview of a century of farm tractors. It is divided into separate chapters that examine the history of each of the most significant manufacturers of American tractors marque-by-marque. Each chapter views the most important models in chronological sequence in a series of narrative spreads that locate the development of the tractor line within the overall company history. The illustrations include colour photographs of finely restored machines, colour and black and white archive photographs, and studio photographs of related memorabilia and collectibles. A special feature is the 24 double-page spreads devoted to "landmark" vehicles - these combine newly commissioned colour portraits of the most influential machines alongside a gallery of colour detail shots accompanied by extensive captions and specifications tables.

The book is written in an informative and readable style, and the author, P.W. Ertel, adopts a refreshingly broad perspective in his review. The combination of authoritative text and superb photography results in a wonderfully entertaining reference book that is as enjoyable as it is informative.

Code No. 009550, ISBN 0760308632