Although the “Green” and the “Red” tend to attract the lion's share of attention, another great name in American agriculture was Ford. In The Big Book of Ford Tractors: The Complete Model-By-Model Encyclopedia, Harold L. Brock and Robert N. Pripps explain how Henry Ford, a Michigan farm boy, sought to replace human sweat and muscle with mechanics.

The authors emphasize that much of the company's early success was the result of world-class engineering, especially the work of Irish-born Harry Ferguson. They provide a comprehensive review of the various early N models as well as the post-war (post-Ford family) models. The company moved from producing from just a handful of tractors models in 1965, to manufacturing 40 different ones on the eve of the brand's demise in the consolidation era of the 1990s.

The authors provide a wealth of technical details, presented in an engaging blend of photographs, tables and text. Price: $39.95. Contact Voyageur Press (see contact information at right), or circle 150.