In this comprehensive and readable book, tractor expert Jonathan Whitlam tells the story of the development of International Harvester from its North American roots in the 1900s. The book covers developments from the early combustion-engine machines to the merger with Case in 1985 and ownership by Fiat in 1999. The story of International Harvester is inextricably tied up with developments in farming. While the giant tractors such as the Titans and Moguls could take on large-scale agriculture, smaller tractors were developed for more modest farms. The development of the famous all-purpose Farmall tractor in 1920 not only set a new benchmark in tractor design, it also completed the revolution in mechanisation of agriculture in the United States. From 1949 some International Harvester tractors were built in Britain and the book goes on to reveal the importance of European developments, including German designs in the 1980s and 1990s after the amalgamation with Case. Accompanied by a rich selection of colour photographs, this fascinating book is a complete account of both the UK and European as well as American IH tractors.
