These two books from Voyageur Press have International Harvester’s Farmall tractor line covered from start to finish.
Legendary Farmall Tractors: A Photographic History
A collaboration between author Lee Klancher and photographer Randy Leffingwell has resulted in a beaut of a book covering the Farmall line from start to finish in Legendary Farmall Tractors: A Photographic History.
The Klancher/Leffingwell duo opted to tell the Farmall story through pictures: hundreds and hundreds of photos so fine you’d swear some of the handsomely restored tractors were shot coming out of the paint booth. Others are caught in their work clothes, complete with dirt, worn rubber, baling wire and duct tape. Multiple angles, varied settings and select detail deliver a spectacularly comprehensive look at the Farmall line and lend interesting new perspectives on a familiar story.
On first read, the tractors take center stage. Subsequent explorations of the book draw the reader deeper in. The backgrounds tell a tale of the American agriculture tradition, showcasing varied crops, different parts of the country in every season of the year, and sheds, shops and barns of every description.
But the book is not just eye candy. Juicy little nuggets of information written by each contributor accompany the photos. Klancher and Leffingwell know their stuff: Klancher is no stranger to the topic, having previously authored Farmall: The Golden Age 1924-1954 and Farmall Tractors. Leffingwell too is well known in the old iron category, having produced his own Farmall heavyweight, Farmall: Eight Decades of Innovation.
The book takes a comprehensive look at the category. Legendary Farmall Tractors is willing to stray off the beaten path, delving into the earliest International Harvester products, crawlers and construction equipment. Interesting side notes touch on the impact of the changing face of agriculture in the 1950s, Cub and Cub Cadet lines, and implements. All in all, a handsome new look at a classic piece of Americana.
Legendary Farmall Tractors: A Photographic History by Lee Klancher, 2009, hardback, 8-1/2 by 11 inches, 192 pages, full-color photos, Voyageur Press, $25, available through Farm Collector Books.
The Big Book of Farmall Tractors
Looking for a single source on Farmall tractors, toys, brochures and collectibles? Take a look at The Big Book of Farmall Tractors by Robert Pripps. Reissued this year in paperback, the Big Book is the ultimate source on International Harvester’s Farmall line. The first book to feature every Farmall model, it includes in-depth information on International Harvester, hundreds of color photographs (by Andrew Morland) of all models, and performance comparisons.
The Big Book of Farmall Tractors: The Complete Model-by-Model Encyclopedia … Plus Classic Toys, Brochures and Collectibles by Robert N. Pripps, reissued in 2010, paperback, 9 by 12 inches, 208 pages, 300 full-color photos, Voyageur Press, $25.99, available through Farm Collector Books.FC
