Online Catalogue last updated 17th of September 2023
John Farnworth is an internationally recognized author on the history of Massey-Harris, Ferguson and Massey Ferguson and has written some substantive books on the subject covering various aspects of the companies’ history, plus many articles in enthusiasts’ magazines.
This latest book is unique in that it seeks to reveal some of the essential nature of the personality and character of the agricultural engineering genius Harry Ferguson. This insight is derived from the writings of two of his most senior colleagues James Duncan and Hermann Klemm and a large number of communications between Ferguson and his senior staff in both the UK and the USA. Duncan was one of Canada’s senior industrialist of the day and served Massey-Harris for 46 years finishing his career with tem as President.
He was used to negotiating extensively at every level of the business and with governments. During the war he also headed up Massey-Harris’s production of tanks and other armaments. He was effectively to become Ferguson’s "boss" when M-H bought out Ferguson in 1953 - something which Ferguson did not quite appreciate was his destiny!
Hermann Klemm was born in Germany and solidly Teutonic, an engineer through and through form an aeronautical background. He was Ferguson’s senior engineer in Detroit. These tow personalities were vey contrasting and totally different to the highly independently minded Ferguson. The three of them made for interesting and intriguing personal and professional interactions which are highlighted in the book.
Besides bringing to light Ferguson’s essential character and working relationships with staff and colleagues, information about the development of post "grey Ferguson" tractors and implements has been extracted for the extensive range of correspondence that he has reviewed. These include Ferguson 35 and LTX tractors, and side mounted harvesting equipment of fit them. Klemm’s memoir also provides insight into the development of these products and how he interacted with Harry Ferguson.
This book is quite different from John’s previous books. It will be of interest to the ever growing community of Ferguson enthusiasts, tractor enthusiasts and collectors generally, from farm tractor and implement historians and industrial historians and psychologists. It will also be of interest to those still working in all aspects of the agricultural machinery business as it will highlight just how much procedures and attitudes to working relations have changed since the halcyon days of Harry Ferguson where the "boss" ruled at every level.
Immerse yourself in the history of Ferguson the man and Ferguson product development.
Extensively illustrated, Mainly black & white images, Softback, 305 mm x 215 mm
Code No. 017471, 144 pages, ISBN 9781904686699, $60.00