Ford: The Men and the Machine

by Robert Lacey

Spanning more than a hundred years and four generations, the story of Henry Ford, the automobile company he created, and the dynasty he founded is one of the great dramas of our time, yet never before has it been told from beginning to end in all its richness. Now Robert Lacey has captured in one volume the public achievements and the private tragedies, the feuds, affairs, and personalities that make up this epic tale.

Ford is above all the story of a handful of powerful individuals whose ambitions have helped shape modern American society:

Henry Ford I, the founder, one of history's great figures, whose legendary achievements - the Model T, the moving assembly line, the Five Dollar Day, the Peace Ship - and down-home folk wisdom are recounted in school civics courses. Here for the first time Lacey reveals the extraordinarily complex and contradictory man behind the public icon Henry Ford was at once a dedicated pacifist and a war profiteer; a champion of the rights of minorities and a virulent anti-Semite; a dedicated family man who supported a mistress and an illegitimate son; a loving father who hounded and bullied his only legitimate son into
an early grave.

Genres: Biography, History, Business, Nonfiction, Biography Memoir, Economics, American History

778 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 1986

About the author

Robert Lacey is a British historian noted for his original research, which gets him close to - and often living alongside - his subjects. He is the author of numerous international bestsellers.

After writing his first works of historical biography, Robert, Earl of Essex and Sir Walter Ralegh, Robert wrote Majesty, his pioneering biography of Queen Elizabeth II. Published in 1977, Majesty remains
acknowledged as the definitive study of British monarchy - a subject on which the author continues to write and lecture around the world, appearing regularly on ABC's Good Morning America and on CNN's Larry King Live.

The Kingdom, a study of Saudi Arabia published in 1981, is similarly acknowledged as required reading for businessmen, diplomats and students all over the world. To research The Kingdom, Robert and his wife Sandi took their family to live for eighteen months beside the Red Sea in Jeddah. Going out into the desert, this was when Robert earned his title as the "method actor" of contemporary biographers.

In March 1984 Robert Lacey took his family to live in Detroit, Michigan, to write Ford: the Men and the Machine, a best seller on both sides of the Atlantic which formed the basis for the TV mini-series of the same title, starring Cliff Robertson.

Robert's other books include biographies of the gangster Meyer Lansky, Princess Grace of Monaco and a study of Sotheby's auction house. He co- authored The Year 1000 - An Englishman's World, a description of life at the turn of the last millennium. In 2002, the Golden Jubilee Year of Queen Elizabeth II, he published Royal (Monarch in America), hailed by Andrew Roberts in London's Sunday Telegraph as "compulsively readable", and by Martin Amis in The New Yorker as "definitive".

With the publication of his Great Tales Robert Lacey returns to his first love - history. Robert Lacey is currently the historical consultant to the award-winning Netflix series "The Crown".

Reviews

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although published in 1988 this book provides a useful insight into the evolution and culture of the American auto industry through the rise of the dysfunctional, and at times quite complex, Ford dynasty. In truth this is a story of the American dream. The first Henry Ford was the son of immigrants from Southern Ireland. A farm boy with an interest in mechanical workings. An engineering genius with no interest in intellectual pursuits. A champion of, and beloved by, the ordinary folk. An idealist who later regressed to such an extent that he overstayed his welcome at the helm. Much the same as his grandson Henry II did. A highly enjoyable read but the over inclusion of family squabbles, petty and otherwise, although reinforcing the dysfunctional family dynamic, do nothing to enhance the central narrative. The men and the machines they built.

[Ahmad Cendana · Rating 4 out of 5]

A captivating book written by an author who had done meticulous research and who wasn't afraid to contradict contemporary idols. I had read Iacocca - An Autobiography and had thought "how great a hero former Ford president Lee Iacocca was"; and "how he was wronged by that stupid tyrant, Ford chairman Henry Ford II." Iacocca may have done a great job in saving Chrysler after that - and deservingly receving the accolades worldwide. However, as the `Ford' book shows, Iacocca had a lot of faults too. And Henry Ford II, despite his weaknesses, deserves to judged by taking into full account his achievements at Ford and the actions and circumstances created by Iacocca.

This book is a fascinating account of how the automobile industry had started in the US; particularly the part played by the Fords - from the first Henry Ford to his grandson. Many of us might have read a bit about the legendary Ford Model T. Here, you will know how it had come about and what had transpired before and after its production. It's not just about the machines - the personalities are also shown for all their strengths and weaknesses. The Ford Edsel in the late 50's will always be known as "a lemon" - one of the biggest losers in the industry's history... and that's fortunate in a way, for Edsel the man was, in my opinion, a great person.

[Philip Boling · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tells the story of the Fords: Henry, Edsel and Henry II. I found it to be brilliantly written, I appreciated the perspective that the author brings to the story of these men.

It is wrong to put simple labels on people but I'll do it anyway,

Henry II is a bully in the book and I think that sums up my opinion of him, he was not great in any sense.

Edsel, a good man, a man that I would have been very grateful to have known and would have been glad to work for him.

Henry requires two words, brilliant and ignorant; I am glad that I never knew him.

Wealth can be such a really terrible thing; I cannot quite wrap my head around the idea of Henry realizing that his grandchildren felt that he had killed their father, his only son and his wrestling with whether they were right; such images are truly dreadful.

An incredible story, so very glad I read it. I was ignorant, but I'm not quite so much now.

[Maya Carmen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this book. This book talks about the good, the bad, and the ugly of the Ford family and the history of automobiles. We are surrounded by so much history here in Southeast Michigan. This book made me feel even more connected to Dearborn and the Moror City than before. To think that the automotive industry began in the very city I grew up in is truly surreal. Everyone from metro-Detroit should read this book.

[Paul Metting · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. Though it was written 35 years ago it is still relevant. It contains a lot to hold your interest. I found it a compelling version of the story of Henry Ford: his company, family and personal life. This book has lessons for everyone, with classic themes such as life, love, happiness, ambition, greed, ego, corruption, as well as management of major corporations.

I particularly enjoyed learning what had occurred at the estate of Eleanor and Edsel Ford, which was very near my childhood home (on the other side of the tracks, so to speak!)

I highly recommend this book.

[Zach · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ford: The Men and the Machine tells the story of the Ford Motor Company through its 3 most famous chairmen: Henry, his son Edsel, and Henry II.

While the story centers around cars and the powerful businessmen responsible, to me, the story of the Fords is about yearning. Henry I was raised on a farm, and while his self-made mythos is of a self-made man who rose above such a world, he longed to return to it. The crushing irony of Ford's domination of Detroit and reshaping of the city is how Henry hated and mistrusted big business. He was king of capitalism, his factories and cars allowed a more isolated lifestyle, he was (maybe?) the richest man in the world, yet he saw a return to nature and farming as the answer to man's ills.

Henry prized industriousness and by accident turned it into industry. At best, he was a master of intuitive engineering. He learned how to game his factories such that they became exponentially more productive. He solved industrial problems on a massive scale. He saw himself as the great simplifier, a man who could solve life's ills if only everyone listened to him.

That yearning for a simple world, however, blinded Henry to his faults. He was so attached to the Model T that he refused to consider a replacement until it was almost too late. He supported terrorizing employees who sought unionization, as that was the product of laziness and the rejection of his generosity and ethos. Failures in business and politics he blamed on "the international Jew." (Interestingly, the book concludes that Henry was not personally racist, citing evidence of his employ of blacks [rare at the time,] and close relationships with several Jewish people. It seems as though he needed to blame someone for his failures, and ascribed characteristics of selfishness and avarice to "the Jew." His opposition was to those personality traits, against which there was a strong, convenient movement.) It's almost as if Henry could not believe that a man of his health, morals, and character could fail and had to pin his rage on some opposing force.

One such source of perceived opposition was his son, Edsel. Edsel had all of Henry's good engineering sense, but was more well-rounded and flexible. He is portrayed as being more with the times than Henry; his designs were popular, he listened to his workers, and he seemed to grow as time progressed. However, Henry wouldn't let Edsel grow. He saw Edsel as weak and in need of "toughening up." However, his tough love was unrelenting and served to terrorize Edsel until he was broken. When Edsel died of stomach cancer in 1943, his widow accused Henry of killing his only son, which he wrestled with for the rest of his life. Edsel wanted so badly for his father to approve, but Henry could not tolerate difference. It's a minor tragedy that Edsel never had a chance to head the company of his namesake. He had the vision, the drive, the flexibility, and the kindness, but he was never allowed to exhibit such.

Henry II also yearned for simplicity, though his desire wasn't so much utopian as practical. He dismissed the tyrannical Harry Bennett, a glorified mafioso who Henry saw as his real "tough-guy" son, and turned Ford into a public business fit for the 20th century. However, he is also painted as an emotional buffoon, prone to a cutting bluntness and pushing too hard for something that required some dexterity and adjustment. He wanted life to run smoothly, but was head of a multi-billion dollar corporation, an inherently tangled world of egos and backstabbing.

In the end, it seems that Henry I got what he wanted, but only because he had the money to build it himself: Greenfield Village. There, Henry assembled a town that fit his image of an idealized America: humble homes of farmers and self-made men, small industry, no lawyers or banks. The book tells of him retreating more and more often as he aged, perhaps because he needed a space where life made sense, even if that space was entirely fictional and self-created.

The book is an engaging read and much more biographical than, say, Fordlandia. It presents the information in a much more objective sense, but in some ways, it feels like the author glosses over some of the negativity. I think the story is less interesting as it progresses, if only because of the scope: Henry I wanted to shape the world to his likeness, Edsel had strong principles & was an art philanthropist (who commissioned and fought for Diego Rivera's controversial [and beautiful] mural of Detroit,) and Henry II just ran a big damn company. It's a good look into the inner lives of the Fords.

[Jim Gallen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Ford story is an intertwined tale of men and machines, genius and bigotry, soaring triumph and near crashing disaster.

Author Robert Lacey begins the story with the patriarch, Henry Ford, the boy who was mesmerized by the first steam farm implement he saw, the mechanic who tinkered with engines until he made one run, the businessman who put America on wheels and the dilettante politician who tried to end the Great War and toyed with the idea of running for President. In later years Henry, unable to adapt to the times, almost wrecked his company while retreating into his creation, Greenfield Village, his tribute to the America of his youth that he, more than anyone else, had consigned to history.

The tragic prince in the story is Edsel, who made the transition from country club outsider to Grosse Point squire. Though holding the title of president, Edsel was repeatedly humiliated by his father until stomach cancer ended his life in 1943 at the age of 49.

With Edsel gone and Henry I in his dotage, the company, and the nation, turned to Henry II to hold the defense contractor together and to rebuild the automaker in the post-war boom. Henry II would have to begin by moving out Henry I’s henchman, Harry Bennett and end by expelling Lee Iacocca.

The Ford curse has been the poisonous intra-family relationships in which the founder could never let his son grow up and the grandsons who resented the treatment their father received. At the end the book turns into a soap opera as Henry II plays the philanderer and his wife and daughters live the life of the rich, famous and unstable.

I am glad I read this book. I learned much about the history of the company. I had not known about the stock swindles that enabled the family to get total control, the relationship to the Dodge Brothers and the conflicts among kin. For the first time I saw that in post war America it was not a given that among Ford, Nash, Hudson, Studebaker and Kaiser, Ford would be the survivor. Lacey chronicles a hundred years from the rise of Henry I to the retirement of Henry II. History is not all war and politics. Captains of Industry have their places, and few so prominently as the Ford Men.

[Todd Stockslager · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review title: Lord, Mister Ford, what have you done?

There is an old country song that uses that line, and it is appropriate in many ways. Henry Ford didn't invent the automobile, but his Model T made it the basis of the American, and much of the world, economy. This is a biography of Ford, the men and the company, written by Lacey in the mid-1980s as the company and the family struggled with the legacies of that original Mr. Ford. Now superseded by 40 more years of change in the company, the economy, and the family, this is still a biography worth reading.

Henry Ford was a first generation American born to Irish immigrant parents in the countryside near Dearborn Michigan. A farm boy, he liked tinkering with the new steam equipment more than farming, and turned his tinkering into the Model T (and turned his interest in farming into early advocacy of soybeans as a cash crop when corn and wheat prices collapsed in the early 1920s, and his interest in soybeans and nutrition into early adoption of tofu!, p, 230). A partner credits his "experiments with vanadium and heat-treated steels . . . [that] demonstrated how it was possible to build a car that was stronger, lighter, and faster than any that had been built before." (p. 91). But more than the engineering was the assembly-line process that Ford used to drive down costs, and then his shocking $5-a-day pay that drove down manufacturing costs and car prices so that his workers and others lifted into the middle class could afford to be consumers of these new, less-expensive cars. Ford's new pay plan was based not on charity but on profit--"what he was aware of, and what his critics were not, was the massive saving in labour costs that had been created by the continuously moving assembly line." (p. 120)--and came with conditions some workers accepted only grudgingly if at all. At work the men were subject to "speed-up" to keep up with ever-faster moving assembly lines ("no allowance was made for lunch, toilet time, or tool sharpening")--and at home the Ford Sociology Department came in to assess the family home and lifestyle to ensure it met Ford's standards (p. 128-131).

As a model for the early 20th century capitalist, Ford "held a degree of control over his own company unrivalled by the greatest pharaohs of American capitalism. . . . Henry was free to realise his most voracious dreams of empire." (p. 177). In fact, was Ford the original model for Donald Trump a century later? He

--refused to accept the results of an election when he lost (p.161),
--manipulated company organization to maximize his profits (p. 176),
--demonstrated his ignorance of law and history in court (p. 200),
--purchased a media outlet to give him unfiltered access to readers (p.198), and
--used his media outlet to spout false racist news (p.205).
--"Henry Ford simply did not have the mental equipment to accept his own responsibility for his failure, let alone to analyse it. His defence mechanisms were so strong that they blanked out the possibility of self-blame. . . . He sought consolation in his own success in other fields, and in the conviction that some exterior force must be responsible for his failure in this particular, isolated instance. He looked outside himself for simplistic, mechanical explanations of what had gone wrong, and this made him bitter and mistrustful, easy prey for conspiracy theories. Failure was no corrective for Henry Ford. On the contrary, it fed his paranoia."(p. 206)

But this is a biography of three generations of Fords, so the story doesn't end with Henry Ford. His son Edsel followed (reluctantly) in his father's footsteps as nominal head of the company even as his father retained manipulative emotional and financial control over both son and company. Grandson Henry II took the company through the growth period of the golden era of American car companies in the two decades following World War II, establishing modern corporate management practices to replace the slipshod family-business practices, and moving Ford upscale to compete with General Motors' mid-price and luxury lines. The Edsel line, named for his father, became a meme for failed product design, however, from its awkward looks to its shoddy workmanship. While intended to be an all-new line, cost cutting meant that an Edsel "body would be lowered onto a Ford or Mercury chassis, in place of the standard body shell that characterized the other sixty Ford and Mercury units for that hour's production, and the lonely Edsel would then trundle its way down the line, an irritation and inconvenience, from that point forward, for everyone who encountered it along its route through the production process." (p. 488)

It is also a partial biography of a "fourth generation"--Lee Iacocca, who would later rise to fame for rescuing Chrysler in the 1980s, got his start at Ford as his dream job from his childhood love for the cars, became famous for his role in creating the mid-60s Mustang. Following his own very intentional plan as he worked his way to second-in-command to Henry II, he was president in all but name--but the name on the front of the car, and the building, and the paycheck, was the thing, he learned painfully. His plan for succession--"Henry I, Edsel I, Henry II, and then Lee--with Edsel II, perhaps, resuming the succession thereafter." (p. 602)--came up against that barrier. Lacey's account of the bitter corporate infighting in the middle of the 1970s, paired with the energy crises, the Pinto gas-tank explosion problems, and Henry II's health problems, brings the account to a sobering end, with the light at the end of the tunnel the potential of the then-new Tuarus platform to resurrect Ford's fortunes. The potential was realized, and Ford remains a vital part of the American car market 40 years later (I have owned several, including a late-90s Mustang convertible and our current 2020 Ford Edge).

Lacey captures the power of his subject in his eulogy upon the death of the original Mr. Ford:

Henry — as he would have pointed out himself — had actually produced something. He had not played with money or cornered a market. He had not even cornered an invention. He had manufactured a car that people could afford, that took them where they wanted to go, that gave them a great deal of fun. It was so simple. If you were not Jewish, had not been beaten up by an outside squad, and were not a friend or relative of Edsel Ford, you felt that your own life had been touched directly by Henry Ford and had been touched for the better, on the whole. (p. 448)

Lord, Mr. Ford, look what you've done.

[Clif Brittain · Rating 4 out of 5]

I re-read this book in anticipation of a trip to Detroit. I initially read it about 20 years ago and was fascinated by Henry Ford's peculiar relationship with his son, Edsel.

In re-reading it, that interest continued, but I took away much more about his grandson, Henry II. The Fords are one massively dysfunctional family. Only Henry II's mother, Eleanor Clay Ford, seemed to have any grounding in reality. The rest of the family is totally corrupted by alcohol and money.

Both Henry I and Henry II started off well, but both got terribly tyrannical as they got older. They became rather monstrous and so egotistical they pretty much destroyed the company as well as their families. The Ford Motor Company was lucky to have survived them.

My conclusion is that it is pretty much impossible to raise a family of any normalcy with such great wealth. It is probably impossible to raise a family when there is a third party (the company) which is such a huge distraction.

I have a much greater appreciation for the estate tax now. The idea that you can pass a company from parent to child without damage to the company or the family is probably a fiction. It is best for the company to get new blood (so to speak) and it is best for the child to make his own way. None of the Ford descendants seem to have made good choices with their wealth. They probably would have been better off starting off with much, much less money.

[Richard Dann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not normally a book I would read, I found this title rather interesting. I had read it before, but wanted to refresh my memory.

The Ford dynasty is a story of America itself. Born an raised in austere times, Henry Ford tried in business a number of times, meandering through various endeavors with limited success. Its hard to believe that his real success with automobile manufacture did not come until he was in his 40s.

Even after his rise to the top of the American business world, he still managed to become involved with some questionable business dealings, notably the Peace Ship.

The book not only covers Henry, but also Edsel and Henry II, and beyond. While known for his revival of the Chrysler Corporation, Lee Iacocca led Ford for a time, only to be pushed out by Henry II. His story at Ford is covered.

Well researched, this book is worth the time to read. It is long, so be prepared to be reading for a while. I recommend this book.

[Christine Gingerick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this book much more than I thought I would! Picked it up on the advice of a friend thinking I'd skip a lot of the details about the automobiles themselves and focus more on the people, but ended up learning a lot about the early years of the automotive industry.

[Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great, very interesting history of Ford Motor Company and biography of (primarily) Henry Ford I and Henry Ford II, with some material on Edsel and the younger generations as well. It’s a shame the book is so old at this point at stops in about 1986. I’d love to see an updated edition.

[Dillon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like that Lacey didn't write about the Fords like the gods of Greek myth, and he was thorough. It's much better than the books about Steve Jobs that makes him out as faultless godlike figure

[Georg1991 · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is a good history book. I learned many things. It was difficult to read.

[Anup Sinha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well-done biography of Henry Ford that extends largely to Edsel and Henry Ford II as well. It is a slow 666-page read but only because it is well written and loaded with good info. Lacey doesn’t go straight chronologically because his chapters tend to focus on certain events or developments.

He paints the genius of Henry Ford but also his severe character flaws and his dark side. Lacey does the same for his descendants with his grandson Henry II getting the most of the ink. The research is outstanding, Lacey puts you into the Detroit and Dearborn of yesteryear and also tells you about the myriads of other interesting characters who crossed paths.

Lacey is English and in some instances, his lesser familiarity with American culture comes through, particularly about sports. But that is very minimally a detractor and I actually enjoyed his “outsider” view more.

Just a great biography and I will likely read another of his. Strongly recommended for anybody interested in the Fords up until the mid-1980s.

[Rob Paczkowski · Rating 4 out of 5]

History should not repeat itself. But there are so many parts in this book that show we have not. Took a long time to slog through the book but it was a rewarding read overall. I'm a car guy and can't ignore the contributions but how it survived through all the mismanagement and personalities of the top Ford men and their petty battles. Plus the lavish overspending could have saved many many from financial ruin. Crazy read. If you can find it. From 86. Was a discard from my school's library.

[Eric Benjamin · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing look into the history of Ford. I learned a lot, and the stories of both the family, and the company were very engaging.

The struggles for control of the FoMoCo was really interesting, and would make a tale worthy of a show like Succession or Game of Thrones.

[Jeana Barlow · Rating 5 out of 5]

great!

[Peter Brooker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would echo the comments attributed to the Washington Post at the time of publication in 1986:

"Irresistible... a richly anecdotal and wonderfully readable book".

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not a review but sometimes I'll try to write a Cento from a book I've finished. Here's one I tried for this book.

Ford

One of capitalisms alters
a vast satanic cathedral
All night the Rogue growls
its fires and flares
casting flickering shadows
its furnaces glowing dull red
around the base of its brooding bulk

The industrial guts of America
Europe has its palaces
but America celebrates her native genius
with monuments of a rougher sort.

--credit to Robert Lacy, Ford: The Men and Machine

[Ahmad Cendana · Rating 4 out of 5]

A captivating book written by an author who had done meticulous research and who wasn't afraid to contradict contemporary idols. I had read Iacocca - An Autobiography and had thought "how great a hero former Ford president Lee Iacocca was"; and "how he was wronged by that stupid tyrant, Ford chairman Henry Ford II." Iacocca may have done a great job in saving Chrysler after that - and deservingly receving the accolades worldwide. However, as the `Ford' book shows, Iacocca had a lot of faults too. And Henry Ford II, despite his weaknesses, deserves to judged by taking into full account his achievements at Ford and the actions and circumstances created by Iacocca.

This book is a fascinating account of how the automobile industry had started in the US; particularly the part played by the Fords - from the first Henry Ford to his grandson. Many of us might have read a bit about the legendary Ford Model T. Here, you will know how it had come about and what had transpired before and after its production. It's not just about the machines - the personalities are also shown for all their strengths and weaknesses. The Ford Edsel in the late 50's will always be known as "a lemon" - one of the biggest losers in the industry's history... and that's fortunate in a way, for Edsel the man was, in my opinion, a great person.

[Mänsomläser · Rating 4 out of 5]

Boken handlar om de tre medlemmar av familjen Ford som styrde Ford Motor Company: Henry Ford, som grundade företaget 1903, sonen Edsel, och Edsels son Henry Ford II som slutligen omvandlade familjeföretaget till ett aktiebolag 1955.

Det finns drama i den här boken, både vad gäller företagets uppgång och nära fall, men framför allt vad gäller relationerna i familjen Ford. Henry Fords behandling av Edsel kan svårligen beskrivas som något annat än pennalism. Barnbarnet Henry II anklagade till och med Henry I för att ha plågat ihjäl Edsel.

Henry Ford var en av dåtidens rikaste män. De sista åren av sitt liv spenderade han stora summor på att försöka återskapa sin barndom i form av något slags privat Skansen, till hur det var innan det fanns några bilar.

Ur boken, citat av Henry Ford:

”Om man för samman människor så att de lär känna varandra, så kommer bilen att ha en återverkan överallt. Vi kommer inte att få några fler strejker eller krig.”

[Chris Brimmer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book detailed the careers of the first three generations of Fords who managed the company that bears the family name. The work is meticulously researched, the writing is engaging and his treatment of the subjects even handed. I would have liked more about the development of models but in truth this is historical biography not meant to cater to car junkies. The narrative does flag when it gets into the 1970's when Henry Ford II battles with Lee Iacocca while extricating himself from one midlife crisis marriage so that he could dive into another. There is a serious lack of detail about why Ford of Europe wasn't used more in this period for product development when the oil shocks rolled through the auto industry. Up to that point though this is a workmanlike effort and good deep background on the subject.

[George Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book in the 1990s; it was the first automotive history book that I read, and it is one of the best. The book, published in 1986, traces the history of the Ford family, Ford motor Company, and Henry's 2 failed auto companies that proceeded the Ford Motor Co., from Henry's Childhood until Henry II's retirement. The book is comprehensive and addresses Ford family and Ford Motor successes, failures, and personality flaws. This was one of the first books to document Lee Iaccoca's egotistical and product promotion failures (i.e., the Pinto) at the time that his autobiography touted him as the next great American folk heroe. Well worth reading if you are interested in auto history, Detroit history, the Ford family, or twentieth century manufacturing.

[Buddy Don · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd just finished reading bios of JP Morgan, JD Rockefeller, Andrew Carnegie and Cornelius Vanderbilt, so Ford seemed to be a good next read, and Robert Lacey's tale of the first Ford, the later ones and the cars is a good one, though I have to say I was shocked to learn the extent of Ford's anti-Semitism. I'd heard of it but knew little of his history and assumed it was all based on private awareness, never anything like the Dearborn Independent. That was worth the read, though the rest of it is a compelling story. Scary to think of Ford running for President, but he almost did and with fair chances (thank goodness he was no public speaker) in 1924. The history of the cars was well told and of greater interest than I'd expected.

[zespri · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is something else - it is dense, with fact, in size and with sheer volume of information on the famous Ford family. Certainly not a book I would have gravitated towards normally, but a friend had told me it was one of his all time fav books and he proceeded to request it from the Library Stack and presented me with it. What choice did I have? I started rather tentatively, but it is actually an engrossing read. Read in bite size chunks I eventually finished it, after reading passages aloud to my husband as it was so interesting.

Not for the fainthearted, but if you are a Ford fan, or enjoy an interesting rags to riches story you would probably enjoy this.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book fascinating; not surprising as I live in the Detroit area and spent 13 years of my career at Ford. I learned something completely new every few pages, and enjoyed reading the origins of so many phrases and locations which are integral to Dearborn and the surrounding area today. Will pass this one on to my (Ford) husband!

[Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was not exactly how I imagined it would be but that doesn't mean it is a bad book. I thought it did a pretty good job giving the history of Ford and the men who led it but I think it would have been better if would have solely dealt with either Ford the man or Ford the machine and go into great detail but still it was worth reading.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

A warts and all coverage of the Ford family. I admire the research required. For example a whole book was written on the attempt to establish rubber plantations in South America yet in Ford, it only rates a few lines. Most enjoyable.

[Tom Hunter · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fascinating book that describes the two major leaders of the Ford Motor Company: Henry Ford and his grandson, Henry Ford II. I had read a few biographies of Henry Ford I but this one moved into new territory, regarding the fates and successes of his offspring. A great read.