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I Invented the Modern Age: The Rise of Henry Ford
A fresh, meticulous, and entertaining account of Henry Ford, the Model-T, and the invention of the American car industry in the early twentieth century that “will make you rethink the man whose legacy sits in your garage” ( Parade ).
From the acclaimed popular historian Richard Snow, who “writes with verve and a keen eye” ( The New York Times Book Review ), comes a fresh and entertaining account of Henry Ford and his invention of the Model T—the ugly, cranky, invincible machine that defined twentieth-century America.
Every century or so, our republic has been remade by a new 170 years ago the railroad changed Americans’ conception of space and time; in our era, the microprocessor revolutionized how humans communicate. But in the early twentieth century the agent of creative destruction was the gasoline engine, as put to work by an unknown and relentlessly industrious young man named Henry Ford. Born the same year as the battle of Gettysburg, Ford died two years after the atomic bombs fell, and his life personified the tremendous technological changes achieved in that span.
Growing up as a Michigan farm boy with a bone-deep loathing of farming, Ford intuitively saw the advantages of internal combustion. Resourceful and fearless, he built his first gasoline engine out of scavenged industrial scraps. It was the size of a sewing machine. From there, scene by scene, Richard Snow vividly shows Ford using his innate mechanical abilities, hard work, and radical imagination as he transformed American industry.
In many ways, of course, Ford’s story is well known; in many more ways, it is not. Richard Snow masterfully weaves together a fascinating narrative of Ford’s rise to fame through his greatest invention, the Model T. When Ford first unveiled this car, it took twelve and a half hours to build one. A little more than a decade later, it took exactly one minute. In making his car so quickly and so cheaply that his own workers could easily afford it, Ford created the cycle of consumerism that we still inhabit. Our country changed in a mere decade, and Ford became a national hero. But then he soured, and the benevolent side of his character went into an ever-deepening eclipse, even as the America he had remade evolved beyond all imagining into a global power capable of producing on a vast scale not only cars, but airplanes, ships, machinery, and an infinity of household devices.
A highly pleasurable read, filled with scenes and incidents from Ford’s life, particularly during the intense phase of his secretive competition with other early car manufacturers, I Invented the Modern Age shows Richard Snow at the height of his powers as a popular historian and reclaims from history Henry Ford, the remarkable man who, indeed, invented the modern world as we know it.
From the acclaimed popular historian Richard Snow, who “writes with verve and a keen eye” ( The New York Times Book Review ), comes a fresh and entertaining account of Henry Ford and his invention of the Model T—the ugly, cranky, invincible machine that defined twentieth-century America.
Every century or so, our republic has been remade by a new 170 years ago the railroad changed Americans’ conception of space and time; in our era, the microprocessor revolutionized how humans communicate. But in the early twentieth century the agent of creative destruction was the gasoline engine, as put to work by an unknown and relentlessly industrious young man named Henry Ford. Born the same year as the battle of Gettysburg, Ford died two years after the atomic bombs fell, and his life personified the tremendous technological changes achieved in that span.
Growing up as a Michigan farm boy with a bone-deep loathing of farming, Ford intuitively saw the advantages of internal combustion. Resourceful and fearless, he built his first gasoline engine out of scavenged industrial scraps. It was the size of a sewing machine. From there, scene by scene, Richard Snow vividly shows Ford using his innate mechanical abilities, hard work, and radical imagination as he transformed American industry.
In many ways, of course, Ford’s story is well known; in many more ways, it is not. Richard Snow masterfully weaves together a fascinating narrative of Ford’s rise to fame through his greatest invention, the Model T. When Ford first unveiled this car, it took twelve and a half hours to build one. A little more than a decade later, it took exactly one minute. In making his car so quickly and so cheaply that his own workers could easily afford it, Ford created the cycle of consumerism that we still inhabit. Our country changed in a mere decade, and Ford became a national hero. But then he soured, and the benevolent side of his character went into an ever-deepening eclipse, even as the America he had remade evolved beyond all imagining into a global power capable of producing on a vast scale not only cars, but airplanes, ships, machinery, and an infinity of household devices.
A highly pleasurable read, filled with scenes and incidents from Ford’s life, particularly during the intense phase of his secretive competition with other early car manufacturers, I Invented the Modern Age shows Richard Snow at the height of his powers as a popular historian and reclaims from history Henry Ford, the remarkable man who, indeed, invented the modern world as we know it.
400 pages, Paperback
Published May 13, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 88 reviews
May 11, 2021
4.5 stars
"Lord, Mr. Ford, I just wish that you could see -
what you're simple 'horseless carriage' has become,
Well, it seems your contribution to man -
to say the least, got a little out of hand
Lord, Mr. Ford, what have you done?!"
-- singer/songwriter Jerry Reed, from his hit song in 1973
Snow - author of the recent and outstanding Disney's Land - wrote a biography that, although it covers a standard 'birth to grave' timeline, focuses mainly on about thirty years (1896-1927) in the life of the American car manufacturer / industrialist. During those decades Ford went from being a working-class man building his rudimentary first car, the 'Quadricycle,' in his backyard woodshed to - and this is the truly amazing and 'only in America!' part - to being one of the most successful and wealthy business owners in the country, with the final Model T automobile rolling off the assembly line after a then unheard-of twenty-year run that produced over 15 million of said revolutionary vehicles.
The author does not whitewash the bad (forcing out other shareholders to become the controlling force in the company; mistreating his only son Edsel) or ugly (anti-Semitic opinions expressed in the local newspaper he owned; a possible mistress and eventual child out of wedlock . . . that his first and only wife appeared to be fully aware of) but does an exceptional job in balancing that with the good (developing / perfecting aspects of mass manufacturing that were soon adopted elsewhere; pricing the Model T so that ANY American family could likely afford it; structuring the humane and now-industry standard 40-hour work week and better than average 'living wage' for his employees). Although Ford does not always appear to have been a likable man - some of his quirks, behaviors and opinions are a little divisive or just plain backwards and wrong - by the end of I Invented the Modern Age a reader will probably admire some parts of this businessman's gumption and brilliance.
"Lord, Mr. Ford, I just wish that you could see -
what you're simple 'horseless carriage' has become,
Well, it seems your contribution to man -
to say the least, got a little out of hand
Lord, Mr. Ford, what have you done?!"
-- singer/songwriter Jerry Reed, from his hit song in 1973
Snow - author of the recent and outstanding Disney's Land - wrote a biography that, although it covers a standard 'birth to grave' timeline, focuses mainly on about thirty years (1896-1927) in the life of the American car manufacturer / industrialist. During those decades Ford went from being a working-class man building his rudimentary first car, the 'Quadricycle,' in his backyard woodshed to - and this is the truly amazing and 'only in America!' part - to being one of the most successful and wealthy business owners in the country, with the final Model T automobile rolling off the assembly line after a then unheard-of twenty-year run that produced over 15 million of said revolutionary vehicles.
The author does not whitewash the bad (forcing out other shareholders to become the controlling force in the company; mistreating his only son Edsel) or ugly (anti-Semitic opinions expressed in the local newspaper he owned; a possible mistress and eventual child out of wedlock . . . that his first and only wife appeared to be fully aware of) but does an exceptional job in balancing that with the good (developing / perfecting aspects of mass manufacturing that were soon adopted elsewhere; pricing the Model T so that ANY American family could likely afford it; structuring the humane and now-industry standard 40-hour work week and better than average 'living wage' for his employees). Although Ford does not always appear to have been a likable man - some of his quirks, behaviors and opinions are a little divisive or just plain backwards and wrong - by the end of I Invented the Modern Age a reader will probably admire some parts of this businessman's gumption and brilliance.
November 22, 2017
I enjoyed this biography, it was pretty well paced, it wasn’t as informative as some of the others I’ve read in recent years (Chernow has been sort of my standard for biographies) but it holds up well is full of interesting and memorable tidbits all while mostly humanizing Henry Ford.
It was surprising to me to find out Mr. Ford was quite the prankster in his younger days, literally nailing shoes to the floor of one of this workshops to mess with an employee.
It also fascinated me to get some insight into just how brilliant his mind was and what sort of vision he had for the world.
It was surprising to me to find out Mr. Ford was quite the prankster in his younger days, literally nailing shoes to the floor of one of this workshops to mess with an employee.
It also fascinated me to get some insight into just how brilliant his mind was and what sort of vision he had for the world.
November 23, 2013
I have never read anything about Henry Ford until this book except when mention in a biography of another person such as John D. Rockefeller and his business dealings with Ford. Richard Snow covers Ford’s life from childhood to death but mostly concentrates on the area of his developing his engine and first cars. I found it interesting that Ford was in some ways was brilliant in his ability to see the end results of his car design and able to devote all his energy and time to develop it and then in his ability to deal with people he failed miserably. He failed at building two car companies before his success with the Ford Motor Company. He was the first to develop the assembly line or mass production and World War Two triggered more companies to quickly follow his methods of mass production. He attracted too him men of great skill’s and ability but then he pitted them against each other and he would fire the looser. He hired more black Americans than any other auto company but as he aged he revealed he was anti-Semitic. He distrusted bankers, Wall Street men and other financial people to the point he never invested in Wall Street which saved him in 1929. He hated investors and he maneuvered his company when it was successful to get rid of his primary investors and became the largest stock holder of the company. He hated to have anyone tell him what to do. According to Snow after he got control of Ford he appointed his son Edsel as company president but he never let go of the control of the company. As I read the book I got the feeling that Ford was his own worst enemy. All these contradiction and Snow’s excellent writing ability reveals an interesting story. It is obvious that Snow did a great deal of research to write the book. I read this book in audio book format. Sean Runnett did a great job narrating the book.
May 17, 2016
كتاب ممتع يحكي قصة هنري فورد وسيارته "موديل تي" التي أسست لعصر النقل الحديث ومصنعه الذي كان أول نموذج للإنتاج الشامل أو الـ"ماس برودكشن". الجميل في كتب السِيَر هذه أنها تضفي شيء من المعقولية على هذه الشخصيات العظيمة. قبل قرائتي للكتاب كنت متعجباً جداً كيف لشخص أن يخترع سيارة، ويخترع طريقة تصنيع، ويدير هذه الامبراطورية الضخمة بنجاح؟ كل واحدة من هذه الانجازات تتطلب مهارات مختلفة من الصعب والنادر جداً أن تجتمع في شخص واحد. وهذا ما تبين لي. حيث أن هنري فورد كان مخترعاً عظيماً، لكن مهاراته الإدارية والتصنيعية لم تكن بنفس المستوى. أما الانجازات تلك فكان الفضل فيها إلى رجال لا يقلوا عبقرية أو عظمة عن هنري فورد ولكن لم يكتسبوا ذات الشهرة التي حاز عليها المؤسس.
أنصح بمشاهدة هذا الفيديو التعريفي من إنتاج فورد عام 1969 عن مصنع فورد روج، أكبر مصنع على وجه الأرض في حينه
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcXfk...
أنصح بمشاهدة هذا الفيديو التعريفي من إنتاج فورد عام 1969 عن مصنع فورد روج، أكبر مصنع على وجه الأرض في حينه
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcXfk...
July 17, 2015
This is a good book about a fascinating person and would have been one of my favorite biographies until the last few chapters when the author seems to set aside his unbiased account for a collection of anecdotes, speculation and analysis that almost seems as a personal attack. There was a clear shift from focusing on what shaped Henry Ford as a man and what made him successful to dismissing those things and focusing on the accounts of a few ex-employees who seemed to be bitter. It was a disappointing transition and ending, but still remains a good account of a great man.
October 22, 2014
I would recommend this book because it covers Ford’s life from childhood to death I found it interesting that Ford in his ability to see the end results of his car design and able to devote all his energy and time to make it and then in his ability to deal with people he failed miserably. He failed at building two car companies before his success with the Ford Motor Company. I think everyone could learn something from this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 25, 2013
I Invented the Modern Age: The Rise of Henry Ford by Richard Snow
364 pages
★★★ ½
I think most everyone knows something about Henry Ford. Before reading this book I could tell you that he was the main person to come up with an assembly line in its modern sense, he raised the minimum wage and lowered the hours – one of the first to do so, and of course he came up with the Ford Model T – far from being the first car but definitely pushing a path where no car had gone at the time, and the whole anti-Semite thing. But there was much more to the man behind the car company and the author does a great job of shining light on Henry Ford.
This was a really interesting biography on a man I honestly didn’t know much about. I was amazed with how much paths this man paved in his time and I wonder where we would be even know without the genius of Ford and his team. The guy was far from perfect – he could be a jerk, he was an anti-Semite, he bullied his own son, and he had a habit of making all ideas from his team out to be his own. The author did his research and he was fair in his perception of Henry Ford. The book goes into detail on the early life of Ford and through his most successful car, the Model T, and then sort of rushes past the rest. This is a good one to read if you have any interest in the man or in cars (in this case I have little interest in cars but I am fascinated by the history of it all). It’s a smooth, attention-grabbing read in my opinion.
364 pages
★★★ ½
I think most everyone knows something about Henry Ford. Before reading this book I could tell you that he was the main person to come up with an assembly line in its modern sense, he raised the minimum wage and lowered the hours – one of the first to do so, and of course he came up with the Ford Model T – far from being the first car but definitely pushing a path where no car had gone at the time, and the whole anti-Semite thing. But there was much more to the man behind the car company and the author does a great job of shining light on Henry Ford.
This was a really interesting biography on a man I honestly didn’t know much about. I was amazed with how much paths this man paved in his time and I wonder where we would be even know without the genius of Ford and his team. The guy was far from perfect – he could be a jerk, he was an anti-Semite, he bullied his own son, and he had a habit of making all ideas from his team out to be his own. The author did his research and he was fair in his perception of Henry Ford. The book goes into detail on the early life of Ford and through his most successful car, the Model T, and then sort of rushes past the rest. This is a good one to read if you have any interest in the man or in cars (in this case I have little interest in cars but I am fascinated by the history of it all). It’s a smooth, attention-grabbing read in my opinion.
February 8, 2015
This was an excellent history of Ford through the Model-T. It was an interesting look into the life of Henry, but it was not the in depth look at Henry Ford that I was looking for. If you want to look at the life and times around the man who build modern mass industrialization and a look at those around him who shaped this explosion, I highly recommend this book.
The book is well written, it is in depth in every place that I wanted it to be. It was complete in important facts and Mr. Snow investigates the cast of characters that Henry Ford surrounded himself with. The aspect that was left lightly covered was life in the Rouge plant. Mr. Snow talks about this, but leaves it only lightly covered. In addition to this is the aspects about Ford falling apart and failing as a company just prior to World War II. I believe that this was deserving of more attention than the book gave it. Having said this, I know that it is hard to say everything that you want to in the space that you give yourself. Some things need to be cut and left out.
The book is well written, it is in depth in every place that I wanted it to be. It was complete in important facts and Mr. Snow investigates the cast of characters that Henry Ford surrounded himself with. The aspect that was left lightly covered was life in the Rouge plant. Mr. Snow talks about this, but leaves it only lightly covered. In addition to this is the aspects about Ford falling apart and failing as a company just prior to World War II. I believe that this was deserving of more attention than the book gave it. Having said this, I know that it is hard to say everything that you want to in the space that you give yourself. Some things need to be cut and left out.
March 10, 2013
I grew up in a car family. My father's first job out of college was the culmination of a lifelong dream. He went to work for Ford Motor Company in the Body Design Department (A document in the family archives seems to indicate that he was the first draftsman trained outside of Ford to be hired in that department). For a fan of well written biographies and histories of American business icons Richard Snow has written a must read book. For automotive history and especially Ford fans Snow has written a must own one.
Find my complete review : HERE:
Find my complete review : HERE:
September 1, 2015
This is a interesting book of the Man who invented Machine which would take people to places. Ford created the largest car company in the world and did everything he can to out run his competitors with his commitment towards quality. This is a handbook which defines modern manufacturing and the era before it.The best thing about this book is the detailed introduction of the rise of the automobile industry and the impact of the automobiles in our life. I rate this book a 3 star.
February 4, 2019
This book had me completely fascinated with Henry Ford. Few could make a statement as bold as "I invented the modern age" and after reading the book, it's hard to argue with it. The way he changes over time from a brilliant innovator to more of a nostalgic, 'keep things the way they are' was very intriguing to me as well.
October 30, 2019
Henry Ford was a complex man. I think Richard Snow deals with him fairly. He worked relentlessly to develop an automobile for the masses, and succeeded wildly. Once he did, people began to expect too much of him. His innovations, both the Model T and the modern assembly line, truly brought about the modern age. But, with his lack of formal education and lack of curiosity about the very modern age he created, he never could be the spokesperson people wanted him to be. I can't help but to compare Ford in his day with Mark Zuckerberg today. Both innovators have brought so much change to the people of their time, yet both seem to be so socially awkward.
January 16, 2015
While this is an enjoyable book, it feels like a Reader's Digest biography of Henry Ford. To be fair, this is a recent publication, and Mr. Ford has been the subject of libraries worth of books, but I never felt that this book had a strong thesis besides "Henry Ford is complicated!" Ford's Picasso-drawn personality is a great topic, but his bootstrap bluster, tyrannical control over his workers and son, hatred of farm work, and loathing of the modernity he created requires a lot more space than Snow was provided. I think it's a solid biographical sketch, but the narrative jumps around, and it feels thin overall.
Many of the descriptions of Ford are drawn from contemporary opinions of others, which is an interesting angle, but none of the conclusions was unique. The quotations were new to me and I appreciated Snow's willingness to name his sources and their merit, but it feels like a Henry Ford grab-bag. I guess I was looking for a consistent narrative lens or new depth of information, so I felt antsy when, for instance, Henry's hectoring of Edsel was given a couple pages. I could read a book about each corner of Henry's life, so it was frustrating to have life-shaking themes like Henry's guilt over Edsel's young death reduced to a single sentence.
If you want a fast-paced story about the Fords and their company, read Ford The Men and the Machine. If you want immersive detail on the Ford Motor Company and its products, read Wheels for the World. If you want to read about Ford's uncanny ability to completely screw up an idea (and an ideal) and continue to swing for the fences, read Fordlandia The Rise and Fall of Henry Ford's Forgotten Jungle City. Read Ford's autobiography if you want half-remember bullshit. This is not a bad book, but it's hard to recommend this over any of the others unless you're a completist.
Many of the descriptions of Ford are drawn from contemporary opinions of others, which is an interesting angle, but none of the conclusions was unique. The quotations were new to me and I appreciated Snow's willingness to name his sources and their merit, but it feels like a Henry Ford grab-bag. I guess I was looking for a consistent narrative lens or new depth of information, so I felt antsy when, for instance, Henry's hectoring of Edsel was given a couple pages. I could read a book about each corner of Henry's life, so it was frustrating to have life-shaking themes like Henry's guilt over Edsel's young death reduced to a single sentence.
If you want a fast-paced story about the Fords and their company, read Ford The Men and the Machine. If you want immersive detail on the Ford Motor Company and its products, read Wheels for the World. If you want to read about Ford's uncanny ability to completely screw up an idea (and an ideal) and continue to swing for the fences, read Fordlandia The Rise and Fall of Henry Ford's Forgotten Jungle City. Read Ford's autobiography if you want half-remember bullshit. This is not a bad book, but it's hard to recommend this over any of the others unless you're a completist.
December 24, 2015
“I Invented The Modern Age” is a full life biography of Henry Ford from his childhood through his long life with his triumphs and failures, strengths and weaknesses. It is about a man, his vision, his work and how he changed America.
Henry Ford grew up in an era when America was changing and he both effected and was affected by the change. Ford, like Eddie Rickenbacker (see my review of “Enduring Courage”) came of age when experimentation with engines captured the minds of the imaginative. Ford would see a machine and take it apart, see how it runs, tinker with it, make it better and adapt it to new uses. His job with the Detroit Edison Company gave him the income to support his research. This led to engines that powered the cars and that made America mobile. Ford’s unique contribution was mass production enabled by the assembly line. His partnerships with the Dodge brothers and others turned a factory into an industry. Ford successfully made the transition from technical developer to industrial mogul as he spread rumors to depress the price of Ford stock which he then secretly bought up. His inflexible adherence to the Model T pulled Ford down to second place among American automobile manufacturers.
This book also tells the story of Henry Ford the man, both good and bad. The dedicated family man is contrasted with the notorious anti-Semite and the pacifist and naive peacemaker with the war producer (but only for the United States) he became,. After saying “History is bunk” he amassed an extensive collection of historic buildings and artifacts at Greenfield Village and the Henry Ford Museum.
Author Richard Snow has presented this unique tale in a way that is both technical and appealing to the general audience, informative and inspiring but without whitewash. I enjoyed listening to it and found my interest in Ford and his life and company piqued. I plan to read more about them. Start here and follow where it leads.
Henry Ford grew up in an era when America was changing and he both effected and was affected by the change. Ford, like Eddie Rickenbacker (see my review of “Enduring Courage”) came of age when experimentation with engines captured the minds of the imaginative. Ford would see a machine and take it apart, see how it runs, tinker with it, make it better and adapt it to new uses. His job with the Detroit Edison Company gave him the income to support his research. This led to engines that powered the cars and that made America mobile. Ford’s unique contribution was mass production enabled by the assembly line. His partnerships with the Dodge brothers and others turned a factory into an industry. Ford successfully made the transition from technical developer to industrial mogul as he spread rumors to depress the price of Ford stock which he then secretly bought up. His inflexible adherence to the Model T pulled Ford down to second place among American automobile manufacturers.
This book also tells the story of Henry Ford the man, both good and bad. The dedicated family man is contrasted with the notorious anti-Semite and the pacifist and naive peacemaker with the war producer (but only for the United States) he became,. After saying “History is bunk” he amassed an extensive collection of historic buildings and artifacts at Greenfield Village and the Henry Ford Museum.
Author Richard Snow has presented this unique tale in a way that is both technical and appealing to the general audience, informative and inspiring but without whitewash. I enjoyed listening to it and found my interest in Ford and his life and company piqued. I plan to read more about them. Start here and follow where it leads.
January 21, 2014
Henry Ford's winter home, next to Edison's, is just down the street from me, so I was anxious to read more about his life. This book drove me off a cliff. It was so uninteresting that I could use it every night as a guaranteed sleep inducer.
Snow suffers form the biographers' disease of great research and poor writing. Just because you know it doesn't make it necessary to include. In his case the overuse of long parenthetical comments which take the reader out of the moment, and usually out of the sentence, are really annoying. He's also constantly going off on a tangent about a new character that interrupts the story. And he feels compelled to tell you the source of every quote in the text rather than in a references section. I'm not sure why he decided to write this book since so many have gone before.
I guess I'm not an auto engineer, but I was bored by all the talk about the parts of the engine, carburetor, pistons, etc that was much of the first quarter of the book. Did I need four pages about how to drive the Model T? No.
Ford did change America. His $5/ day wage was recently credited by CBS Sunday Morning as the first example of a "living wage." His perfection of the assembly line drove down time and cost, but made workers just another cog in the machinery. His goal of creating autos for the masses, at the expense of profits, was both laudable and successful.
Ford was driven to build what he believed in. Be it autos and military vehicles or world peace, he stuck to his beliefs and put his money up. Over time he was captured by his own public sway and ventured into endeavors beyond his capabilities with personally damaging results. A man of few words and instinctive business sense I wish his biographer had illuminated his life in a compelling way. In the end, it was a jumbled report and not a story.
Snow suffers form the biographers' disease of great research and poor writing. Just because you know it doesn't make it necessary to include. In his case the overuse of long parenthetical comments which take the reader out of the moment, and usually out of the sentence, are really annoying. He's also constantly going off on a tangent about a new character that interrupts the story. And he feels compelled to tell you the source of every quote in the text rather than in a references section. I'm not sure why he decided to write this book since so many have gone before.
I guess I'm not an auto engineer, but I was bored by all the talk about the parts of the engine, carburetor, pistons, etc that was much of the first quarter of the book. Did I need four pages about how to drive the Model T? No.
Ford did change America. His $5/ day wage was recently credited by CBS Sunday Morning as the first example of a "living wage." His perfection of the assembly line drove down time and cost, but made workers just another cog in the machinery. His goal of creating autos for the masses, at the expense of profits, was both laudable and successful.
Ford was driven to build what he believed in. Be it autos and military vehicles or world peace, he stuck to his beliefs and put his money up. Over time he was captured by his own public sway and ventured into endeavors beyond his capabilities with personally damaging results. A man of few words and instinctive business sense I wish his biographer had illuminated his life in a compelling way. In the end, it was a jumbled report and not a story.
August 2, 2015
Henry Ford was a complex man. He was a pioneering inventor who approached science like Edison; more focus on trial and error than crafting theory. He was an entrepreneur who often made terrible business decisions (he was essentially fired from the first company to bear his name, which became Cadillac, and chased away one of his best workers, who took over Chevrolet and led it to surpass Ford Motor Company in sales). He was exceedingly stubborn (refusing for years to allow his engineers to move beyond the Model T). He was extremely charismatic, leading many men to follow him without question, yet he would then shove those men out of his life and business. And the most shocking and disturbing; he was an extreme Anti-Semite, who poured a silly sum of money into a vanity newspaper that decried the Zionist conspiracy (yet at the same time he was friends with Jews, and believed that his campaign would help them by weeding out the bad parts of their "race").
Snow does a pretty good job of writing about what was admirable in Ford (his competitive drive, his inventive spirit) while also showing his darker side (the racism and horrible treatment of others in his life). His writing is crisp and moves at a good pace. But I wish he had explored a bit more deeply the psychology operating in Ford's brain. It's dangerous to speculate, of course, but there is a tremendous amount of primary material on Ford, both his own writings and those of others who knew him. And I wouldn't have minded a bit more on the broader impact Ford had on American culture, although to his credit we do get a fair amount of that for a book that is primarily a biography, not a sociological history. Ultimately, this was a good read.
Snow does a pretty good job of writing about what was admirable in Ford (his competitive drive, his inventive spirit) while also showing his darker side (the racism and horrible treatment of others in his life). His writing is crisp and moves at a good pace. But I wish he had explored a bit more deeply the psychology operating in Ford's brain. It's dangerous to speculate, of course, but there is a tremendous amount of primary material on Ford, both his own writings and those of others who knew him. And I wouldn't have minded a bit more on the broader impact Ford had on American culture, although to his credit we do get a fair amount of that for a book that is primarily a biography, not a sociological history. Ultimately, this was a good read.
March 19, 2019
Like many ultra-successful people, Henry Ford had a polarizing life. He revolutionized the car industry—or created it, really. He instituted the $5 workday, which was double the average wage at the time. He also was was progressive on women's rights. In many ways, the first part of his biography reads like a happy success story.
After the Ford company really made it, things took a turn. Ford got caught in legal battles. He alienated long-time friends and partners, often out of jealousy. He casually talked about infidelity and was suspected of being unfaithful (though there isn't hard evidence). Most famously, he was anti-semitic, and not just passingly so—he produced a 70+ issue newspaper focused on attacking Jews. A subscription was even included with every Model T purchase.
The book is well written. As an entrepreneur, Henry Ford was inspiring and impressive. There are a lot of quotable lines, including the book title. Ford had a tenacity and confidence you only see in people like Jobs, Edison and so on. There's a lot of interesting history, especially so with the early car industry and competing companies (for example, Cadillac spun off from Ford's early race car). And then there's Ford's flaws—it made me wonder about the pattern of flawed 'great' historical characters, and whether those flaws are amplified or created by the pressures of success. Would Ford have had those glaring issues if he'd led a normal life? And if not, what's worth giving up to have a historical legacy like Ford's?
After the Ford company really made it, things took a turn. Ford got caught in legal battles. He alienated long-time friends and partners, often out of jealousy. He casually talked about infidelity and was suspected of being unfaithful (though there isn't hard evidence). Most famously, he was anti-semitic, and not just passingly so—he produced a 70+ issue newspaper focused on attacking Jews. A subscription was even included with every Model T purchase.
The book is well written. As an entrepreneur, Henry Ford was inspiring and impressive. There are a lot of quotable lines, including the book title. Ford had a tenacity and confidence you only see in people like Jobs, Edison and so on. There's a lot of interesting history, especially so with the early car industry and competing companies (for example, Cadillac spun off from Ford's early race car). And then there's Ford's flaws—it made me wonder about the pattern of flawed 'great' historical characters, and whether those flaws are amplified or created by the pressures of success. Would Ford have had those glaring issues if he'd led a normal life? And if not, what's worth giving up to have a historical legacy like Ford's?
March 23, 2014
I enjoyed this book. It illuminated a number of very positive things that Henry Ford was involved in and accomplished. It also helped me realize just how big an Anti-Semite he was but didn't explain why he was such a rabid Jew-Hater and conspiracy theorist or the real reasons why he abruptly apologized for his Anti-Semitism and Jew-Hating and seemingly ceased it entirely.
Among the things he accomplished:
1. Creating a workable gasoline fueled internal combustion engine;
2. Creating an early viable commercial passenger and working gasoline powered vehicle, the Model A;
3. Successfully fought on his own a highly-noncompetitive, monopolistic lawsuit that, had he lost, would have set up a vastly different system of automobile industry beholden to a patent holder / inventor that had really invented nothing;
4. Switched early to auto racing, which he seemed not to be a particular fan of, to validate the utility and capabilities of his early inventions;
5. Was inspired by Thomas Edison, with whom he became friendly,and perhaps their early interactions might have propelled Henry Ford to his greatest accomplishments;
6. Building the Ford Rouge plant which was the largest manufacturing plant in the world;
This book also elucidated some of Ford's personal relationships.
This book made we want to learn more about Ford, his accomplishments and his rabid and vociferous Anti-Semitism.
Among the things he accomplished:
1. Creating a workable gasoline fueled internal combustion engine;
2. Creating an early viable commercial passenger and working gasoline powered vehicle, the Model A;
3. Successfully fought on his own a highly-noncompetitive, monopolistic lawsuit that, had he lost, would have set up a vastly different system of automobile industry beholden to a patent holder / inventor that had really invented nothing;
4. Switched early to auto racing, which he seemed not to be a particular fan of, to validate the utility and capabilities of his early inventions;
5. Was inspired by Thomas Edison, with whom he became friendly,and perhaps their early interactions might have propelled Henry Ford to his greatest accomplishments;
6. Building the Ford Rouge plant which was the largest manufacturing plant in the world;
This book also elucidated some of Ford's personal relationships.
This book made we want to learn more about Ford, his accomplishments and his rabid and vociferous Anti-Semitism.
May 2, 2014
The book was at first exhilarating and then somewhat depressing but captivating throughout. The change is due not to the author but how Henry Ford changed during his life. He started out loved by everyone, very congenial, and willing to give credit to others. He loved change and creating things and helped create our country's and the world's future. It is exhilarating following along as he conquers or solves one challenge after another. Then something changed in him and he wanted total control, wanted and took all the credit, was resistant to change and now people feared him.
It is a fascinating tale of the man and of the machine and all the steps that were necessary to create the modern manufacturing processes and assembly lines that we know of today that have reduced costs on so many goods. Ford was largely responsible for these innovations although of course others helped. He created the largest car company in the world and I believe the largest company period. The change in Ford's personality allowed GM to move ahead and almost destroyed the company.
The book vividly brings to life what life was like before the Model T and modern manufacturing and how life changed over a very short time. In addition, the book explains how the Ford Company was a major reason for the rise of the middle class.
It is a fascinating tale of the man and of the machine and all the steps that were necessary to create the modern manufacturing processes and assembly lines that we know of today that have reduced costs on so many goods. Ford was largely responsible for these innovations although of course others helped. He created the largest car company in the world and I believe the largest company period. The change in Ford's personality allowed GM to move ahead and almost destroyed the company.
The book vividly brings to life what life was like before the Model T and modern manufacturing and how life changed over a very short time. In addition, the book explains how the Ford Company was a major reason for the rise of the middle class.
September 21, 2016
I don't normally like to read biographies of highly successful technology businessmen. For example, I'm really not interested in reading about Jobs or Zuckerberg or Gates or Musk. I'm sure they all are (were) great guys with amazing stories of creativity, determination, and incredible business sense. But there is so much luck involved - being in the right place at the right time - but history seems to brush aside the luck factor in favor of just going for the genius label.
So I approached this Ford biography with a bit of trepidation. But, wow, what a great book. There is so much myth that surrounds Henry Ford. Did he invent the car? Did he invent assembly lines? Why did he only use black paint? This author tells Ford's story in a very compelling way, teasing apart the myths and facts while making Ford extremely real. Turns out he was extremely idealistic, believed the Model T was the perfect car, believed he could personally stop world wars if he just tried hard enough, was the first to pay a real living wage to factory workers, but fought unions with thugs. Really a man of contrasts.
Spoiler: the title comes from something Ford, in his older years, told a young man (whom we learn is Ford's illegitimate son) in response to the young man's comment about needing to modernize, "But Mr. Ford, this is the modern age!" Ford replies, "Young man, I invented the modern age!".
So I approached this Ford biography with a bit of trepidation. But, wow, what a great book. There is so much myth that surrounds Henry Ford. Did he invent the car? Did he invent assembly lines? Why did he only use black paint? This author tells Ford's story in a very compelling way, teasing apart the myths and facts while making Ford extremely real. Turns out he was extremely idealistic, believed the Model T was the perfect car, believed he could personally stop world wars if he just tried hard enough, was the first to pay a real living wage to factory workers, but fought unions with thugs. Really a man of contrasts.
Spoiler: the title comes from something Ford, in his older years, told a young man (whom we learn is Ford's illegitimate son) in response to the young man's comment about needing to modernize, "But Mr. Ford, this is the modern age!" Ford replies, "Young man, I invented the modern age!".
March 31, 2018
I found the first half of the book to be a bit tedious. This had to do with the rather uninteresting aspects of Henry Ford's childhood and young adult years.
I agree with fellow Goodreads reviewer Matt McAlear that the book is: "An interesting read in a very bland writing style. It was very mechanical and tough to follow at certain points with lots of pronouns to get lost in."
The book would have been much better if it had been written by a better writer such as Alice Schroeder or Evan Osnos, who are both able to write non-fiction in a very clever and interesting language / writing style.
This book's author, Mr. Richard Snow does however seem to have a deep interest in Henry Ford's life from a historical point of view. This is apparent when he e.g. writes about that it is unknown if Ford studied with other industry titans, of the time, when he was in some kind of school.
From several examples written in this book, it appears that Henry Ford was a man with a complex personality, who could be ruthless, but he also had softer sides. This rich personality, combined with his influence of future politics, economics and business are reasons enough to read this book.
So overall the book is good, but not great.
I agree with fellow Goodreads reviewer Matt McAlear that the book is: "An interesting read in a very bland writing style. It was very mechanical and tough to follow at certain points with lots of pronouns to get lost in."
The book would have been much better if it had been written by a better writer such as Alice Schroeder or Evan Osnos, who are both able to write non-fiction in a very clever and interesting language / writing style.
This book's author, Mr. Richard Snow does however seem to have a deep interest in Henry Ford's life from a historical point of view. This is apparent when he e.g. writes about that it is unknown if Ford studied with other industry titans, of the time, when he was in some kind of school.
From several examples written in this book, it appears that Henry Ford was a man with a complex personality, who could be ruthless, but he also had softer sides. This rich personality, combined with his influence of future politics, economics and business are reasons enough to read this book.
So overall the book is good, but not great.
January 3, 2017
Great Book explaining about a great person Henry Ford. Truly he is the one who invented the modern age. During his child hood days he is very interested in assembling and disassembling of toys.
Which continues in his later period also.
After completing his schooling their parents forced him to work in their farm. But he followed his dream. He left his house and joined in Edison's electrical company. After getting enough money then he started creating his own car using steam engine.
After that his wife and family everyone supported Ford's idea of manufacturing cars. Then with his friends he started his own car manufacturing company. Being a monopoly in car manufacturing industry his intention is not getting more money but making his car available to lower middle class people. Finally his dream comes true.
Every year he reduced his car prices and increases daily wages of an employee to $5. At the time that is the highest daily wage. To produce huge amount of cars he followed assembly line technique. Later this technology is used in all kinds of manufacturing companies to achieve mass production.
Every one should read this book.
Which continues in his later period also.
After completing his schooling their parents forced him to work in their farm. But he followed his dream. He left his house and joined in Edison's electrical company. After getting enough money then he started creating his own car using steam engine.
After that his wife and family everyone supported Ford's idea of manufacturing cars. Then with his friends he started his own car manufacturing company. Being a monopoly in car manufacturing industry his intention is not getting more money but making his car available to lower middle class people. Finally his dream comes true.
Every year he reduced his car prices and increases daily wages of an employee to $5. At the time that is the highest daily wage. To produce huge amount of cars he followed assembly line technique. Later this technology is used in all kinds of manufacturing companies to achieve mass production.
Every one should read this book.
March 13, 2015
This is a short biography of Henry Ford that focuses on his rise to greatness and the success of the Model T. I had read Fordlandia earlier this year and it made mention of Ford's particular brand of paternalistic management as he addressed the challenges of hiring and maintaining a work force in a mass production system. This book provides good background on that paternalism, including the $5 a day wage, the socioloogy department, and the more repressive workplace regime that this morphed into, eventually culminating in Ford's battles with the UAW. It is a clear and well written book that provides lots of background into the shift towards mass production and the contradictions in Henry Ford, the man who initiated the modern age and yet seemed so opposed to it. It also sheds light on some of Ford's odder tendencies, such as his anti-semitism. This is not an exhaustive biography and many parts of this story will be well known to readers. What the book focuses on, however, it does so effectively and the book is worth the read.
December 20, 2017
An interesting read in a very bland writing style. It was very mechanical and tough to follow at certain points with lots of pronouns to get lost in. Besides the writing style quirks, I thoughts there was a good amount of detail regarding Henry's life story and how the Ford Motor Company rose to be the first of it's kind. I also think the author did a great job at staying impartial to the good and bad portrayals of HF.
A few takeaways I had were:
- Henry Ford was an intelligent hard working man who had a drive second to none.
- He was a natural leader and very mechanically inclined and moved into roles where he would be working in that strength.
- He hit success early in his career and ended up getting a chip on his shoulder as a result. His ego became an animal that could not be tamed.
- His management style was brutal and demanding. It only got worse as he got older.
- He had a knack for getting around exceptionally high caliber people and finding synergy with the person.
A few takeaways I had were:
- Henry Ford was an intelligent hard working man who had a drive second to none.
- He was a natural leader and very mechanically inclined and moved into roles where he would be working in that strength.
- He hit success early in his career and ended up getting a chip on his shoulder as a result. His ego became an animal that could not be tamed.
- His management style was brutal and demanding. It only got worse as he got older.
- He had a knack for getting around exceptionally high caliber people and finding synergy with the person.
February 23, 2014
A fascinating history of both Henry Ford and the Ford Motor Company - filled with all sorts of historical tidbits that most of us are not aware of. This book focuses on the creation of the Model T and the way that it changed America and the world forever. As the title states - Henry Ford invented the Modern Age. From its humble beginnings to the massive Rouge complex - the beginnings and growth of the auto industry and Detroit is brought to vivid life. The names that we all hear and see on our roads around Detroit: Edsel Ford, James Couzens, the Dodge Brothers, the Lincoln Motor Company and Cadillac are all here. The origins of Greenfield village and the absence of lawyers and bankers from there show Henry Ford's influence on our lives. Henry Ford did many great things, but also things the tarnished his reputation. He was an icon that helped shape the world that we live in and this book is required reading for anybody interested in that pivotal time in history.
December 7, 2016
The life of Henry Ford. He designed and built the prototype vehicles.
While other manufacturers were building individual cars, Ford developed a production line and was mass producing comparatively simple cars at a much cheaper price.
During war time he begrudgingly converted his plants to assist in the war effort by mass producing bombers.
An incredible person, arguably unequaled in the manufacturing world. He had the best of help to run the empire he owned and controlled. That is where it ultimately went wrong, he did not want to alter his baby, not even to improve a feature.
This is a good book, but it would have been much better had there been more on the development of the car, the production line and the dealer network. After all, this is what he is known for.
The writing of the book is not neat, it lacks the smooth flowing features due to abrupt and unexpected changes of subject.
While other manufacturers were building individual cars, Ford developed a production line and was mass producing comparatively simple cars at a much cheaper price.
During war time he begrudgingly converted his plants to assist in the war effort by mass producing bombers.
An incredible person, arguably unequaled in the manufacturing world. He had the best of help to run the empire he owned and controlled. That is where it ultimately went wrong, he did not want to alter his baby, not even to improve a feature.
This is a good book, but it would have been much better had there been more on the development of the car, the production line and the dealer network. After all, this is what he is known for.
The writing of the book is not neat, it lacks the smooth flowing features due to abrupt and unexpected changes of subject.
August 19, 2016
This was a bit tedious. From the title I had expected a biography but one that focuses specifically about the rise of the Modern Age and how Ford fit into that. Of course, everyone knows that Ford invented the mass produced car and revolutionized factory work but those are things that we learn very young. There isn't a lot of in-depth discussion of who he was as a person. This is particularly true since there seems to be a big difference between the younger man and the older. There is a lot of discussion about what he did and tons of technical details about manufacturing and cars but it fell flat on the man. If possible there are both too few and too many details in the book.
The book was also a bit disjointed in it's timeline. It seemed to jump around a bit which is especially difficult for me when I am just listening to a book.
I wanted to like it more but it clearly wasn't for me.
The book was also a bit disjointed in it's timeline. It seemed to jump around a bit which is especially difficult for me when I am just listening to a book.
I wanted to like it more but it clearly wasn't for me.
May 14, 2013
This book describes the love affair between Henry Ford, the Model T Ford, and America. It captures events that changed the world and created the twentieth century. It is a narrative filled with Ford's ability, his monomania, his shortsightedness, his venality, his charm, and his genius. It reads like a novel, yet it clearly the result of careful and serious scholarship. Reading this book is essential for anyone seeking to gain a clear understanding of the twentieth century as well as the times we live in today. Read my complete review now available on my blog and please consider ordering it through the Amazon portal on my site. http://tinyurl.com/d6vuv3d
April 7, 2016
De biografie van Henry Ford is het verhaal van de industriële revolutie in Detroit. Wat voor ons Sillicon Valley is, was begin 20ste eeuw Detroit. Edison had er zijn fabrieksterrein, het barstte van de autopioniers en grondstoffenleveranciers (staal). En zoals wij aan de hand van Steve Jobs de digitale wereld zijn ingelopen, reed men begin 20ste eeuw met Ford het gemotoriseerde tijdperk in: wegen werden verhard, er ontstond een economie langs de weg (diners, motels, tankstations) en afstanden werden kleiner.
Aardig inkijkje in de beweegredenen van Henry Ford en de eigenaardigheden van de man. Voor autoliefhebbers biedt het ook nog informatie over de ontwikkeling van de automobiel.
Aardig inkijkje in de beweegredenen van Henry Ford en de eigenaardigheden van de man. Voor autoliefhebbers biedt het ook nog informatie over de ontwikkeling van de automobiel.
August 6, 2016
I may be biased here. I'm a native Detroiter, a car dealer, the first new car I ever purchased was a Ford Mustang, and I went to the same high school as Ford's son Edsel. Suffice to say that Henry Ford is kind of a big deal for me, but what made this book great was not the legendary tales we've all come to know (e.g., mass production, Model T, self made riches, etc.) but the frank, honest look at the whole man. His upbringing, his family and personal relationships, his values, and his motivation, and his tragic decent into megalomania. One of the better biographies I've read. It reminded me of Isaacson's profile of Steve Jobs in many ways.
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