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Electric City: The Lost History of Ford and Edison’s American Utopia
The extraordinary, unknown story of two giants of American history—Henry Ford and Thomas Edison—and their attempt to create an electric-powered city of tomorrow on the Tennessee River
During the roaring twenties, two of the most revered and influential men in American business proposed to transform one of the country’s poorest regions into a dream technological metropolis, a shining paradise of small farms, giant factories, and sparkling laboratories. Henry Ford and Thomas Edison’s “Detroit of the South” would be ten times the size of Manhattan, powered by renewable energy, and free of air pollution. And it would reshape American society, introducing mass commuting by car, use a new kind of currency called “energy dollars,” and have the added benefit (from Ford and Edison's view) of crippling the growth of socialism.
The whole audacious scheme almost came off, with Southerners rallying to support what became known as the Ford Plan. But while some saw it as a way to conjure the future and reinvent the South, others saw it as one of the biggest land swindles of all time. They were all true.
Electric City is a rich chronicle of the time and the social backdrop, and offers a fresh look at the lives of the two men who almost saw the project to fruition, the forces that came to oppose them, and what rose in its a new kind of public corporation called the Tennessee Valley Authority, one of the greatest achievements of the New Deal. This is a history for a wide audience, including readers interested in American history, technology, politics, and the future.
During the roaring twenties, two of the most revered and influential men in American business proposed to transform one of the country’s poorest regions into a dream technological metropolis, a shining paradise of small farms, giant factories, and sparkling laboratories. Henry Ford and Thomas Edison’s “Detroit of the South” would be ten times the size of Manhattan, powered by renewable energy, and free of air pollution. And it would reshape American society, introducing mass commuting by car, use a new kind of currency called “energy dollars,” and have the added benefit (from Ford and Edison's view) of crippling the growth of socialism.
The whole audacious scheme almost came off, with Southerners rallying to support what became known as the Ford Plan. But while some saw it as a way to conjure the future and reinvent the South, others saw it as one of the biggest land swindles of all time. They were all true.
Electric City is a rich chronicle of the time and the social backdrop, and offers a fresh look at the lives of the two men who almost saw the project to fruition, the forces that came to oppose them, and what rose in its a new kind of public corporation called the Tennessee Valley Authority, one of the greatest achievements of the New Deal. This is a history for a wide audience, including readers interested in American history, technology, politics, and the future.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published May 18, 2021
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About the author
Thomas Hager
19 books315 followersHow science and technology change our lives. I believe in facts.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews
February 24, 2022
What a marvelous book about a little known chapter in American history. I listened to a podcast in which the author was interviewed and was so impressed that I moved the book to the top of my reading list, and once I began the book it was hard for me to put it down!
This is the story of the attempt by Henry Ford to change the destiny of the Muscle Shoals, Alabama region and to create a utopian society based on 19th century values and ethics. It was a plan where Ford would purchase government owned facilities, facilities that have been deserted after World War One, and he would finish the damming of the Tennessee river, would finish nitrate fertilizer plants that had also been halted, and would create a massive amount of electric energy that he would use to create a 75 mile development plan for this upper Alabama region. It was an ambitious endeavor, but one which the citizens were wildly in favor of because of how backward, desolate and impoverished this area was.
The book is an extremely fast read, as a matter of fact the first section I read in under a day. It slows down a bit once the focus gets off of Henry Ford, and instead focuses on the main opponent to this project, Nebraska Senator George Norris who way back in the 1920s believed that natural resources in America should be controlled by a public entity and not private corporations. He believed that Ford was lowballing the purchase price, was not willing to commit to certain enhancements and for almost three years this US Senator was able to block any and all attempts by Ford to purchase the property and make these improvements.
Henry Ford was an icon, and in addition he brought in his friend Thomas Edison to help promote the project's use of hydroelectric power by damming the Tennessee river. What I never realized was that Henry Ford wanted clean and green energy. He hated coal and the smoke and dirt that it produced. As a matter of fact I got the distinct impression that Ford would have preferred his automobiles to be electrified but there was not a way to feasibly do that when he developed the Model T. By this time in his life Ford was most likely the wealthiest man in the world and he had dreams of expanding his automobile dynasty as well as dreams of creating an America that was based upon his work ethics. He planned for villages that would be developed that had a 40 acre village green, a church, housing, some small businesses, all of which would be populated by people who would work at Ford’s automobile factory, or supply chain in the area. He may have been the first person who dreamt of something we now know as the suburbs, And his ideas on small family farming we're truly revolutionary. But no matter what he did he was opposed by George Norris. Norris eventually drafted a bill which would lead to the creation of the Tennessee Valley Authority. Norris believed that the Tennessee River should be damned for the benefit of all people in the area not just to benefit Ford.
This is a truly eye opening book about something I had never heard of and I was fascinated to read all that was involved in this project. A project that actually had its beginnings in the 1890s, expedited during the early years of World War One, and before the whole project could be finalized the war ended. It was at that time that Henry Ford decided he would come in and help revitalize that area by taking over the government projects and structures and use them for his utopian dream.
For me this was a well written book, a fabulous read come which bogs down a bit when we get into the middle portion of the book because the focus no longer is on Ford or Edison, but rather on Norris, government hearings and what impediments could be put in the way of Henry Ford so that he did not get this land. I heartily recommend this to anyone who is interested in history, the TVA, and the question of government versus public ownership of utilities. It's not a dry read, but rather it is one that kept me from putting this book down until I finished it. A top notch effort to put it mildly!
This is the story of the attempt by Henry Ford to change the destiny of the Muscle Shoals, Alabama region and to create a utopian society based on 19th century values and ethics. It was a plan where Ford would purchase government owned facilities, facilities that have been deserted after World War One, and he would finish the damming of the Tennessee river, would finish nitrate fertilizer plants that had also been halted, and would create a massive amount of electric energy that he would use to create a 75 mile development plan for this upper Alabama region. It was an ambitious endeavor, but one which the citizens were wildly in favor of because of how backward, desolate and impoverished this area was.
The book is an extremely fast read, as a matter of fact the first section I read in under a day. It slows down a bit once the focus gets off of Henry Ford, and instead focuses on the main opponent to this project, Nebraska Senator George Norris who way back in the 1920s believed that natural resources in America should be controlled by a public entity and not private corporations. He believed that Ford was lowballing the purchase price, was not willing to commit to certain enhancements and for almost three years this US Senator was able to block any and all attempts by Ford to purchase the property and make these improvements.
Henry Ford was an icon, and in addition he brought in his friend Thomas Edison to help promote the project's use of hydroelectric power by damming the Tennessee river. What I never realized was that Henry Ford wanted clean and green energy. He hated coal and the smoke and dirt that it produced. As a matter of fact I got the distinct impression that Ford would have preferred his automobiles to be electrified but there was not a way to feasibly do that when he developed the Model T. By this time in his life Ford was most likely the wealthiest man in the world and he had dreams of expanding his automobile dynasty as well as dreams of creating an America that was based upon his work ethics. He planned for villages that would be developed that had a 40 acre village green, a church, housing, some small businesses, all of which would be populated by people who would work at Ford’s automobile factory, or supply chain in the area. He may have been the first person who dreamt of something we now know as the suburbs, And his ideas on small family farming we're truly revolutionary. But no matter what he did he was opposed by George Norris. Norris eventually drafted a bill which would lead to the creation of the Tennessee Valley Authority. Norris believed that the Tennessee River should be damned for the benefit of all people in the area not just to benefit Ford.
This is a truly eye opening book about something I had never heard of and I was fascinated to read all that was involved in this project. A project that actually had its beginnings in the 1890s, expedited during the early years of World War One, and before the whole project could be finalized the war ended. It was at that time that Henry Ford decided he would come in and help revitalize that area by taking over the government projects and structures and use them for his utopian dream.
For me this was a well written book, a fabulous read come which bogs down a bit when we get into the middle portion of the book because the focus no longer is on Ford or Edison, but rather on Norris, government hearings and what impediments could be put in the way of Henry Ford so that he did not get this land. I heartily recommend this to anyone who is interested in history, the TVA, and the question of government versus public ownership of utilities. It's not a dry read, but rather it is one that kept me from putting this book down until I finished it. A top notch effort to put it mildly!
April 19, 2021
It's not that this isn't a good book, but it is more of a middle of the road, it's ok type of book. The title is a little misleading in that Edison plays a small part and is never truly enthusiastic when it comes to Ford's vision. Much of the last third of the book has little to do with Ford, and he is mentioned only in comparison as to what did happen.
Just after WW1 Ford was in his most "prophetic" and what was like his "Robert Moses" period. Ford had wanted to recreate his company into the world's first conglomerate. He had gone on a buying spree of steel companies, glass manufacturers and other suppliers of parts for this cars. He even tried to build a city in Brazil (call Fordlandia) to supply rubber for tires. He wanted to be able to control every piece that went into his cars including seats.
Having built the largest car plant in the world at River Rouge, which was vertically integrated. Ford wanted to build a seventy-five mile long industrial park. He would use the electricity from the damming of the Tennessee River (in twenty plus places) interspersed with farming communities and small towns. It was the damming of the river that became controversial. Politicians in the area and those on the approving committees didn't want Ford to control that much electricity.
Ford's request bounced around the Congress for over seven years until he finally gave up. The book now takes up the creation of the Tennessee Valley Authority under the Roosevelt Administration. The electricity would be government controlled and eventually force the local privately held Power Companies to lower their prices by half. Hager then discusses how the area around TVA ended up doing just as well as the Tennessee Valley.
My problem with this book is the amount of time that Edison was included, probably less than 20% and Ford (50%) and 30% for TVA. He would have been better to title it the "History of the TVA".
Just after WW1 Ford was in his most "prophetic" and what was like his "Robert Moses" period. Ford had wanted to recreate his company into the world's first conglomerate. He had gone on a buying spree of steel companies, glass manufacturers and other suppliers of parts for this cars. He even tried to build a city in Brazil (call Fordlandia) to supply rubber for tires. He wanted to be able to control every piece that went into his cars including seats.
Having built the largest car plant in the world at River Rouge, which was vertically integrated. Ford wanted to build a seventy-five mile long industrial park. He would use the electricity from the damming of the Tennessee River (in twenty plus places) interspersed with farming communities and small towns. It was the damming of the river that became controversial. Politicians in the area and those on the approving committees didn't want Ford to control that much electricity.
Ford's request bounced around the Congress for over seven years until he finally gave up. The book now takes up the creation of the Tennessee Valley Authority under the Roosevelt Administration. The electricity would be government controlled and eventually force the local privately held Power Companies to lower their prices by half. Hager then discusses how the area around TVA ended up doing just as well as the Tennessee Valley.
My problem with this book is the amount of time that Edison was included, probably less than 20% and Ford (50%) and 30% for TVA. He would have been better to title it the "History of the TVA".
July 16, 2023
This was a super interesting history of the mile long Wilson Dam on the Tennessee River that follows the project from its inception during WWI to power nitrate factories for munitions, through the private-public battle for post-war ownership between Ford and the federal government that throws into contrast different ideas about how to manage natural resources to improve our collective quality of life, and to its eventual management by TVA and impact on holding private power companies accountable on rate setting.
I really enjoyed this read and appreciated how the writing style and level of detail brought the history to life. There were some interesting mediations toward the end on what an alternative history in which Ford won his bid could’ve looked like, and I think that could’ve been cool to see integrated more throughout the book (especially given Ford’s anti-semitism and ties with Nazis, since those ideas obviously shape the way his electric “utopia” would’ve played out). Everything in the TVA section was so interesting that I wish it was twice as long and covered more of the organization’s unique structure. Overall, this book did a great job of making a little known piece of history accessible.
I really enjoyed this read and appreciated how the writing style and level of detail brought the history to life. There were some interesting mediations toward the end on what an alternative history in which Ford won his bid could’ve looked like, and I think that could’ve been cool to see integrated more throughout the book (especially given Ford’s anti-semitism and ties with Nazis, since those ideas obviously shape the way his electric “utopia” would’ve played out). Everything in the TVA section was so interesting that I wish it was twice as long and covered more of the organization’s unique structure. Overall, this book did a great job of making a little known piece of history accessible.
January 11, 2021
Those That Do Not Know History... The time period is (basically) a century ago. Most of the action is taking place within about 3 years either side of 1920. And you have a nationally popular and very rich business tycoon running in an election that ends with allegations of fraud and demands for recounts. Sound familiar? This is only *part* of the story of a piece of American history that despite having a tangential connection to (my step-grandfather - the only second grandfather I ever knew - was from the Muscle Shoals region and was born there during the period discussed in this text), I had never heard about before seeing this book. I've known of the TVA, I've even considering applying for jobs there in my professional career. But this story of how they began - really nearly a decade *before* the Great Depression and FDR's New Deal - is quite fascinating on so many levels. Hager does a tremendous job of showing the breadth of what was happening and why as it relates to his central thesis, and people would do well to learn the lessons of this particular episode of American history. While the Bibliography was a bit lacking (at roughly 9% of this text vs a more common 20-30% or so), the author explains that much of his research was from original records and correspondences not captured in any previous volume, so that makes a fair amount of sense. On the whole, this seems well done and well balanced, and is very much recommended.
May 25, 2024
I believe this is an essential book for any native of the Tennessee Valley and especially the Shoals (like me) to have on their shelf. The subtitle is a little misleading, but it did it's job and got me to buy the book. While Electric City certainly details Henry Ford's quest to purchase what would become the Wilson Dam and his ambitious plans surrounding Muscle Shoals and the Tri-Cities, at its core I believe this book is much more about the history of the dam and of how the fight for natural resources and electricity between the public and private sector has transformed the area—you as the reader can judge for yourself whether for the better or worse. As stated in the book, Ford was pretty vague about the specifics of his ambitious, 75-mile long "electric city" utopia; and I'm not sure why Edison is mentioned in the subtitle at all as he was mostly just used as a pawn in Ford's game. The final section of the book hardly mentions Ford at all and is more about the TVA. Still, this is an extremely informative book and it's a page turner. It's very well written and entertaining to read. The entire saga around Ford's bid for the Wilson Dam and the national attention it generated in the first half of the 20th century I was completely ignorant of. For nearly two decades, the Shoals area was at the center of a fight between one of the most popular men in the country—Ford nearly ran for president on the back of his Shoals plans—flawed as he was, hell bent on a stubborn mission to establish a "utopia" of his own making and a few very influential people in the United States government, who believed the Tennessee River and all its power belonged to the people. Fascinating read.
May 18, 2021
Overall I thoroughly enjoyed this account of a fairly unknown piece of American history. I was originally drawn in by the beautiful cover. The font is eye catching, especially against the grey background, which contrasts perfectly with the lush green/bright blue of the bottom half of the cover. It captures the essence and thesis of the book accurately. The idea of a Utopia is one that is explored often in science fiction writings and not one we often relate to real life. Hager does not shy away from showing the fatal flaws of the main players in the story, particularly with Ford and some of his personal ideologies. And yes his antisemitic views are completely inexcusable; Ford also made sure his employees earned an appropriate wage and had safe working conditions. Hager does a wonderful job of fleshing out Fords qualities, both good and bad.
I’ve seen some reviews saying the title is a bit misleading, with the last say 40% focusing on the Tennessee Valley Authority and less on Ford and Edison. I don’t necessarily agree with that. I think there is a good setup for the last part and what happens with the TVA and how communities were planned in the 40s and 50s.
If you have an interest in technology, urban planning, or even weird/random niche historical events I definitely recommend checking it out. I fall into the latter two categories and I read this book in one sitting, which rarely happens!
Read as an eARC thanks for NetGalley!
I’ve seen some reviews saying the title is a bit misleading, with the last say 40% focusing on the Tennessee Valley Authority and less on Ford and Edison. I don’t necessarily agree with that. I think there is a good setup for the last part and what happens with the TVA and how communities were planned in the 40s and 50s.
If you have an interest in technology, urban planning, or even weird/random niche historical events I definitely recommend checking it out. I fall into the latter two categories and I read this book in one sitting, which rarely happens!
Read as an eARC thanks for NetGalley!
January 30, 2021
This book is well researched and some parts read like historical fiction. Very interesting and informative.
January 15, 2024
Well researched book that talks about the pre-TVA timeline of a possible Ford City in north AL. Being a former resident of Florence, AL this book was very interesting to me. Seeing how Ford’s celebrity and early 20th century American politics played out in the fate of a small town was fascinating. The author also did a great job balancing Ford’s vision and ideas with acknowledging his iffy personal life (spoiler: Nazi sympathizer, or more than sympathizer…)
March 19, 2021
I read this hot off the heels of Greg Grandin’s excellent “Fordlandia” (which concerns itself with another megalomaniac Ford project), and the fact that it stands up quite well in comparison is testament to the book’s quality.
“Electric City” follows Henry Ford’s pursuit of Muscle Shoals on the Tennessee river – the eventual site of TVA activity – and his ever-growing utopian visions for the area. The book begins with the time Tennessee river valley ignited first sparks of interest and concludes describing its ultimate fate. Neither Ford, nor Edison were involved in either of those, which hints at the scope of the story. Edison wasn’t involved much at all, actually, and when he was, it was primarily for the PR value of his name. It seems, he was similarly included in the title for the effect the outsized effect his name and Ford’s produce together, both then and now.
Hager moves through the narrative sequentially, and while he maintains his focus on the Muscle Shoals area, the bulk of the story concerns itself with endless politicking and PR pushes surrounding the whole thing. Descriptions of interested parties traveling to Washington, partaking in endless negotiations and generating headlines are interspersed with necessary diversions to explain technical details, biographies or larger forces at play. The book moves swiftly and is an easy read. The language is very simple, too simple for my taste in fact, but not inadequate in any way
.
Wrapping up the book, Hager provides brief summaries of the fate of various characters (and there was a surprising number of them drifting into and out of the project at one point or another) following their involvement with Muscle Shoals. They are a welcome touch, rounding out the story.
In another concluding section of the book Hager explains his decision not to include footnotes, preferring to confine them to academic writing. I wish he made a different choice, but the book provides and informative list of sources nonetheless.
In the end, this is a nice book for the lay public to learn more about the Muscle Shoals affair and history of TVA. Some grounding in Ford’s biography or history of the time in general couldn’t hurt, but the book is a fine read without them. Recommended.
“Electric City” follows Henry Ford’s pursuit of Muscle Shoals on the Tennessee river – the eventual site of TVA activity – and his ever-growing utopian visions for the area. The book begins with the time Tennessee river valley ignited first sparks of interest and concludes describing its ultimate fate. Neither Ford, nor Edison were involved in either of those, which hints at the scope of the story. Edison wasn’t involved much at all, actually, and when he was, it was primarily for the PR value of his name. It seems, he was similarly included in the title for the effect the outsized effect his name and Ford’s produce together, both then and now.
Hager moves through the narrative sequentially, and while he maintains his focus on the Muscle Shoals area, the bulk of the story concerns itself with endless politicking and PR pushes surrounding the whole thing. Descriptions of interested parties traveling to Washington, partaking in endless negotiations and generating headlines are interspersed with necessary diversions to explain technical details, biographies or larger forces at play. The book moves swiftly and is an easy read. The language is very simple, too simple for my taste in fact, but not inadequate in any way
.
Wrapping up the book, Hager provides brief summaries of the fate of various characters (and there was a surprising number of them drifting into and out of the project at one point or another) following their involvement with Muscle Shoals. They are a welcome touch, rounding out the story.
In another concluding section of the book Hager explains his decision not to include footnotes, preferring to confine them to academic writing. I wish he made a different choice, but the book provides and informative list of sources nonetheless.
In the end, this is a nice book for the lay public to learn more about the Muscle Shoals affair and history of TVA. Some grounding in Ford’s biography or history of the time in general couldn’t hurt, but the book is a fine read without them. Recommended.
July 13, 2021
I live in LA (Lower Alabama) and was browsing the new books at the public library and was attracted to the cover. Thumbing through, I realized much of it took place in Florence and Muscle Shoals, Alabama. I checked it out and began reading. Hager is an excellent writer. He excels at making history enjoyably readable. It's a story about Ford, a little bit of Edison, George Norris, and the TVA but the writing about the development and construction was so compelling. It kept me turning the pages and learning new things on every flip. Hager has done for history what he has mastered in his STEM books. I went after more details and turned to the Source Notes at the back of the book. He says it himself; “I translate that material (footnotes, scholarly writing) into language that will engage readers.” This, as any writer knows, is no small feat. Thank you, Hager. I will be reading more of your books. Based on Goodreads, it looks like 'Alchemy of Air' will be next.
June 14, 2021
I pre ordered this book because I basically love every book that I have read written by Thomas Hager. the Alchemy of air” is one of my favorite books that I have recommended to just about everyone that I know, also fascinating Ten drugs, the demon under the microscope, well researched and very good too. But this book was very disappointing. Is also quite short and not very interesting story. I have to say next time I will not preorder.
December 20, 2025
Exactly what it says on the tin. I’m probably biased because I has a personal vested interest in the history of the TVA (dad worked there, grew up in Norris Dam’s shadow), but I loved learning about the history leading up to the history I knew about the dam. He glosses over a lot (what TVA really did to displace the people living in the area is gruesome and criminal; stealing land, forced sterilizations), but that’s not the scope of this book.
Mainly, whenever I read a book about America’s political history I realize we are just circling the same drain over and over. There is nothing new under the sun. And I find that oddly comforting.
Oh, and Henry Ford was apparently a populist Nazi sympathizer. Essentially, the Elon of his day.
Mainly, whenever I read a book about America’s political history I realize we are just circling the same drain over and over. There is nothing new under the sun. And I find that oddly comforting.
Oh, and Henry Ford was apparently a populist Nazi sympathizer. Essentially, the Elon of his day.
February 26, 2022
Sommige geschiedenissen zijn eigenlijk net te mager voor een boek. Deze ook. De betrokkenheid van Ford en Edison in dit verhaal is minder dan ik had verwacht, en daardoor wordt het grotendeels een vertelling over het tot stand komen van een reeks stuwdammen in de Tennessee Valley. En klein beetje bio over Ford, wat wel interessant was, dus toch nog wat sterren.
May 9, 2025
Rounded up to a 3....as long as you are sort of a history person.
Learned some fascinating details of Ford's and Edison's life that are not so flattering. Knowing myself now when I see a FORD car my mind will refresh for a picosecond and remember those negatives. Also, was intrigued by the parallels of the Harding administration and Trump's.
Learned some fascinating details of Ford's and Edison's life that are not so flattering. Knowing myself now when I see a FORD car my mind will refresh for a picosecond and remember those negatives. Also, was intrigued by the parallels of the Harding administration and Trump's.
April 4, 2025
Unlike the Neom Line, Ford's 75-mile Sustainable Clean Energy City never even got started. This makes for a disappointing read. That's not the author's fault, but it does mean the book is oversold. A fine talent wasted on an unworthy project.
September 4, 2023
Very enjoyable read about pre-TVA development along the Tennessee River. I particularly liked the way in which Hager managed to convey fascination about Henry Ford and his utopian vision while not getting suckered by the glitz and huge flaws in the design, should it have come to pass. I also liked the way in which this tied into later suburban development.
This book was a great example of how private industry loves to envision itself as beyond reproach with both grand visions and efficiency, and while it's clear that Congress and politics absolutely quashed this grandiose ideal of Ford's, this makes clear how much of the downfall was stubbornness and ego and an inability to compromise, in general a refusal to recognize the differences between business and government.
Just a really great, quick read no longer than it needed to be to tell a compact tale I had no idea existed. High recommendation for those who like to see the ugly machinery of politics. It's a shame that it's not particularly relevant anymore, as there's even less appetite now for standing up to industrial/commercial interests.
This book was a great example of how private industry loves to envision itself as beyond reproach with both grand visions and efficiency, and while it's clear that Congress and politics absolutely quashed this grandiose ideal of Ford's, this makes clear how much of the downfall was stubbornness and ego and an inability to compromise, in general a refusal to recognize the differences between business and government.
Just a really great, quick read no longer than it needed to be to tell a compact tale I had no idea existed. High recommendation for those who like to see the ugly machinery of politics. It's a shame that it's not particularly relevant anymore, as there's even less appetite now for standing up to industrial/commercial interests.
December 4, 2023
Relatively short and well written book. I give it three stars because the content was not interesting. The book built up well, but basically went nowhere. This is my fourth Thomas Hager book and the earlier three were outstanding. If this is your first time reading one of his books and are disappointed, I urge you to please read one of his other titles.
April 23, 2025
Found this one in the library when looking up books on the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). The book also talked about other topics I wanted to know more about, like Henry Ford, Senator George Norris, and World War I. It's chock-full of interesting history!
Muscle Shoals, in the tri-city area of Northern Alabama, was a contested area during the Civil War because of its strategic location on the Tennessee River. During World War I, the government had the idea to harness the power of the river via a hydroelectric dam, whose electricity factories could use to make nitrates for the war effort. The war concluded before the government could finish the dam, but demand was high for low-cost nitrate fertilizers. Henry Ford, who had grown up working the land, put in his bid to complete the project and create an experimental hybrid rural-urban community in the process. However, Ford's offer was opposed in a congressional legal/political battle by Senator George Norris of Nebraska, a conscientious environmentalist who firmly believed that utilities like these should belong to the people instead of private interests.
On finishing Jennifer Government, another topic I wanted to learn more about was Public and Private Sectors. The final chapter has a great thought-provoking discussion exploring exactly that: Would the Detroit of the South Henry Ford had envisioned have been better than the Great Lakes of the South Senator Norris helped to make? I didn't think any argument could talk me out of Ford's fascinating ideas, but the book's balanced writing made me see the sense of Senator Norris' views as well. The government solution had serious downsides, such as displacing communities (like in the film Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?) to make way for the dams. But ultimately, I left with the feeling that the government also did a lot of good things that would normally be outside of the scope and concerns of a private company's endeavors.
I'm excited to find out more! I would also like to read another of the author's books, The Alchemy of Air.
Muscle Shoals, in the tri-city area of Northern Alabama, was a contested area during the Civil War because of its strategic location on the Tennessee River. During World War I, the government had the idea to harness the power of the river via a hydroelectric dam, whose electricity factories could use to make nitrates for the war effort. The war concluded before the government could finish the dam, but demand was high for low-cost nitrate fertilizers. Henry Ford, who had grown up working the land, put in his bid to complete the project and create an experimental hybrid rural-urban community in the process. However, Ford's offer was opposed in a congressional legal/political battle by Senator George Norris of Nebraska, a conscientious environmentalist who firmly believed that utilities like these should belong to the people instead of private interests.
On finishing Jennifer Government, another topic I wanted to learn more about was Public and Private Sectors. The final chapter has a great thought-provoking discussion exploring exactly that: Would the Detroit of the South Henry Ford had envisioned have been better than the Great Lakes of the South Senator Norris helped to make? I didn't think any argument could talk me out of Ford's fascinating ideas, but the book's balanced writing made me see the sense of Senator Norris' views as well. The government solution had serious downsides, such as displacing communities (like in the film Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?) to make way for the dams. But ultimately, I left with the feeling that the government also did a lot of good things that would normally be outside of the scope and concerns of a private company's endeavors.
I'm excited to find out more! I would also like to read another of the author's books, The Alchemy of Air.
December 4, 2022
As a professor that studies the history of education, I end my class by asking students to pick an area of education and write a "hidden" history - what is missing that they know is there but does not get much attention. This book, while not based on the history of education, is proof that much of our "hidden history" is compelling and will leave us wondering what could have been.
While examining deeply the politics, social expectations, and so forth of the movement, the book tells of how Henry Ford planned a hydro-electric powered town in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, when a canceled government dam and fertilizer plan was canceled following the war. What follows is planning with Edison, a series of court and public battles, and newspaper coverage that would shape and alter the story. Hager weaves a compelling, engaging story and shows that there is always a reason to go back to history.
For environmentalists and historians alike, there is much to consider since Ford planned an "electric city" free of coal. Yet, Ford is also shown as the problematic figure he was - anti-Semitic often, not always well-spoken, and so forth. Hager tracks and narrates the history of Ford (and, to a lesser extent Edison) as they planned an electric city that never came to be as politics and social expectations merged. The journey chronicled here is compelling. It puts much of the early twentieth century and its industry in a new perspective and shows the relationships and challenges between industry, politics, and personalities in both areas.
Recommend this one if you like historical considerations that often get little attention. The author writes compellingly, and it is an engaging report.
While examining deeply the politics, social expectations, and so forth of the movement, the book tells of how Henry Ford planned a hydro-electric powered town in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, when a canceled government dam and fertilizer plan was canceled following the war. What follows is planning with Edison, a series of court and public battles, and newspaper coverage that would shape and alter the story. Hager weaves a compelling, engaging story and shows that there is always a reason to go back to history.
For environmentalists and historians alike, there is much to consider since Ford planned an "electric city" free of coal. Yet, Ford is also shown as the problematic figure he was - anti-Semitic often, not always well-spoken, and so forth. Hager tracks and narrates the history of Ford (and, to a lesser extent Edison) as they planned an electric city that never came to be as politics and social expectations merged. The journey chronicled here is compelling. It puts much of the early twentieth century and its industry in a new perspective and shows the relationships and challenges between industry, politics, and personalities in both areas.
Recommend this one if you like historical considerations that often get little attention. The author writes compellingly, and it is an engaging report.
March 20, 2021
This was a wonderful and wonderfully enlightening account of the building of the Wilson Dam in Muscle Shoals, Alabama and how that led to the establishment of TVA and hydroelectric power in the region. It was very readable and very interesting. Being from Alabama I knew the basics of TVA and knew Wilson Dam was the first hydroelectric dam on the Tennessee River, but did not know that it was started by Woodrow Wilson to provide power for munitions factories for WWI and abandoned 2/3 of the way through as the war ended before it was finished. It then caught the attention of Henry Ford who wanted to finish it in order to build an entire industrial complex in the area which would feed his automotive needs. Ford also planned a whole city, Ford City, which would stretch 75 miles along the Tennessee River. Lots of politics and political maneuverings ensued over the next 2 decades and next 3 presidential administrations.
As interesting as this accounting was it was very difficult to maintain a mental timeline while reading it. The author jumped hither and thither in his telling. He also repeated a lot – I guess he forgot he’d already covered those things. It would have been most helpful if each chapter had been entitled with the date and place of what would be covered in it. Perhaps it wouldn’t have seemed so disorganized then.
This was an ARC from NetGalley and Abrams Press in exchange for an honest review. 3.5 stars rounded up.
As interesting as this accounting was it was very difficult to maintain a mental timeline while reading it. The author jumped hither and thither in his telling. He also repeated a lot – I guess he forgot he’d already covered those things. It would have been most helpful if each chapter had been entitled with the date and place of what would be covered in it. Perhaps it wouldn’t have seemed so disorganized then.
This was an ARC from NetGalley and Abrams Press in exchange for an honest review. 3.5 stars rounded up.
February 16, 2021
Electric City from Thomas Hager is an interesting and detailed account of an often overlooked endeavor, part history book and part social/economic analysis.
To the extent that I knew anything about this project it was as a footnote to the history of the Tennessee Valley Authority. Reading the details, seeing how so many factors went into both the idea of a new beneficial way of building and living as well as the failure of such a project, was enthralling. It is also hard to avoid seeing how the same forces, with the same faults and virtues, are at work today in many areas.
I think this will appeal to a wide range of readers. If you simply like history that reads at times like fiction, but very well researched, you will enjoy this book. If you are particularly interested in lesser known events and projects, this will be quite an eye-opener. If you read with an eye toward what the past says about our present, you will definitely find a lot to digest here. And if you like reading about the "great men" of the past, well, Edison and Ford (for better or worse) fits that description.
As an aside, if you like reading about projects that were intended to have major social and cultural impact but failed largely because of subterfuge and pettiness, I would recommend Soul City by Thomas Healy.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
To the extent that I knew anything about this project it was as a footnote to the history of the Tennessee Valley Authority. Reading the details, seeing how so many factors went into both the idea of a new beneficial way of building and living as well as the failure of such a project, was enthralling. It is also hard to avoid seeing how the same forces, with the same faults and virtues, are at work today in many areas.
I think this will appeal to a wide range of readers. If you simply like history that reads at times like fiction, but very well researched, you will enjoy this book. If you are particularly interested in lesser known events and projects, this will be quite an eye-opener. If you read with an eye toward what the past says about our present, you will definitely find a lot to digest here. And if you like reading about the "great men" of the past, well, Edison and Ford (for better or worse) fits that description.
As an aside, if you like reading about projects that were intended to have major social and cultural impact but failed largely because of subterfuge and pettiness, I would recommend Soul City by Thomas Healy.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
September 16, 2025
I read this book in two days and it was excellent. Very easy to read and a great historical reminder of two of our nations innovators that really gave birth to the industrial revolution. Henry Ford has a strong relationship with his mentor Thomas Edison. They created a vision for a utopia in muscle Shoals, Alabama for how life could be for rural people in the United States. It would’ve been Founded by building dams in the Tennessee valley and the adjoining river through Alabama. It never took off due to political bureaucracy. However, much later parts of his idea were implemented when they did damn the river. Henry Ford was an absolute genius when it came to machinery. He was very naïve when it came to the ways of the world, but when it came to machinery, he invented things and applied innovations that built industries like steam engines and using Natural power like rivers to create energy so people could live easier and better quality lives. Use publicity to his benefit. A great Reed, for anybody who likes to understand how America was built or history or innovators or the founding of Detroit from two farm boys.
May 31, 2021
An entertaining history of Henry Ford's decades-long attempt to buy an abandoned government complex, used for producing nitrates for use in munitions during the first World War, and the then-unfinished Wilson Dam - and the massive amount of electricity it would produce. Through three presidential administrations this was an ongoing campaign of Ford's, with his publicity machine promising the city of the future to the desperate dirt farmers of the region, and his opponents seeing it as a cynical land grab - Hager traces how this conflict played out in the newspapers, the halls of Congress, and the court of public opinion, as seemingly earnest lobbyists on both sides deal with the costs and benefits of giving public lands to private business. It's a very even-handed history (largely because it's unknown how much of Ford's proposal was a genuine desire to create a Southern utopia, and how much was empty bluster and empire-building), and Hager does a fine job writing clearly about the issues involved and telling this now largely forgotten story.
I was lucky enough to win a copy of Electric City in a Goodreads giveaway.
I was lucky enough to win a copy of Electric City in a Goodreads giveaway.
December 30, 2021
I did enjoy this book, but the informal style that makes it easy to read also makes it a little frustrating if you are trying to ask complicated questions about the geo/political/social/economic situations that happened in the story of Muscle Shoals.
Important American events that probably had quite a significant impact on the development on Muscle Shoals were boiled down to "A happened to B, which means C happened".
Ok, but why? At the risk of tangents, which exceptional writers are able to manage, it's important to discuss in depth how these things impacted this project. The author dodging these in-depth questions imply that Muscle Shoals was impacting in an peripheral way, and that what really sank the community was languishing of important policy in legislative hell. The focus of detail on congressional hearings, opposed to glossing over to events such as the Stock Market Crash, Dust Bowl, WWII, etc. makes the political aspects of this book stick out rather than the real geopolitical issues happening in the early 20th century.
Important American events that probably had quite a significant impact on the development on Muscle Shoals were boiled down to "A happened to B, which means C happened".
Ok, but why? At the risk of tangents, which exceptional writers are able to manage, it's important to discuss in depth how these things impacted this project. The author dodging these in-depth questions imply that Muscle Shoals was impacting in an peripheral way, and that what really sank the community was languishing of important policy in legislative hell. The focus of detail on congressional hearings, opposed to glossing over to events such as the Stock Market Crash, Dust Bowl, WWII, etc. makes the political aspects of this book stick out rather than the real geopolitical issues happening in the early 20th century.
June 2, 2022
This book, along with Bill Bryson's "One Summer: Summer, 1927" remind me that our world has always been rapidly advancing. We like to believe that today's technology is enabling an evolution that has never been seen. When we read books about little-known periods in time like the early 20th century, it's a jarring reminder that mankind is always forward-thinking and entrepreneurial. That said, one thing that was uber interesting was noting the similarities between Henry Ford and Donald Trump. For example, many "common folks" supported him running for President because he didn't really have any positions on any major issues, and that is what they liked about him. Sound familiar? He appealed to people who were unable or unwilling to ruminate on complex issues. Since Ford was an avowed anti-semite, it is frightening to imagine how our world might be different today had he been President during WWII instead of FDR. They say that people who fail to understand history are doomed to repeat it, and that makes me that much happier that I read this book.
March 22, 2025
Living in Knoxville, I've spent many happy summer days on Norris Lake, and have long known the story of Senator Norris, the TVA, and its impact on the region. This book was recommended to me last fall by a TVA employee. It's not so much a book about the TVA, as it is a story of Henry Ford's efforts to purchase the unfinished Wilson Dam on the Tennessee River in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. Ford had big plans for the region in the 1920s, including the building of a 75 mile utopian, electric city along the banks of the Tennessee River. Ford encountered a formidable opponent in Senator Norris. Norris found himself in need of a plan with which to counter Ford, and thus the idea of the TVA was born. It's a story I'd never heard before. Hager is an engaging writer, and he tells this story well. I learned SO much. I highly recommend this great and easy read to anyone with an interest in history, and especially to those who make their home along the Tennessee.
July 28, 2024
3.5 ⭐️
I really liked the dynamic intro that pulled in a lot of information and kept the story of the Muscle Shoals area moving forward. But then it became a lot of political story- which is fine and truthful to history- but it was difficult to get through. Also… he never talked about the fact that Ford built a plant there eventually… just not during Henry Ford’s lifetime… so it was really more a book about Ford and Muscle Shoals during Ford’s lifetime….
Even so, it gave a great look into the history and culture of this corner of the country that I didn’t think much about until I married someone with ties there.
I really liked the dynamic intro that pulled in a lot of information and kept the story of the Muscle Shoals area moving forward. But then it became a lot of political story- which is fine and truthful to history- but it was difficult to get through. Also… he never talked about the fact that Ford built a plant there eventually… just not during Henry Ford’s lifetime… so it was really more a book about Ford and Muscle Shoals during Ford’s lifetime….
Even so, it gave a great look into the history and culture of this corner of the country that I didn’t think much about until I married someone with ties there.
July 7, 2021
I knew about Muscle Shoals Alabama because of the Lynyrd Skynyrd song and the musical history of the area but nothing about the dams and fertilizer plants and the attempt by Henry Ford and Thomas Edison (really more Ford than anything) to purchase the plants and the dams in the area to produce affordable electricity and fertilizer. Very interesting story regarding that and the whole of the Tennessee Valley Authority.
Well worth the time to read and digest the story and politics behind that whole attempt.
Well worth the time to read and digest the story and politics behind that whole attempt.
July 28, 2021
When I was 4 Henry Ford gave me a peacock feather. I had gone to work with my grandfather who was a gardener at Fair Lane. Obviously I have read a lot about Henry Ford but this was a new area I had not heard about. It's a fascinating look at what Ford and Edison envisioned for a Utopia in the south. There's info about the relationship between the two along with their hopes for this project. Eventually the dams would be built as part of the TVA under Roosevelt and you can decide whether the benefits of electricity outweighed the loss of land and heritage.
September 22, 2021
Slow and boring at times with a lot of facts, but also interesting. Especially if you've grown up in or around North Alabama or Tennessee, where the dams and TVA reign. I never knew that Henry Ford tried to buy out the main dam and power plants in Muscle Shoals - one of the first sites of both of these innovations, back in the 1920's. Intriguing to think what this region would be like today had that happened!
Overall, an informative and oddly interesting look into how electricity was brought to the South, and the birth of the TVA.
Overall, an informative and oddly interesting look into how electricity was brought to the South, and the birth of the TVA.
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