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My First Tractor: Stories of Farmers and Their First Love
Driving a tractor was a rite of passage for every farmboy and girl. Anyone who grew up on a farm has nostalgic—or not so happy!—stories about his or her first the Farmall that replaced the draft horses, the John Deere “Poppin’ Johnny” that ran forever, and the cursed tractor that would never start. The long hours spent in the metal tractor seat, come rain, snow, or the glaring sun, were formative in a farmer’s life. Here are 25 stories from notable rural authors relating fond or not-so-fond memories of their first tractors, including Michael Perry, Bob Artley, Roger Welsch, Bob Feller, Ben Logan, Gwen Petersen, Ralph W. Sanders, Robert N. Pripps, Patricia Penton Leimbach, Randy Leffingwell, Lee Klancher, Don Macmillan, Scott Garvey, John Dietz, and more.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published August 8, 2010
19 people want to read
About the author
Michael Perry
191 books21 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
November 4, 2010
What a wonderful book! I have no farming background but I found the various stories of the fond memories of the authors' first tractors fascinating and heart warming. There seemed to always be some regret about the move from horse to tractor power but mostly there was an appreciation of the ability to get the farm work done much more quickly. On the other hand, there was an agreement that tractors now have gone too far in removing farmers from the land.
Many of the stories tell of being grabbed as a young child as they almost flew off the tractor since they all rode along with dad or grandpa while plowing the field at one time or another. The stories of yearning to be tall enough to drive the tractor by themselves and the wonderful tales of that rite of passage are priceless.
Just like real car repair men are a treasured find these days, so are the old farmers with their connection to real tractors and the land.
Many of the stories tell of being grabbed as a young child as they almost flew off the tractor since they all rode along with dad or grandpa while plowing the field at one time or another. The stories of yearning to be tall enough to drive the tractor by themselves and the wonderful tales of that rite of passage are priceless.
Just like real car repair men are a treasured find these days, so are the old farmers with their connection to real tractors and the land.
July 21, 2013
Tractors. Steam. Gasoline. Engines. Farms. Farmers. Farming. Success. Failure. Restoring old things that run.
If you had a toy tractor or family that worked on a farm, you have to read this book.
Farm equipment either fascinates you or it does not. I remember the steam-powered oat threshing machines that came around to my grandfather's farm in the Summer. I did not know until I read this book that even at that time I was witness to disappearing history and what were already genuine antiques.
My uncles sold off old, long-unused, rusting tractors for $20 each. I should have bought every last one of them. Who knew? Ah ... the folly of youth.
Each chapter is independent, since this is a collection of many authors' writings. Absolutely fascinating, especially to me, who never learned a darn thing about tractors (just cars).
If you had a toy tractor or family that worked on a farm, you have to read this book.
Farm equipment either fascinates you or it does not. I remember the steam-powered oat threshing machines that came around to my grandfather's farm in the Summer. I did not know until I read this book that even at that time I was witness to disappearing history and what were already genuine antiques.
My uncles sold off old, long-unused, rusting tractors for $20 each. I should have bought every last one of them. Who knew? Ah ... the folly of youth.
Each chapter is independent, since this is a collection of many authors' writings. Absolutely fascinating, especially to me, who never learned a darn thing about tractors (just cars).
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews