In "Yellow Steel", the first overarching history of the earthmoving equipment industry, William Haycraft examines the tremendous increase in the scope of mining and construction projects, from the Suez Canal through the interstate highway system, made possible by innovations in earthmoving machinery. Led by Cyrus McCormick's invention in 1831 of a practical mechanical reaper, many of the builders of today's massive earthmoving machines began as makers of reapers, plows, threshers, and combines. Haycraft traces the efforts of manufacturers such as Caterpillar, Allis-Chalmers, International Harvester, J.I. Case, Deere, and Massey-Ferguson to diversify from farm equipment to specialized earthmoving equipment and the important contributions of LeTourneau, Euclid, and others in meeting the needs of the construction and mining industries. He shows how postwar economic and political events, especially the creation of the interstate highway system, spurred the development of more powerful and more agile machines. He also relates the precipitous fall of several major American earthmoving machine companies and the rise of Japanese competitors in the early 1980s. Extensively illustrated and packed with detailed information on both manufacturers and machines, "Yellow Steel" knits together the diverse stories of the many companies that created the earthmoving equipment industry - how they began, expanded, retooled, merged, succeeded, and sometimes failed. Their history, a step-by-step linking of need and invention, provides the foundation for virtually all modern transportation, construction, commerce, and industry.
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"The best book yet on this important industry." -- Bruce E. Seely, Technology and Culture "Written in a straightforward style, this book is intended for engineers as well as for students of business history." - Civil Engineering "A vivid, photo-rich account of the development of the earthmoving equipment industry from its beginnings in mechanized agriculture to the mid-1990s... American in perspective yet international in scope, Yellow Steel is an invaluable document for those who are interested in modern industry and infrastructure." -- Michael R. Fein, Business History Review "[Haycraft] presents a comprehensive, thoroughly researched and well-written history of the manufacturers of earthmoving equipment from 1831 to 1995... Haycraft has filled a void in the construction equipment publishing field... For those who want to explore the rich history behind the equipment ... Yellow Steel is an invaluable resource." - Thomas Berry, Historical Construction Equipment Association "Anyone who wonders at the immensity of earthmoving equipment and wants to understand the long history of that industry should read Yellow Steel. -- Tomas Nonnenmacher, Journal of Economic History "Haycraft marshals a tremendous amount of information and ably presents the complexities of this industry's fascinating history. He has produced a valuable historical survey that will serve as a good reference work for historians as well as satisfy the curiosity of the general reader." -- Daniel A. Clark, Journal of Illinois History ADVANCE PRAISE "This is a cogent commercial and technical history of the machines humans have devised to reshape the earth. Clearly written, straightforward, and devoid of bombast and corporate chauvinism, Yellow Steel is a readable and useful book for casual historians as well as those with strong ties to the industry."- Craig Canine, author of Dream Reaper "A significant addition to the history of technology. Haycraft's experience within the industry and his sense of practical macro-economics lend a very real measure of authority to his observations." - Robert C. Williams, History Department, Clarendon College
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18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fascinating Chronicle of Earthmoving History,
By Edward Garea "Edward Garea" (Branchville, New Jersey United States) - See all my reviews (VINE VOICE) (REAL NAME)
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This review is from: Yellow Steel: The Story of the Earthmoving Equipment Industry (Hardcover)
Mention the words "yellow steel" to just about anyone and the image that most comes to mind is that of Caterpillar, whether bulldozer, excavator, or grader. And just about every child has been awed by the size and abilty of these large machines; witness the huge amount of toy bulldozers, excavators, dump trucks, etc. But it has been this childlike awe that has prevented a serious look at the earthmoving industry and, especially, its history. When I look at a documentary or a book on the Ford Mustang, for instance, I will see the history, the roots, and the legend of the car, as well as several past year models which led to the present model. Now, if I watch a documentary or read a book on earthmoving equipment, all I see are the biggest trucks, shovels and tractors. Books are listed with title adjectives like "Giant" "Huge" "Colossal," and the like. It's as if no one really wants to take this industry seriously. The irony, of course, is that if it weren't for the earthmoving industry, there would be no interstate highway system, Hoover and Grand Coolee Dams, housing projects, sewer systems, or flood control. Perhaps a case could also be made that the environment would also be in better shape, but I rather doubt it. William R. Haycraft, a former employee for Caterpillar Tractor, has written the first comprehensive history of this fascinating business. He covers the history of the earthmoving industry and the forces, economic and social, that contributed to the development of mechanized earthmoving equipment. The intelligence of the book reveals itself in its detailed coverage of the development of various types of machinery and the companies that manufactured them. From Adams road graders to Volvo wheel loaders, Haycraft informs the reader every step of the way, from company formation to (all too often) dissolution at the hands of both supply and demand - and other companies via merger. He also tells us how the strength of the American dollar, combined with fatal mistakes by the likes of International Harvester, Allis-Chalmbers and Bucyrus-Erie, and near-fatal mistakes by Caterpillar, allowed Japanese companies like Komatsu and Mitsubishi to not only gain an entry into the American marketplace with lower priced equipment, but, through mergers and buyouts of existing companies, to nearly achieve a complete dominationation of the marketplace. Lavishly illustrated and intelligently captioned, Yellow Steel is an indispensible volume for industrial historians, social historians, and everyone who always wanted to drive such a machine.
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent history book,
By A Customer
This review is from: Yellow Steel: The Story of the Earthmoving Equipment Industry (Hardcover)
This book gives an excellent history of excavating equipment and it's history. The pictures were detailed and interesting to look at. Couldn't put this one down!
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Business Payton Place,
This review is from: Yellow Steel: The Story of the Earthmoving Equipment Industry (Paperback)
Focuses to much on who bought who, could include more focus on the technology in addition to the business side of the acquisitions.
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First Sentence:
From the dawn of civilization, human beings have constructed civil works; indeed, until the advent of open-pit mining in the late nineteenth century, these works accounted for almost all of the earthmoving that took place. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
earthmoving equipment industry, earthmoving equipment business, interstate decade, wheel loader business, wheel loader line, construction equipment business, earthmoving line, construction equipment sales, earthmoving products, articulated dumper, hydraulic front shovels, earthmoving equipment companies, construction equipment division, farm tractor business, earthmoving equipment industries, excavator business, construction equipment line, scraper business, first crawler tractor, second postwar decade, shovel manufacturers, auxiliary equipment manufacturers, farm equipment business, light construction equipment, large wheel loaders Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
North America, United States, World War, General Motors, United Kingdom, American Standard, Courtesy of Caterpillar Inc, Road Show, Soviet Union, Wall Street, Unit Rig, Detroit Diesel, Benjamin Holt, Euclid Division, Komatsu Dresser, New York, Western Europe, Caterpillar Mitsubishi, Euclid Road Machinery Company, Panama Canal, Payline Division, White Motor Company, Charles Deere, Dresser Industries, Great Britain New!
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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
From the dawn of civilization, human beings have constructed civil works; indeed, until the advent of open-pit mining in the late nineteenth century, these works accounted for almost all of the earthmoving that took place. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
earthmoving equipment industry, earthmoving equipment business, interstate decade, wheel loader business, wheel loader line, construction equipment business, earthmoving line, construction equipment sales, earthmoving products, articulated dumper, hydraulic front shovels, earthmoving equipment companies, construction equipment division, farm tractor business, earthmoving equipment industries, excavator business, construction equipment line, scraper business, first crawler tractor, second postwar decade, shovel manufacturers, auxiliary equipment manufacturers, farm equipment business, light construction equipment, large wheel loaders Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
North America, United States, World War, General Motors, United Kingdom, American Standard, Courtesy of Caterpillar Inc, Road Show, Soviet Union, Wall Street, Unit Rig, Detroit Diesel, Benjamin Holt, Euclid Division, Komatsu Dresser, New York, Western Europe, Caterpillar Mitsubishi, Euclid Road Machinery Company, Panama Canal, Payline Division, White Motor Company, Charles Deere, Dresser Industries, Great Britain New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
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