Wayne G. Broehl (1923–2006)

FILLED with info. This book is basically a fact-check on everything known about what went down. Pretty well written as far as these things go. It does an excellent job of pulling in things I'd never heard about. Like the history of the Mollies in Ireland, and the anti-Irish climate of the times. Plenty of dirt on the coal barron Gower. I learned a lot I hadn't known, but it got tedious after awhile.

1932 John Deere's Company: A History of Deere & Company and its Times, by Wayne G. Broehl, Jr. (read 19 June 1985) This covers the years from 1837 to 1983. Some of it was very good, other parts really not too intriguing. Deere & Co. really doesn't have much to do with my farm experience, since we used little Deere equipment. But this was about the first history of a business I have read. I thought it worth reading.

Broehl's is a dry account of an interesting story, although he provides some interesting insights into the background in Ireland.