As a longtime resident of metropolitan Detroit, reading this book at a time when Chrysler has just emerged from bankruptcy and General Motors is in the middle of the bankruptcy process gave it a special poignancy.

Douglas Brinkley does a masterful job of blending meticulous historical detail with a spellbinding story. While he demolishes many of the stereotypes of Henry Ford (demonstrating, for instance, that the man was neither an engineering genius nor a particularly hard worker), he presents the portrait of a whose terrible flaws were overshadowed by by his obstinance. Ford had a dangerous habit of turning against the series of men who helped his fledgling company grow into an unprecedented economic power.

Brinkley goes on to trace the company's history through its first century (the book was commissioned to commemorate the centennial of the Ford Motor Company, though it's definitely not a fawning authorized biography). He presents gripping portraits of the executives who succeeded the founder, together with the obstacles they faced. ( )

Douglas Brinkley looks at the Ford Motor Company from its inception to the 100 year anniversary. We learn about the complexities of Henry Ford and how he created a force to be reckon with. Ford's many famous friends and his bigotry that may have cost him in the end. ( )