Henry Ford and George Selden's Epic Race to Usher in the Automobile Age: Drive!

dmusial: I am a Ford fan. Only because he built a car for the people.
He was flawed, as we all are, but he used his abilities to "put America on wheels". He used the " KISS" principal ....keep it simple stupid.

United States on Nov 12, 2022

John Whiteman: A very well researched book on a little covered subject, a very different read.

United Kingdom on Nov 04, 2022

James W. Derry: Well, that was a waste of my reading time.
This book is very misleading by it's title. It is NOT about a power struggle between Henry Ford and George Selden over the early days of the automotive industry. It IS about how how the various inventors and business leaders in America and Europe created the horseless carriage and brought it to market. Ford and Seldom come and go, almost as guest appearances. A lot of space is given to court cases, patent laws, race car records, and other thrilling minutiae.
With a title like "Drive!", with an exclamation mark no less, you would expect something a little more fast paced. But Lawrence Goldstone's history is a bit of a slog. I would not say boring, because I did learn a few things, such as the first automotive taxi cabs in New York City were all electric and not gasoline powered. Or that Henry Ford did not invent the production line and that the Dodge brothers made his first cars.
Many, many books have been written about Henry Ford and the Ford company so go elsewhere to read about this strange, driven man who made, for better or for worse, the automobile available to the average worker. George Selden is dealt with early in the...

Canada on Oct 13, 2018

tool guy: a little boring, didnt finish

Canada on Jul 31, 2018

KAV: I have taught an elective college course called The Automobile and American Culture at a local technical college for many years. And for that many years I have spent countless hours researching material for the class. The course is taught chronologically beginning with the horse and carriage and ending with driverless cars. The most challenging material to find is information on the first 25 years of the car. Much of it is dry, irrelevant, or simply out of date.

Then I found this book. Lawrence Goldstone has presented the first 25 years of global car making as an interesting and accurate narrative. In its pages we meet not only Ford and Seldon but Daimler, Benz, Panhard and LeVassor as well. The early days of the automobile were a crazy time and Goldstone has captured the era with poise and eloquence.

A great book for anyone who is a car nut.

United States on Mar 26, 2018

Charles Hall: I listened to this as an audio book and it was fascinating. It covers the period prior to the Model T, but it's just fascinating to see how much of the modern auto culture was already in place by then (1908). Just like a modern Tesla 1000's of would-be purchasers were lined up for the latest models, and had educated themselves in the intricacies of the new technology. There were annual car shows, announcing new models at the same time of year we do today! Most of the major names associated with automobiles had already shown up on the scene: Buick, Packard, Olds, Champion, Fiat, Renault plus many that have since disappeared (Durant, REO). There is also lots about the early car races which sound a lot like the 1965 movie "The Great Race".
Two threads run through the entire story, Henry Ford and the Selden patent controversy. Apparently separating fact from fiction is tough with Ford as he took credit for anything and everything in his ghost-written biography. The book ends with the dramatic resolution of the years' long Selden patent controversy (which appeared to cover all gasoline automobiles ever built). The epilogue covers the launch of the Model T, Ford's taking sole control...

United States on Sep 27, 2017

Gerry Malloy: A great read! Like a page-turner novel, I couldn't put it down until I finished it. Far beyond just the Ford-Selden issue, it's a detailed account of the earliest years of the automotive industry. A must read for anyone interested in automotive history.

Canada on Aug 02, 2017

Donald J. Mcmahan: This is a good telling of the early days of the auto industry. Goldstone covers a lot of ground quickly and in an entertaining manner. As you can tell from the other reviews, most are in agreement that it is a good read. This book fills a need for a summary of those beginnings. The tale of the patent is almost a consequence of the bigger story, how the auto industry in the U.S. grew to world dominance, from roots established elsewhere; until the 1980's, anyway. I know a little about the ongoing development of the modern auto, Goldstone helped me to learn more about the development of early auto technology in this well made book.

United States on Jul 24, 2016

SShaw: Drive! By Lawrence Goldstone delves into the history of the automobile and its original contributors/inventors. Goldstone explores initial versions of automobiles, motor bikes and carriages, steam powered and electric car experimentations, races across Europe and America before the highway systems were formed, and the battle over George Selden’s patent which Henry Ford so vigorously fought.

Though the book does start out with quite a bit of technicality in describing the engine variations in things like materials used in the components and differing ways of powering the pistons, the background is important for the reader to understand the issues at play in the Selden patent suit discussed further on. As the book progresses beyond the first few chapters however it becomes less technical and flows into a narrative of the various players in the invention and improvement of the automobile. Goldstone also does a good job of debunking many myths about Ford – he did not it seems invent the assembly line process but his company did fine tune it to its most efficient version – while giving as balanced and objective a discussion of the enigma that is Ford.

Ultimately...

United States on Jun 15, 2016