New Releases by Rod Beemer

After Appomattox, wounded Rebel cavalry officer and physician Benjamin -Doc- Kelley abandons the family plantation in Georgia and flees west, determined to outrun the horrifying nightmares of the Civil War and to heal the heartbreak of a Southern belle''s suspicion that he has become a coward and the resulting dissolution of their engagement. Invigorated by a passionate commitment to saving lives with his medical knowledge, galvanized in his desire to leave killing and death behind, Ben stows a promise made to his dying father into several freight wagons and embarks on a bold quest for renewal and peace. Optimism for a prosperous future is soon overwhelmed by the perils of survival as he and his team are confronted with new deadly battles to wage and personal struggles to face on the unforgiving prairies of the Great Plains that will severely test his resolute pledge to never again kill another human. No longer is the fight about flag or country. Now it''s strictly about life - his own and those of loved ones. Can he remain steadfast in his conviction? Or, will his instinct to live and to protect prevail? He has mere seconds to decide.

Bank robbers wreaked havoc in the Sunflower State. After robbing the Chautauqua State Bank in 1911, outlaw Elmer McCurdy was killed by lawmen but wasn''t buried for sixty-six years. His afterlife can be described only as bizarre. Belle Starr''s nephew Henry Starr claimed to have robbed twenty-one banks. The Dalton gang failed in their attempt to rob two banks simultaneously, but others accomplished this in Waterville in 1911. Nearly four thousand known vigilantes patrolled the Sunflower State during the 1920s and 1930s to combat the criminal menace. One group even had an airplane with a .50-caliber machine gun. Join author Rod Beemer for a wild ride into Kansas''s tumultuous bank heist history.

The green and yellow John Deere tractors are surely recognizable, but they also spurred major advancements in the agricultural world, transforming prairie and plains into farms that provided for the entire world. Classic John Deere tracks the evolution of these farmstead staples, which have faithfully tended to America''s soil for nearly a century. Full-color photography, timelines and notable moments in John Deere history combine to tell the story of these tractors, known for their performance just as much as they are for their appearance.Combine''s Randy Leffingwell''s Classic John Deere Tractors and Rod Beemer''s John Deere Two-Cylinder Tractors from MBI''s bestselling paperback Enthusiast Color Series into one value-priced hardcover book.

Distributed by the University of Nebraska Press for Caxton Press Earthquakes, tornadoes, floods, prairie fires, lightning, and droughts tested the mettle of both native and newcomer. This is the story of man’s encounters with Mother Nature on America’s prairies and plains during nineteenth-century westward expansion and settlement.

Spin up the turbo, lock it into all-wheel drive, and shift into high gear to take a high-horsepower tour of the tractors of the 1960s! American Farm Tractors in the 1960s discusses and explores the history of John Deere and other prominent manufacturers such as IH, Famrall, J.I. Case, Allis-Chalmers, Massey-Ferguson, Ford, and White farm equipment, along with the people who produced them. Minor marques like Caterpillar, Stieger, and Versatile are also discussed, along with obscure marques and orphans.About the AuthorThe author/photographer team of Rod Beemer and Chester Petersen Jr. have collaborated on several books including Inside John Deere, Ford N-Series Tractors, and John Deere New Generation Tractors. Beemer is a writer, researcher, and tractor enthusiast. Petersen is a writer and photographer whose work appears regularly in Successful Farming and The Farm Journal. Both men live in rural Kansas.

During the initial wave of powered farming in the early 20th century, most medium- to large-scale farmers traded in their mules for tractors. In the 1930s, when manufacturers began marketing their wares to the holdouts, they began building smaller, inexpensive tractors designed to do the work of two mules. This color history covers John Deere''s entries in the market, namely its extremely popular two-cylinder models: the L, LA, M, MC, 40, 420, 320, 430, and 330. Today, these models are some of the most popular among the old-tractor crowd. New color photography features restored models today and is supplemented by archival images from the early 20th century. Sidebars examine John Deere''s competitors in the class.

A small brass rocking horse filled with the magic of Christmas moves from story to story, as seven authors tell tales of lives altered by the renewing hope of the Christmas spirit.

In August, 1960, thousands of enthusiastic on-lookers gathered to witness the long-awaited introduction of John Deere''s new four-cylinder tractors. Presented in archival photographs and ads, as well as contemporary color photography, this volume presents an inside look at how the tractors were designed and conceived, and discusses the managerial strife that made the New Generation (1960-72) tractors possible. Includes coverage of features and options. Standard hardware, as well as rare options, for the 1000, 2000, 3000, 4000, 5000, 6000, 7000 and Worldwide series tractors is covered in detail.

Examines the history of Ford N Series tractors, a line produced from 1939 to 1952; provides information on color codes, decal locations, options, and other details, including the innovative three-point hitch and draft control; and features two hundred color photographs.

Get the whole story behind the most popular farm implement sytem of all time, beginning with Henry Ford''s and Harry Ferguson''s shared dream of making the farmer''s job less strenuous and more efficient. Modern color photos of restored equipment, archival photography, and period advertisements show the plows, cultivators, planters, middlebusters, mowers, rakes, rotary hoes weeders, dozers, scoops, loaders and other implements that revolutionized the agricultural industry. Covered in detail are Ferguson''s creation of the ingenius three-point attachment system; the Sherman brothers, pivotal figures who brought Ferguson together with Ford''s deep pockets; and the infamous handshake agreement that made Ferguson implements standard equipment on Ford tractors.

An ECS covering John Deere tractors from day one to today. The perfect primer for the new beginning tractor enthusiast looking to become acquainted with the topic.

Formed in 1929 by the conglomeration of Minneapolis Steel, Moline Plow, and Minneapolis Threshing Company, Minneapolis-Moline gained a reputation by introducing high-compression engines, the heated cab, and a startling corporate color dubbed "Prairie Gold" to the world of farm tractors. This color history of Minneapolis-Moline''s 40-year run offers a brief overview of the company''s history and an emphasis on tractor development and model changes. Scenic color photography shows off some of the most faithfully restored Minne-Mo''s in existence accompanied by the sort of hard-to-find, in-depth information that enthusiasts crave. In addition, there are period advertisements, archival photos, and an appendix of serial numbers and parts numbers.