When the Caterpillar Modern Earthmoving Marvels book showed up I sat it on my coffee table for a week. It’s an attractive “coffee table” book—but it’s a whole lot more. When I finally picked it up, it was hard to put down. Inside, Frank Raczon and Keith Haddock take you on a journey of Caterpillar, from the earliest days to the hulking mining tools that seem far to big to be used by mere mortals. Normally when authors “dig up dirt” on a company, it’s a bad thing, but with this book it’s a thing of beauty—and a tale worth telling. Aside from, maybe, a Bosch demolition hammer, there nothing more manly than a gigantic CAT dump truck or front-loader.
Caterpillar Modern Earthmoving Marvels Book
Caterpillar’s trademark Yellow color is recognized around the world as a leader in earth-moving equipment, but the breadth of products that span this company’s history is nearly overwhelming. Not only are Caterpillar machines known as being tough and able to weather just about any storm—the company has the same effect, being used by many economists as a sort of gauge for economic conditions and development in this country. And why not—if anyone is building into our infrastructure, it’s a good bet that Caterpillar products are involved.
In the Caterpillar Modern Earthmoving Marvels book, Frank Raczon gives the blow by blow on the old, the new, the biggest, and the baddest Caterpillar machines ever made. He takes you on a journey to understand just what goes into this machines and why they are so dominant (and coveted) in the civil engineering and construction world. Frank even interviews and quotes from Caterpillar’s engineers and operators to get the inside story.
The book is full of rare historical photos—really, the highlight is all the beautiful photography in our opinion—and tidbits and info from industrial historian Keith Haddock. It’s amazing that this company began as a little-known producer of agrarian and industrial equipment and worked its way to become an international corporate giant. The book is chock full of photos and information on excavators, backhoes, front end loaders, graders, off-highway trucks, and more. If you or anyone you know ever played with toy trucks as a kid, this book is going to make for a great gift. You can get more info on the Caterpillar Modern Earthmoving Marvels book here.
