Henry Ford

Gr 10 Up—Driven by a fierce determination to bring his ideas to life, Henry Ford looms large in the history of American manufacturing. His rags-to-riches story has long stood as a model for social mobility. But how many know the man behind the persona? He was a bitter anti-Semite and social experimenter, staunchly against labor, and a man whose single-minded approach to business strained his relationship with his son, Edsel. Ford's Model T ushered in a transportation revolution that radically changed the way people lived and worked. For the benefit of a wage of $5 a day, a majority of the immigrant working force was subjected to tight control and a degree of social engineering that was meant to "Americanize" the new arrivals. This documentary presents all of Ford's successes and failures in stunning detail, combining great archival video and images with a lucid narrative that gives viewers an edifying look at the man behind the myth. Historians—including Douglas Brinkley and Bob Casey, the curator of the Henry Ford Museum—add insight to this biographical account that covers the breadth of Ford's compelling life.—Brian Odom, Pelham Public Library, AL