Jeep - Its development and procurement under the Quartermaster Corps, 1940-1942

If you are interested in the history of the development of the jeep there is little substitute for the effort undertaken by Herbert R. Rifkind while World War II was still raging. This book was written from the Quartermaster Corps' perspective but draws on numerous resources and documentation to put together a pretty good picture of what happened. The other thing in its favor is that Rifkind’s work was written in 1943. But even by that time the jeep story was clouded over who did what and when. Rifkind covers Bantam's involvement, Willys-Overland and Ford companies developments, the contracts and other details important to the student of the WW2 jeep! What makes it even more valuable is that Rifkind actually lists the sources he used. So if you can figure out the record system used by the government back then and determine where to find them, you will find a gold mine of information to research. This book includes a reproduction of the original manuscript created by Rifkind. You will even find some pen and ink changes.

Herbert R. Rifkind was a historian. During WW2, he worked in the Quartermaster Corps Historical Section. Robert V. Notman has been interested in WW2 jeeps since 1981 when he bought a 1942 Ford GPW. His interest in restoring the jeep led to his writing or editing several books related to the WW2 jeep or other subjects.