author

James H. Maggard

Known for writing a practical guide to steam traction engines, this early technical author explained complex machinery in plain, usable language for working operators. The surviving record is sparse, but the book itself points to a writer focused on safety, field experience, and everyday problem-solving.

1 Audiobook

Rough and Tumble Engineering

Rough and Tumble Engineering

by James H. Maggard

About the author

James H. Maggard is credited as the author of The Traction Engine: Its Use and Abuse, a practical manual on operating traction engines and related farm machinery. Surviving public information about the author appears to be limited, but the work has remained visible through library and public-domain listings.

The book is associated with an early-1900s edition and was written for working engineers rather than specialists. Descriptions of the text present Maggard as an authority on steam power who aimed to explain operation, maintenance, and common dangers in straightforward terms.

Because reliable biographical details are scarce in the sources reviewed, it is safest to remember Maggard mainly through this hands-on engineering book and its place in the history of agricultural and mechanical instruction.