author
Roger B. (Roger Bradbury) Whitman
1875–1942
Best known for practical guides on cars, engines, tractors, and home repair, this early 20th-century writer turned technical know-how into clear advice for everyday readers. His books helped explain new machines—and later the upkeep of the modern home—in a straightforward, useful way.
2 Audiobooks
Motor-car principles; the gasoline automobile
by Roger B. (Roger Bradbury) Whitman
Tractor Principles The Action, Mechanism, Handling, Care, Maintenance and Repair of the Gas Engine Tractor
by Roger B. (Roger Bradbury) Whitman
About the author
Born in New York City on June 22, 1875, Roger Bradbury Whitman wrote accessible how-to books at a time when automobiles and mechanical equipment were still unfamiliar to many readers. Records from library catalogs and book collections connect him with works such as Motor-car Principles, Gas-engine Principles, Motor-cycle Principles and the Light Car, and Tractor Principles.
His writing focused on explaining how things worked in plain language. That practical approach also shaped his later home-maintenance books, including First Aid for the Ailing House, which became one of the works most closely associated with his name.
Whitman's career shows a steady interest in making technical subjects less intimidating for ordinary people. He died on July 21, 1942, leaving behind a body of work that reflects the hands-on, instructional spirit of an era fascinated by machines, improvement, and self-reliance.