When asked what helped to win the war, General Dwight D Eisenhower named five things, one of which was the Jeep.

The Jeep was pretty well synonymous of the Allied war effort and were found on every war front. Not only that, but the Jeep or vehicles that looked an awful lot like the Jeep lasted in the military of the US until the 1990s when supplanted by the very un-Jeep looking HMMV.

Originally designed by Bantam, it was Willys that got the name and Ford that got the major production contract for building Jeeps. The name itself is somewhat shrouded in mystery, but there is no denying that it had a major impact on the war. Designed as a 1/4 ton truck that would be able to provide light reconnaissance as well as to be able to deliver some cargo and messages at a rather rapid pace, the Jeep was about as utilitarian as one could get.

Powered by a flat head four cylinder, 134 cubic inch engine of around 55hp, the Jeep could travel at speeds of up to 60 mph on a good road. Its four wheel drive allowed it to traverse rough terrain and it was capable of being armed with a .30 cal machine gun on a centrally mounted pedestal.

From there it was only hampered by the imagination. There were Jeeps which had tracks, Jeeps that were armor plated, and Jeeps that flew. They carried recoilless rifles and rocket launchers. They were used as locomotives in Burma and were tricked out to haul generals and dignitaries. They were stretched and made into boats. Basically, there was little that wasn't at least tried with the Jeep.

The original Jeep design was kept in production in France until 1957. Even today there are hundreds of  these original designs still running, many of them restored to WWII equipment levels.

Overall, I found this to be a fascinating book and I think you will as well.

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