Customer Reviews

Driving Around the USA: Automobiles in American Life (Transportation in American Life)

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As the Amazon review indicates, the 1945 "drive-in movie" picture is wrongly dated based on the cars visible. Even more humorous is the fact that the movie showing is the Ten Commandments, released in 1956. Beyond this and a few other inaccuracies, the book is bad history. According to Sandler, the automobile was "eagerly awaited" by the public, so dissatisfied with trolleys and the horse and buggy. There is no evidence whatever that the American public of 1895 or 1900 demanded a replacement for the horse and buggy. Early cars were thought to be nothing more than toys for the wealthy, wholly impractical, noisy, and generally useless. This attitude continued in rural areas until the Model T made cars affordable for farmers. It does no good to tell children what amounts to a fairy tale version of American history. The story of automobiles in America is interesting enough that it can be told to younger minds accurately and with some semblance of historicity.