Customer Reviews

Home Away from Home: Motels in America

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

When I was a child on a long drive with the family, I would notice these abandoned,run down groups of cottages on the back roads and wonder what it was like to stay in a place like this when it was new and popular and wonder why no one stayed there any longer. When I was grown I still would fantasize about how vacations in years gone by must have been different than the ones we know now.

Reading this book gave me a good feel for those past days and how families took to the road. The photos are gorgeous and sad at the same time. This is not a research material type book but a snapshot of the past.

Small bit of trivia- the opening credits for the movie Vacation actually shows the same cottages shown on the front cover. Frankly it looks so charming that it's easy to imagine moving in and living a permanent vacation.

I've been a fan of Margolies since his first book, and I ordered this with high expectations.

Unfortunately, this book is almost completely advertisements and memorabia. There is very little narrative. Like another reviewer, I was quite disappointed that there was only a sketchy outlining of the various transitions that motels have progressed through over the generations. I got the impression that Mr. Margolies probably had most of these old brochures, cards, maps, etc., and simply assembled these in a chronological format.

On the other hand, if you are a fan of Margolies's photography, his own photographs in the book match his earlier photographic achievements.

This book is probably worth the price of admission, but I'd like to see a more comprehensive history of twentieth-century hospitality industry.

For all of us who stayed at the one and two story roadside motels of the 1960s and 1970s, this book will bring back great travel memories as well as educate us on the precurser to these lodging establishments. Fascinating and fast reading and it made me go out and locate some of the motels near my residence. The only down side is that it could have used a little more history on the early motel chains and the history of their demise. A section on motel bilboards would also have been entertaining. Otherwise, a great historical book.

THIS IS A GREAT LITTLE BOOK FOR FANS OF ROADSIDE AMERICANA.ALTHOUGH NOT AN IN DEPTH TOTALLY COMPREHENSIVE STUDY OF THE AMERICAN MOTEL/MOTOR COURT THE PERIOD PHOTOGRAPHS AND INTERESTING TEXT MAKE IT A DELIGHTFUL BOOK ON THE TOPIC AND A VALUABLE ADDITION TO ONES' PERSONAL LIBRARY.

I have read several of this author's books and they have never let me down. Sure, it's light reading. But there were lots of info that I found very entertaining (I am in the travel/tourist business). What I liked most was the way the author pointed out the different eras of the motels in the USA. He discussed the big chain motels as well as the small mom and pop operations. This book will bring back memories to anyone who stayed in a motel that boasted of having "air conditioned" rooms.

Anyone who enjoys reading about roadside culture will enjoy this book. It brings back great memories of those family roadtrips and how exciting it was as a kid to stay in a motel. It also entices you to seek out the quirky and fun motels next time you're in need of an overnight stay. John Margolies is an excellent author and photographer. I highly recommend this book!