Legendary Route 66: A Journey Through Time Along America's Mother Road [Hardcover]

Michael Karl Witzel (Author), Gyvel Young-Witzel (Author), Jim Ross (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 15, 2007

It started in the heartland and originally ended in Los Angeles (not, contrary to myth, at the ocean). It carried truckers crossing the country, Okies fleeing the Dust Bowl, vacationers seeking the sun. It was Americas Main Street, the Mother Road, the Will Rogers Highway, and, at its dangerous curves, Bloody 66. Get your kicks on Route 66 with this wonderfully illustrated tribute to the best-loved highway in this car-loving nation. Michael Witzel shares his expertise and wealth of personal, archive, collector, and contributing photographer images in these pages, offering a nostalgic tour of the charms and oddities of this road through American cultural history.

Starting in Chicago and running to Santa Monica, this book highlights the sights along the highway with historic and current photos in then-and-now pairings, and includes Route 66 postcards, road signs, trinkets, maps, brochures, and advertisements.

Here we see Route 66 as it was in its heyday and as it is now, the neon glamour of yesterday versus the ghost towns of today. Witzel and his wife, Gyvel Young-Witzel, recount the highways history, its role in popular culture, and its demise, as well as the individual stories of famous sights. Several profiles of those with close ties to the Mother Road, including the woman who played Ruthie Joad in the The Grapes of Wrath film, are included.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Cars & Parts, November 2007

“Great, another Route 66 book was the first thought to pop in to mind upon receipt of a review copy of this book. The second was that I write reviews on automotive books, not books on travel or social commentary. This, however, is not just another Route 66 book. It is one of a handful written that adds meat to the sinew and bone as well as reality to the fantasy.

“With the turning of each page, the evolution of the American highway and our fascination with the open road unfolds. From the camel caravan of Lt. Beale and the Santa Fe Trail to the bicycle craze of the late 19th century and the trials and tribulations of the early motorists is chronicled through informative text and extensive use of photographs, many never before published.

“As to Route 66, sure there are the obligatory post cards and photos of famous attractions. There are also vintage accident photos and statistics gleaned from government reports about accidents that speak volumes about travel on Route 66 during its glory days. This could be the definitive book on Route 66 and our fascination with it.”

Route 66 News, Nov. 13, 2007

“You’ll quickly leaf through the handsome book, admiring the many colorful and often-nostalgic images. Even if you’re a hardcore roadie, you’ll likely see images you’ve never seen before.”

Family Motor Coaching, November 2007

“Wonderfully illustrated tribute to the best-loved highway in the United States.”

Thomasville Times Enterprise, Dec. 19, 2007

“Is there an old-car enthusiast on your Christmas list, or maybe someone who loves to travel? Then they’ll love Legendary Route 66. This huge, heavy book is filled with pictures, maps, trivia, and remembrances of a stretch of pavement that inspired song, TV show and countless road trips. Hint: this book makes a great vacation companion.”

Book Description

Get your kicks on Route 66 with this wonderfully illustrated tribute to the best-loved highway in this car-loving nation. Michael Witzel shares his expertise and wealth of personal, archive, collector, and contributing photographer images in these pages, offering a nostalgic tour of the charms and oddities of this road through American cultural history. Starting in Chicago and running to Santa Monica, this book highlights the sights along the highway with historic and current photos, postcards, road signs, trinkets, maps, brochures, and advertisements.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Voyageur Press; 1st edition (October 15, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0760329788
• ISBN-13: 978-0760329788
• Product Dimensions: 12.3 x 9.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #668,385 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Member, American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not Your Usual Travel Book, June 4, 2011

By 

Craig Case (Oklahoma City) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Legendary Route 66: A Journey Through Time Along America's Mother Road (Hardcover)

If you're looking for a basic tour guide of The Mother Road which goes state by state from Illinois to California put this down and get something else. This fabulous 251 page book is packed with photos, memorabilia, and trivia regarding Route 66. But it's much more than that. It examines the terrain decades before the road was built. It then goes decade by decade showing the earliest days of the road to the dust bowl days to the 50s and the interstate system through the beginning of the next century and the renewed interest in the highway to end all highways. But there's even more than this. There are two and three-page profiles throughout the book such as:

Horatio Earle: Michigan State Senator at the turn of the century who began the process to create a state highway commission in Michigan.
A. L Westgard: Made the first transcontinental trip in a gasoline engine truck.
Earl Shelton: Child of the Dust Bowl
Mildred Pattschull and an All-Girls Cross-Country Trip
The Grapes of Wrath: Profile of Shirley Mills Hanson who played Ruthie Joad in the film.
The Haggard Family: The story of Merle's parents' migration to Bakersfield CA.
Frank Yellowhorse and the Yellowhorse Trading Post
John Lewis and the Wigwam Motel
The story of the Blue Whale
Anbgel Delgadillo and the Resurrection of Route 66

You are not going to want to rush through this book. People who experience the Mother Road should do so at their leisure. This book is an adventure. What are you waiting for? Get started!!