Customer Reviews

Route 66 Chronicles: Volume I Shadows of the Past Over Route 66 Arizona - New Mexico

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I just finished Route 66 Chronicles and found the book to be a wonderful collection of stories that take the reader to a new level of understanding and appreciation of the "Mother Road". Unlike many of its predecessors, Chronicles vividly reveals the human side of the small towns and people who grew up along this famous hiway. The author's insight into the character and soul of the "Old West" in the 1930's and 1940's, brings us back to a special time in American history. The next time I drive from Los Angeles to Chicago, I'll have a deeper appreciation of what lies beyond the red mesas and little trading posts.

After reading this book, and being an old Route 66 fan, I was left with a rather hollow feeling. Upon completion, I realized I had just finished a nice, rather first person account of times loosely happening in the general area of Route 66 in Arizona and, somewhat, New Mexico. But, as a Route 66 book, it was lacking in content, and connection, to the road.
Perhaps a marketing ploy, the book itself is more a recounting of the authors personal experiences and related stories. Most focus on Native Americans, others on western folklore.
If your a fan of such work, then I'd recommend the book. If, like me, your a Route 66 fan, it's better to pass.