or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
 
Express Checkout with PayPhrase
What's this? | Create PayPhrase
Sorry!
More Buying Choices
77 used & new from $0.01

Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
The Verse by the Side of the Road : The Story of the Burma-Shave Signs and Jingles
 
 
Tell the Publisher!
I’d like to read this book on Kindle

Don’t have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here.
 
  

The Verse by the Side of the Road : The Story of the Burma-Shave Signs and Jingles (Paperback)

~ Frank Rowsome Jr. (Author) "LIKE SO MUCH ELSE, the cars too were different in those days..." (more)
Key Phrases: brushless shaving cream, advance man, Burma-Vita Company, Leonard Odell, Clinton Odell (more...)
4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)

List Price: $14.00
Price: $11.20 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details
You Save: $2.80 (20%)
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.

Want it delivered Tuesday, November 10? Choose One-Day Shipping at checkout. Details
31 new from $4.61 46 used from $0.01

Also Available in:

List Price: Our Price: Other Offers:
Hardcover (14th Printing)     86 used & new from $0.01
Paperback     94 used & new from $0.01
Unknown Binding     5 used & new from $1.00

Frequently Bought Together

Customers buy this book with Route 66 (Enthusiast Color) by Tim Steil

The Verse by the Side of the Road : The Story of the Burma-Shave Signs and Jingles + Route 66 (Enthusiast Color)
  • This item: The Verse by the Side of the Road : The Story of the Burma-Shave Signs and Jingles by Frank Rowsome Jr.

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

  • Route 66 (Enthusiast Color) by Tim Steil

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details


Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Burma-Shave (Minnesota)

Burma-Shave (Minnesota)

by Bill Vossler
Sunday Drives: Nostalgic Reminiscing with the Best of Burma-Shave

Sunday Drives: Nostalgic Reminiscing with the Best of Burma-Shave

by Michael Larson
$22.95
The Signs & Rhymes of Burma Shave [VHS]

The Signs & Rhymes of Burma Shave [VHS]

Route 66: The Mother Road 75th Anniversary Edition

Route 66: The Mother Road 75th Anniversary Edition

by Michael Wallis
4.6 out of 5 stars (31)  $13.57
Wallace & Gromit in Three Amazing Adventures

Wallace & Gromit in Three Amazing Adventures

DVD ~ Peter Sallis
Explore similar items

Product Details

  • Paperback: 128 pages
  • Publisher: Plume (September 1, 1979)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0452267625
  • ISBN-13: 978-0452267626
  • Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5 x 0.4 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #269,731 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in this category: (What's this?)

    #23 in  Books > History > Asia > Myanmar

More About the Author

Frank Rowsome
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Visit Amazon's Frank Rowsome Page

Inside This Book (learn more)


What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

The Verse by the Side of the Road : The Story of the Burma-Shave Signs and Jingles
96% buy the item featured on this page:
The Verse by the Side of the Road : The Story of the Burma-Shave Signs and Jingles 4.8 out of 5 stars (13)
$11.20
Sunday Drives: Nostalgic Reminiscing with the Best of Burma-Shave
2% buy
Sunday Drives: Nostalgic Reminiscing with the Best of Burma-Shave
$22.95
Burma-Shave (Minnesota)
2% buy
Burma-Shave (Minnesota) 4.3 out of 5 stars (3)

Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
 

Your tags: Add your first tag
 

Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store

If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store. Learn more

 

Customer Reviews

13 Reviews
5 star:
 (10)
4 star:
 (3)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.8 out of 5 stars (13 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Captivating story of one of advertising's greatest triumphs, August 4, 2000
With the low-brow humor of "whazzzzzup" and high-speed editing of MTV-style ads dominating the landscape, it's almost hard to imagine how memorable the quaint multi-sign Burma-Shave ads were. The combination of clever verse and brilliant exposition -- stretching along the wide-open road until the punch line could be delivered -- is unlike any other ad delivery in history.

Author Frank Rowsome, Jr. tells the story of the campaign's creation and life, and provides a listing of all signs from the first in1927 ("Shave the modern way / No Brush / No Lather / No Rub-in / Big Tube 35-c Drug Stores / Burma Shave") through their last in 1963 ("Our Fortune / Is Your / Shaven Face / It's Our Best / Advertising Space / Burma-Shave"). In between is an amazingly clever collection of poems, including contest winners, shorter signs for smaller displays, spin-off tooth powder and lotion jingles, and regional ads.

Great reading for those remembering the signs as well as those who just want to get a smile from some great advertising - one of the USA's most underappreciated art forms.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Best of nostalgia, March 5, 1999
By A Customer
I read this book twenty odd years ago, and I loved it. It brought back such fond childhood memories of my days on the farm in Belsano, PA, where a set of the signs stood soldier-like in the lower field of my grandad's farm. I heard from the grown-ups that someone paid him to put them there, and money was scarce in those days.

I was always intrigued by those signs, so when I saw the book advertised for the first time, it was a must-have for me. I cherished owning a complete set of the verses, most of which I'd never seen.

The book is well-written in that it has a lot of historical fact, loads of humor, and the story-telling holds your interest to the last page. One of those "can't put it down" types.

Somewhere in my travels, I've lost my copy and have mourned it's loss. Thanks to Internet, I will once again have my own cherished copy of "Verse by the Side of the Road."

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A must for old car buffs!, September 18, 1998
If you currently own a car built before 1965, there's a pretty good chance you remember driving past those wonderful Burma Shave signs.

How delightful those signs were as we went on Sunday drives with Mom and Dad. Here is not only the complete history of the company but also ALL of the rhymes.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Verse by the Side of the Road: The Story of the Burma-Shave Signs and Jingles
Great little book to bring back many nice memoriew of the 40's and 50's I had almost forgotten the many times our family traveled and we all spoke the words out loud as we passed... Read more
Published 16 days ago by Roger Smith

5.0 out of 5 stars A valuable addition to my library.
An excellent book. I purchased two--one for a friend and one for myself. They arrived in just a couple of days, well packaged. A good transaction. I highly recommend.
Published 1 month ago by James Brosius

5.0 out of 5 stars A splendidly charming book
This book was a real delight for me because I remember those Burma-Shave signs on cross country road trips. A great look at a stroke of advertising genius.
Published 6 months ago by Scott Blake

5.0 out of 5 stars I found this poking around at Gramma's place
I am so glad I picked this up. I'm a fool for creative marketing, and this book is very endearing. The story of Burma-Shave and their roadside advertising is timeless. Read more
Published 15 months ago by M. Heiss

5.0 out of 5 stars A fun book for us old-timers
We've had this book for a few years and I recently ordered another as a gift for a friend in our age group (seniors). Read more
Published 19 months ago by Rhys M. Berryman

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful book
This book brings back wonderful memories of my childhood travelling to Missouri to see my grandparents. Great to know these sayings have been preserved!
Published on May 30, 2007 by Dorothy L. Watts

4.0 out of 5 stars Remembering old roads
A short and decently written account of the Burma Shave phenomenon that had me, as a child from the 1940's, searching along the northwestern two-lane road sides for those pithy... Read more
Published on March 10, 2006 by Gary D. Ellison

5.0 out of 5 stars Gift to Dad
This was purchased as a gift for my Dad and he loves it.
Published on July 22, 2005 by Lori Raster

4.0 out of 5 stars I relived excellent memories of childhood travels in the car
Being raised in the midwest, and traveling through Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin where they seemed to be on the roadside every 20 miles, our family used to read them and then one of... Read more
Published on January 4, 1998

4.0 out of 5 stars delightful book - brings back a flood of memories
This book tells the story behind those great and now gone Burma-Shave signs that so many of us remember seeing along the highways from the late 1920's to the early 1960's. Read more
Published on December 2, 1997 by k7qnz1@juno.com

Only search this product's reviews



Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
Search all Amazon discussions
   




Product Information from the Amapedia Community

Beta (What's this?)


Look for Similar Items by Category


Look for Similar Items by Subject

Ad
 

Feedback

If you need help or have a question for Customer Service, contact us.
 Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
Is there any other feedback you would like to provide?

Your comments can help make our site better for everyone.


Your Recent History

 (What's this?)

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.