Legendary Route 66

Take a walk down memory lane ...all 2,400-plus miles of it. With the dawn of the automobile age, droves of Americans could no longer resist the urge to head west. In 1926, one road began taking them there: Route 66. Starting in Chicago and running to Santa Monica, that road is profiled in this new flexibound edition of Legendary Route 66, which highlights the sights along America's Main Street with more than 600 photographs of classic gas stations and motels, road signs, postcards, maps, and memorabilia. This unparalleled look at the Mother Road lets you get your kicks on Route 66 through each decade of its existence-from the point auto adventurers first started using this transcontinental route to the days when Okies made it the Dust Bowl road of flight to the 1950s-era tide of vacationers headed west seeking sun. You'll 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. Route 66 historians Michael Karl Witzel and Gyvel Young-Witzel lead the journey, recounting the highway's history, its role in popular culture, and its demise. Along the way, they chronicle the rise, fall, and resurgence of many iconic Route 66 roadside stops, as well as profile many people with close ties to the Mother Road. With many never-seen-before photos, Legendary Route 66 is a timeless tribute to the most beloved road in America.

“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."”

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."

MICHAEL KARL WITZEL and GYVEL YOUNG-WITZEL are some of the best-known car culture historians in the United States. Michael is the author of Route 66 Remembered (Voyageur Press, 1996) as well as a dozen other pop-culture histories. Together, Michael and Gyvel are the co-authors of Soda Pop! (Voyageur Press, 1998); The Sparkling Story of Coca-Cola (2002, 2012); and Legendary Route 66 (2007, 2014), among others. They reside in Austin, Texas. Route 66 historian Jim Ross has been exploring, mapping, photographing, and writing about the Mother Road since 1990. He is author of the book Oklahoma Route 66, publisher of the acclaimed Here It Is! The Route 66 Map Series, and co-founder of American Road magazine. His photographs have been published in a wide array of magazines and books, including Route 66 Remembered, Drive-In Deluxe, Route 66: The Mother Road (75th Anniversary Edition), Route 66: Spirit of the Mother Road, Route 66 magazine, and Legendary Route 66. Jim lives on an original stretch of America's Main Street, near the tiny Mother Road town of Arcadia, Oklahoma.

Take a walk down memory lane . . . all 2,400-plus miles of it. With the dawn of the automobile age, droves of Americans could no longer resist the urge to head west. In 1926, one road began taking them there: Route 66. Starting in Chicago and running to Santa Monica, that road is profiled in this new flexibound edition of Legendary Route 66 , which highlights the sights along America's Main Street with more than 600 photographs of classic gas stations, motels, road signs, postcards, maps, and memorabilia. This unparalleled look at the Mother Road lets you get your kicks on Route 66 through each decade of its existence--from the point auto adventurers first started using this transcontinental route to the days when Okies made it the Dust Bowl road of flight to the 1950s-era tide of vacationers headed west seeking sun. You'll 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. Route 66 historians Michael Karl Witzel and Gyvel Young-Witzel lead the journey, recounting the highway's history, its role in popular culture, and its demise. Along the way, they chronicle the rise, fall, and resurgence of many iconic Route 66 roadside stops, as well as profile many people with close ties to the Mother Road. With many never-seen-before photos, Legendary Route 66 is a timeless tribute to the most beloved road in America.

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