Book Review by Maggie Woods | Legendary Route 66

Legendary Route 66: A Journey Through Time
Along America’s Mother Road

IF YOU ENJOY MOTORING, CARS
AND HISTORY, you'll long to 'get
your motor running' along the
American highway and explore
the legendary Route 66.

Legendary Route 66: A Journey Through Time Along America's Mother Road, by Michael Karl Witzel and Gyvel Young-Witzel, will let you do that from the comfort of your own home, taking you along the highway of yesteryear with old photographs of fine buildings, some of which no longer exist.

Alongside those historic images you can see what the area is like today — a compelling contrast as Route 66's foremost historians explore this famous road and display a wealth of memorabilia.

The neon glamour of years gone by drips with nostalgia and the ghost towns of today bear testament to the people who lived and worked among the now-deserted buildings. Full colour maps give you a sense of perspective.

The inside front cover has a fantastic map of the Route, surrounded
by interesting facts: the efficient cloverleaf interchange patented by Arthur Hale in 1916; another Arthur (Rothstein) became famous for his photographs of the Dust Bowl during the Great Depression; and in
1937 brothers Richard and Maurice "Mac" MacDonald opened their first refreshment outlet — an orange juice stand — along the Route.

Route 66 starts in Chicago and ends at Santa Monica, near Los Ang-eles, Californa. Contrary to myth, the Route does not reach the ocean. With a midway point at Amarillo, it has carried truckers crossing the country, Okies fleeing the Dust Bowl and holidaymakers seeking the sun. It is seen as America's Main Street; The Mother Road or the Will Rogers Highway. Mick Jagger urged everyone to "get their kicks on Route 66" and its dangerous curves were cursed as Bloody 66.

This wonderfully illustrated tribute to the best loved highway in America has twelve chapters from Death Knell of the Horse — that includes a fascinating section on early "Bicycle Fever" — to Answering the Road's Call, in which we are informed that although officially Route 66 doesn't exist any more, the resurgence of interest in it has been a boon for the tiny towns situated along what remains of it. Native Americans are not forgotten in this book — the Albuquerque Indian Building (circa 1900) housed a craft market than sold Zuni pottery, Apache burden baskets and Navajo rugs. There were also Indian Trading Posts in the area and there is a section in the book entitled "Gallup Inter-Tribal Ceremonial" with images of Native Americans. There is also a profile of Frank Yellowhorse and Yellowhorse Trading Post.

The sights along the highway are highlighted. Michael Witzel, whose collection of Route 66 memorabilia surpasses any other, has included Route 66 postcards, road signs, trinkets, maps, brochures and advert-isements — wonderful old colour posters hint at the lives of yesterday's Americans.

This important book in the history of America recounts the highway's past, its role in popular culture and its sad demise, as well as the individual stories of famous sights. There are several profiles of those who have close ties to The Mother Road, including Cyrus Stevens Avery, the Father of Route 66 and Shirley Mills Hanson, who played Ruthie Joad in the film The Grapes of Wrath.

Legendary Route 66 offers a nostalgic tour of the charms and oddities of this road through American cultural history with unforgettable images of neon-lit buildings from days gone by, Route 66 markers and open country around the famous road that was born as US Highway
66 in 1926.

• Legendary Route 66: A Journey Through Time Along America's Mother Road, by Gyvel Young-Witzel & Michael Karl Witzel is out now and available in hardback from all good book shops at an RRP of £18.99. ISBN-10: 978-0-7603-2978-8.

Michael Witzel and Gyvel Young-Witzel are some of the best known Route 66 historians and are the holders of the largest archive of Route 66 images. Michael is the author of Route 66 Remembered as well as
a dozen other pop culture histories, including with co-author Gyvel, Soda Pop! and The Sparkling Story of Coca-Cola.

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