Ghost Towns of Route 66
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Ghost Towns of Route 66 Hardcover – June 6, 2011
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Editorial Reviews
From the Back Cover
The quintessential boom-and-bust highway of the American West, Route 66 once hosted a thriving array of boomtowns built around oil mines, railroad stops, cattle ranches, resorts, stagecoach stops, and gold mines. Illustrated with gorgeous sepia-tone and color photography, this book tours dozens of ghost towns, rich in stories and history. Explore the beauty and nostalgia of these abandoned communities along America’s favorite highway!
About the Author
Author Jim Hinckley and photographer Kerrick James have partnered on three previous books: Ghost Towns of the Southwest, Route 66 Backroads, and Backroads of Arizona. Jim Hinckley writes a feature column for Cars & Parts magazine and maintains a daily blog called Route 66 Chronicles (www.route66chronicles.blogspot.com). He lives in Kingman, Arizona. Kerrick James (www.kerrickjames.com) leads photo workshops and provides fine art images for magazines such as National Geographic Adventure. He lives in Mesa, Arizona.
More About the Author
After years of having friends and associates tell me that I was blessed with a gift for telling folks where to go, and with support from my loving wife, I began writing about my passion for lost highways,the road less traveled, the special places found along the way, and the vintage vehicles that once traveled them. To date this grand adventure has manifested in the form of seven books, more than one thousand feature articles for a wide array of publications including Old Cars Weekly, Classic Auto Restorer, Hemmings Classic Car, The Kingman Daily Miner and American Road, and even an interview with Jay Leno. In addition I write a daily blog chronicling the life of a starving artist on Route 66 and wrote a monthly column profiling the independent thinkers of the American auto industry for Cars & Parts magazine. It is my sincere hope that you find my books and articles an inspiration for over coming obstacles, discovering the joy that comes from seeking the road less traveled, and are inspired to make a road trip or two.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
19 of 20 people found the following review helpful
By
WichacpiHoskila
VINE VOICE on June 7, 2011
Format: Hardcover
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I have awaited this book's release for months, and on the day it came out--June 6, 2011--I finally bought the one copy at my local bookstore (you know the ones we still have to support or they'll be gone like Route 66). I was NOT disappointed. "Ghost Towns of Route 66" is crammed with gorgeous photos, and not just the small playing-card size that too many R66 books try to get away with. No, these are usually large, and most are in color. The author writes concise and interesting notes about the scenes (Hinckley and James have collaborated on other projects before this one, and they work well together), and the book shows a great knowledge of the subject without being dense with minutiae. What I've found most enjoyable in the 24 hours I've had this book (remember, it just came out yesterday) is reading it alongside my laptop and exploring each site online for more photos and information (if I had one critique of the book it'd be that I want MORE of it--double the pages, and more stories of the sites--can we have a Volume 2?). I mean, come on, it combines ghost towns and Route 66--you can't lose! There are a LOT of books that print photos of the R66 kitsch, but this one gives you the sense that you may be seeing parts of Route 66 that won't last much longer, and the author/photographer are capturing treasures that are slipping away. I love Route 66, and I love ghost town photo books, but this book is superior to the gazillion other rushed Route 66 "product" souvenir books.
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
By
writeronthego
on June 20, 2011
Format: Hardcover
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The first thing that I noticed when I first flipped through Ghost Towns was the attractive layout. It makes you want to go deeper into the book. Writer Jim Hinckley and photographer Kerrick James and their layout team have done an excellent job of melding content and visuals. The current and vintage photographs provide a good addition to Hinckley's writing on the current and historical aspects of Route 66.
The book is organized with chapters on each of the eight Route 66 states in geographical order. Ghost towns were created by road changes, economic woes, and, as in Times Beach, Mo, environmental issues. Although the book focuses on what is no more along the route, there are also glimpses of life and renewal. In his writing, Hinckley pays homage to earlier books about locations on Route 66, so the reader gets a good overview of other Route 66 writing and resources. I am sure that readers familiar with certain areas will think one area should have been covered and another area not covered, but, overall, Hinckley's research provides a good panorama of the road that was.
Things that I liked:
*Great photos and integration with text
*When You Go boxes throughout the book that give directional information
*Don't Miss shield graphics that describe just that
*Bits of local history that enrich the reader's knowledge of Route 66
*Suggestions for further reading at the end of the book
*A nice index
Overall, I find the book a good combination of history and visuals for the reader that should create interest in Route 66.
The book is organized with chapters on each of the eight Route 66 states in geographical order. Ghost towns were created by road changes, economic woes, and, as in Times Beach, Mo, environmental issues. Although the book focuses on what is no more along the route, there are also glimpses of life and renewal. In his writing, Hinckley pays homage to earlier books about locations on Route 66, so the reader gets a good overview of other Route 66 writing and resources. I am sure that readers familiar with certain areas will think one area should have been covered and another area not covered, but, overall, Hinckley's research provides a good panorama of the road that was.
Things that I liked:
*Great photos and integration with text
*When You Go boxes throughout the book that give directional information
*Don't Miss shield graphics that describe just that
*Bits of local history that enrich the reader's knowledge of Route 66
*Suggestions for further reading at the end of the book
*A nice index
Overall, I find the book a good combination of history and visuals for the reader that should create interest in Route 66.
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
By
Carol A. Osgerby
on July 28, 2011
Format: Hardcover
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This is a great book filling a gap in the "what to see" when taking the Route 66 journey. While most books about Route 66 touch on the rapidly disappearing sights on the 'Mother Road', none of them deals with the 'Ghost Town' aspects as well or as completely as 'Ghost Towns'. We have made the entire journey once, and have plans in the works to once again experience the Route. This book is a very welcome addition to our library and will be of great help in helping us focus on, and find, the places we are seeking. We highly recommend this read, whether you plan to take the trip, or just like to read some history of this great, old road.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By
Wagon Wheel Motel
on July 6, 2011
Format: Hardcover
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I found this book very interesting and well written. The pictures are fabulous and it is a big hit in our gift store, " Connie's Shoppe at the Historic Wagon Wheel Motel on rte 66.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By
D&B
on October 24, 2011
Format: Hardcover
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We had this book with us as we drove Route 66 from Sept. 9/7/11 -9/23/11. Was awesome to see some of the "pictures" from the book in real life. Excellent book.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By
Puck
on September 2, 2011
Format: Hardcover
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This book is beautiful , the images are striking , I cant wait for next year to do Route 66 after seeing a snapshot of what awaits me . It is so great to see some of the highlights of a trip ive planned my whole life for . The only fault is there isnt quite enough description of pictures , but saying that its one of the best books ive seen on the route
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By
Michelle
on August 18, 2013
Format: Hardcover
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I got this for my dad for his Birthday, he plans on driving route 66 with his 64' Ford Falcon that he re built. It shows towns by state so you can plan your route accordingly. He absolutely loves the history, glad I purchased it!
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By
vrmj
on May 14, 2013
Format: Hardcover
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This is a very interesting book and brings back a lot of memories of traveling on 66. The pictures are great.
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