{"currencyCode":"USD","itemData":[{"priceBreaksMAP":null,"buyingPrice":15.32,"ASIN":"0312281617","isPreorder":0},{"priceBreaksMAP":null,"buyingPrice":10.15,"ASIN":"0967748143","isPreorder":0},{"priceBreaksMAP":null,"buyingPrice":19.31,"ASIN":"0970995199","isPreorder":0}],"shippingId":"0312281617::1MNqEkoCPv9UeM08TP%2BViUVz1r4vmKsKUOOWhICFCrwiDCZLv9lRDEPJrgF853iKb%2B3Kj84n%2FWtr0Bi0j6wzLHy23MqbW%2FSe0h5m48wUMdE%3D,0967748143::jc0dvvPWMxK0lRQpS%2Bs655h8T8kWQ7pjK%2FeUjKu7xvBauJyydUiUmClCyMjGWY5tVlfxK1nTnEtAXgKECq%2Flucqt1w4Ng0kPhQ3%2BAUIiRRw0Wwi%2B65iNTw%3D%3D,0970995199::jc0dvvPWMxKxsuZwlUqzKHdr4ax33y7VDruR%2FGsNBNrDkMMJ%2BpdBssDoBZQzdVyvgOHijM4ri8gXs2Oz7XZrVs8y91kEv4staDmgpfS6KDoVwD73GRrHYg%3D%3D","sprites":{"addToWishlist":["wl_one","wl_two","wl_three"],"addToCart":["s_addToCart","s_addBothToCart","s_add3ToCart"],"preorder":["s_preorderThis","s_preorderBoth","s_preorderAll3"]},"shippingDetails":{"xz":"availability","yz":"same","xy":"availability","xyz":"availability"},"tags":["x","y","z"],"strings":{"showDetails":"Show details","differentAvailabilityAll":"Some of these items ship sooner than the others.","addToWishlist":["Add to Wish List","Add both to Wish List","Add all three to Wish List"],"shippingError":"An error occurred, please try again","differentAvailability":"One of these items ships sooner than the other.","preorder":["Pre-order this item","Pre-order both items","Pre-order all three items"],"addToCart":["Add to Cart","Add both to Cart","Add all three to Cart"],"showDetailsDefault":"Show availability and shipping details","priceLabel":["Price:","Price for both:","Price for all three:"],"hideDetailsDefault":"Hide availability and shipping details","hideDetails":"Hide details"}}
Best Books of the Month
Want to know our Editors' picks for the best books of the month? Browse Best Books of the Month, featuring our favorite new books in more than a dozen categories.
Product Details
Paperback: 288 pages
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin; Revised edition (June 23, 2001)
"Like others before him, from John Steinbeck to Charles Kuralt, Michael Wallis went on the road in search of America. The result is...a colorful paean to a most romantic byway." --The New York Times
"Since the do-gooders abolished public hangings, the only show in town worth watching is the traffic on Highway 66 heading West, and Route 66: The Mother Road is the best book we have to tell us what we are seeing." --Stanley Marsh III, owner of the Cadillac Ranch, Amarillo, Texas
"This story of our nation's most famous highway keeps alive an important part of American history. It's a delight!" --Will Rogers, Jr.
"Route 66 changed the course of my whole life. I will treasure my trip forever, and this book recaptures very vividly every memory." --Bobby Troup, songwriter of "(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66"
"Any of you who love nostalgia will love Route 66: The Mother Road as much as I do." --Tony Hillerman
"A love letter to the road...{Wallis} wraps the history of the route around pictures of it and lets the people who have traveled and lived along the Mother Road tell their stories." --Kelli Pryor, Entertainment Weekly
About the Author
Michael Wallis is an award-winning historian of the Old West and author of Route 66: The Mother Road.
It has been said, "reading a Michael Wallis book is like dancing to a romantic ballad. He offers his hand and gently guides you across the floor, swaying to the song of the American West."
A best-selling author and award-winning reporter, Michael is a historian and biographer of the American West who also has gained international notoriety as a speaker and voice talent. In 2006 Michael's distinctive voice was heard in Cars, an animated feature film from Pixar Studios, also featuring Paul Newman, Bonnie Hunt, Owen Wilson, Michael Keaton, and George Carlin. Michael is also featured in Cars 2, a sequel to the original motion picture released in 2011.
A storyteller who likes nothing better than transporting audiences across time and space, Michael has published seventeen books, including Route 66: The Mother Road, the book credited with sparking the resurgence of interest in the highway. In 2011, Michael's latest works were published -- David Crockett: The Lion of the West, and The Wild West 365.
Other Wallis books include The Real Wild West: The 101 Ranch and the Creation of the American West; Mankiller: A Chief and Her People; Way Down Yonder In The Indian Nation; and Pretty Boy: The Life and Times of Charles Arthur Floyd. His work has been published in hundreds of national and international magazines and newspapers, including Time, Life, People, Smithsonian, The New Yorker, and The New York Times.
Michael has been nominated three times for the Pulitzer Prize and was also a nominee for the National Book Award. He has won many other prestigious honors, such as the Will Rogers Spirit Award, the Western Heritage Award from the National Cowboy Hall & Western Heritage Museum, the Oklahoma Book Award from the Oklahoma Center for the Book, and the Best Western Non-fiction Award from the Western Writers of America.
For further information about Michael Wallis, visit http://www.michaelwallis.com.
I've always enjoyed 'Road Books' and this has got to be one of the best.Of course we all are familiar with the song "Get your kicks on Route 66" as well as the TV Series;which was a long time ago and to me is lost in the fog of the past.I've always had it in the back of my mind to "do" Route 66,all the way from Chicago to the coast,so when I saw this book,I just had to pick it up and read it.It is an extremely good read,with a large number of great photos.I don't think it is possible to do a book like this without including all the pictures.The old adage that a picture is worth a thousand words certainly applied here.Until I read this book I had no idea of the lore and interest that so many people have about this road.I get the feeling there is nothing short of many thousands who make it a hobby in itself.Just for fun, I did a search on Amazon for Route 66,without specifying an author, and it turned up 193 items--wow!Every type of book imaginable,postcards,cook books,guides,maps;you name it,and its there to be had. I guess this book must be one of the best since it was listed first. My only experience with Route 66 was about 20 years ago when I visited Meramec Caverns in Stanton,Mo.While the book is excellent,I fear the trip,if taken now,would be somewhat disappointing,as it appears that so much has fallen victim to the ongoing march of "progress".However,I am sure there is still lots to explore and experience;particularly if one studies up on it and takes time to dig out the relics of the past.Then again,anytime one gets off the Interstates and takes time to observe while travelling the "back roads"there is lots to find and great people to talk to.Route 66 should still be no different.
Comment
Was this review helpful to you?
Yes No
Sending feedback...
Thank you for your feedback.
If this review is inappropriate, please let us know.
Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again
24 of 24 people found the following review helpful
This is a great book for just kicking back and taking a virtual ride on Rt. 66. I, myself, have never been down the road as I am an East Coaster and never yet made the western trek to California. However, I always dreamed of doing such in a RV and now I know for sure what road to take.
While I have heard of Rt. 66 before, I (never prior to reading this book) knew much about the road. What got me started on Rt. 66. was the fairly recent Disney movie "Cars" (of which I highly recommend seeing). The movie touched upon what Rt. 66 means to America and it's past and also the effects of the Interstate system and I-40 on Rt. 66.
The author of the book, Michael Wallis, has a cameo in "Cars" as the voice of the police car. So it was quite obvious to me that if Mr. Wallis' knowledge is good enough for Disney...Well, this made my decision very clear on what Rt. 66 book to purchase.
Wallis's knowledge of the road is fantastic and expansive. He takes you from the road's beginnings both literally and historically. You go through each state and further to each town along the route, explaining in detail how the roads beginnings were to how they are today. After reaching California, Wallis then has a dedicated chapter on how a recent movement is presently undergoing to restore Rt. 66. highlighting those business's that remain and new and old attractions to visit.
As other reviews pointed out, this book does create a very vivid image in one's mind that does allow you to virtually go down Rt. 66. It is a great 'primer' for those who want to brush up on thier Rt.66 history and also gives you a good idea of places to visit once you plan a trip on the historic road.Read more ›
Comment
Was this review helpful to you?
Yes No
Sending feedback...
Thank you for your feedback.
If this review is inappropriate, please let us know.
Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again
21 of 23 people found the following review helpful
If you ever wanted to make a real journey to a place that's both real and imagined, a place in your heart as much as in your geography, and if that place happens to be Route 66, take this book. Michael Wallis is the unofficial poet laureate of 66 and this book reflects exactly what the Mother Road meant to America and can mean to you. He's covered every inch of it, and he knows where it leads.
Comment
Was this review helpful to you?
Yes No
Sending feedback...
Thank you for your feedback.
If this review is inappropriate, please let us know.
Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again
15 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Wallis is a skillful storyteller who brings this highway alive! He ignites in the reader the desire to travel the road & get to know the cast of characters who live & work on the shoulders of Rt 66. Lots of great memories for baby boomers who took family driving vacations. The book reminds us that so much of what we love about America; the "mom & pop" businesses, the quirky tourist attractions and the good people are still out there, waiting to be rediscovered on Route 66.
Comment
Was this review helpful to you?
Yes No
Sending feedback...
Thank you for your feedback.
If this review is inappropriate, please let us know.
Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
I read Wallis' original book some years ago and now he has offered us an update. It is now 75 years since the highway numbering system went into effect, and more than ten years since the original book came out. What we get is an extra chapter in the back outlining some of the many changes that have occured in the past decade. Some old friends of the road have passed away; and a whole lot of new ones added. One gripe. We don't hear how Angel and Juan in Seligman are doing these days. Experienced 66 hands will know who I mean--the rest of you, make sure you find out about those two fine gentlemen. This, new, book will help you on your way. Highly recommended.
2006--I should mention that Juan Delgadillo, the "Juan" in my review, passed away Summer 2004. Regrets. He seemed like such a genuine character.
Comment
Was this review helpful to you?
Yes No
Sending feedback...
Thank you for your feedback.
If this review is inappropriate, please let us know.
Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again