Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #108964 in Books
• Published on: 2001-12-31
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 400 pages

Synopsis
An entertaining travelogue follows the legendary highway over more than two thousand miles of road leading from Chicago to Los Angeles, describes the many landmarks along the way, and discusses the significance of Route 66 in terms of American history and culture. Original.

Customer Reviews

The Little Fat Book is brilliant
I have just completed my first trip (am I mad enough to do it again ?) along the Mother Road and this book is one of the essentials that you must have with you.

Each night I would use this book to check out what and where we would visit the next day. My Wife and Daughters called this book the 'Little Fat Book' and it was constantly being read and passed around the car. One simple and brilliant feature is along the top of each page the mileage is printed so it is easy to know where you are and how long until you reach your next stop.

This is a must buy if you are planning your journey and keep it handy in the car too, endless reading for such a compact book.

You'll also need the brilliant set of state maps "Here It Is! The Route 66 Map Series" from amazon.com, a copy of "Route 66: Traveller's Guide and Roadside Companion" and the new 3rd edition of "Route 66 Adventure Handbook" also from amazon.com. For Arizona also pack a copy of "Route 66 Across Arizona"

There are many others but most are too big to take with you.

A big little book of Route 66

It's small but its got it all. Rather than turn out another normal size book on Route 66 the publishers had the great idea of making it pocket size, four by six inches, landscape and with FOUR-HUNDRED all-colour pages. I predict that this will be the standard book for those who want to make the trip. Each of the eight states that 66 goes through has a chapter, they start with a simple map, comments about landscape and climate, then the text details what to look for along the way, with the help of historical and contemporary photos, a linear map with places and mileage goes across the top of all of these pages.

Between all the route pages are some lovely spreads of Route 66 Americana which repeat themselves throughout the book, Route Food (pages 174-175 has Red-Hot BBQ Beef Ribs) Transport (168-169 has a 1936 Harley-Davidson) Music of the Road (Woody Guthrie on 156-157) and Famous Sites (Wigwam Village, Holbrook, AZ, on 294-295). The books production is excellent, good choice of photos, well laid out pages (a tip of the hat to designer Phillip Clucas) with colourful graphics behind the text on most of them. The back has a book list, useful resources guide (including websites) and index.

I recently reviewed 'The Final Cut Route 66' by German photographer Gerd Kittel. Eighty-three wonderful photographs of what he saw along 66 and I think it is the perfect book to complement Nick Freeth's travelogue. Kittel has the knack of producing really good colour in his photos. Both books do justice to a unique and fascinating bit of America.