Route 66 Remembered

by Michael Karl Witzel

Now available in paperback!!This incredible collection of historical photographs captures the reverence of all the attractions and towns of the Mother Road, Route 66. Noted author Michael Witzel spent years traveling Route 66 collecting mementos of life and folklore that make up the most famous road in America. His unmatched photography takes readers back to the attractions and towns as they were and offers a captivating view of them today. Here it is, the American highway past and present in Motorbooks' beautiful 10 x 10 format, the classic photographic essay of an American legend.

Genres: Travel, History, Nonfiction

192 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 1996

Reviews

[Yvonne]

Good read! Interesting stories and lots of photographs I had never seen before.
To imagine the Blue Whale was closed when this book was published... so happy it opened again. I would love to see more pictures of now famous ruins in their heyday, up and running, like Two Guns f.i. Even these ruins will probably be lost this or next year I'm afraid.
I hope Covid-19 won't destroy the Route's small businesses and restoration efforts.

[SouthWestZippy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating look into route 66. The book is broken down into Five Chapters, Tourist Traps, Filling Stations, Roadside Food, Motor Hotels, and Mother Rood Memories. Also includes an Epilogue.
The pictures are a great asset, some are taken after the business has been closed for years/decades and a few taken when they were up and running.

[Rhode PVD · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my favorite of the various books on this topic. I have the hardcover, which is oversized but not too huge. It's packed with illustrations, including present-day photos and decades-old publicity and travel shots. So you really do get a sense of what it is now and what I used to be, or at least what it billed itself as.

Although there's plenty of nostalgic info, there are also lots of details for straight forward history buffs. For example, a sidebar explaining the history of roadmaps, and plenty of background on the history and rise of gas stations. So, it's less rose-colored glasses and more facts presented in a cheerful manner. Just the way I like them!

[Kate Woods Walker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Route 66 Remembered is a well-written coffee table book that looks at varied categories of Mother Road glories: the restaurants, the tourist traps, the motor hotels and more. With striking photographs and a sentimental, enjoyable final chapter detailing personal memories from travelers, this book by Michael Karl Witzel is a cut above others in the same genre.

Funky sidebars on everything from vibrating beds to Airstream trailers brought a few smiles. Wish the author knew how to spell "Okies," though.

[Hawthorn Mineart · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the book I really wish I’d read before they trip, because I would have gotten the most out of it. A nice history of the Route 66 that charts the rise of the road and it’s institutions – gas, food, lodging. The really great part of the book is the personal accounts at the end; real people’s stories of traveling on The Mother Road in it’s very early days when it was a potentially dangerous endeavor, to the heyday when families piled in the car and headed to California to see the sights.

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

wonderful photos

[John Orman · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great photo essay book, mentioned a number of attractions I had not known about on the Mother Road. Too bad some of them have long been demolished!

[Pat Murphy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of fun and photos of the famous highway.