Searching for 66

by Tom Teague

A "pop American gothic" by two men deeply involved in preserving the Route 66 heritage.

Genres: Travel

337 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1991

Reviews

[Robert Kleinberg]

I have to salute Tom Teague for this extraordinary book.

Teague undertook great preparation and tremendous research, and four months to travel Route 66 from Chicago to Santa Monica, interviewing all along the way people who had worked and lived along the iconic highway. Moving, appropriately, East to West he weaves together the true stories of these people: their lives, struggles, and achievements, from Steve Funk's maple syrup grove in Illinois to Fry Pan Miles and his Hula Girl in California.

Taken together, these stories comprise not only colorful Americana, but a convincing portrait of the risk-taking, creativity, invincible energy, independence and optimism that made America great in the 20th century, and might do so again in the future. For that reason, it's a truly inspiring read.

Illustrated with drawings by the late Route 66 artist Bob Waldmire.