Route 66 Still Kicks: Driving Americas Main Street

by Rick Antonson

Dundurn | June 23, 2012 | Trade Paperback

Based on 7 ratings | Rate this
Route 66 Still Kicks is an exhilarating, heartbreaking drive down a forgotten road through unknown America. Author Rick Antonson and his travel nemesis, the inscrutable Peter, patiently journey 2,400 miles from Chicago to Los Angeles through eight states seeking - and finding - all the old parts that remain of Route 66. 

This travelogue blends surprising vignettes with obscure stories about Route 66-related personalities, among them Al Capone, the Harvey Girls, Salvador Dalí, Mickey Mantle, 1930s photojournalist Dorothea Lange, Cyrus Avery (the Father of Route 66), and songster Bobby Troup "(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66." 

Antonson''s fresh perspective on the route''s harsh history, its ebb and flow of popularity and viability along with America''s economic and social upheavals underpaints a canvas of stories about the road''s rise to fame, its segmenting by superhighways, and its fall from grace with the gazetteers - and Route 66''s entrenchment in legend.
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All reviews of Route 66 Still Kicks: Driving Americas Main Street

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    Fantastic book on Route 66
    by Cary Blackburn
    9 months ago

    i'm a long time Route 66 enthusiast and read as much as I can about "The Mainstreet of America". I've had the privilege of driving sections of the old highway in Arizona but have never had the opportunity to drive the whole route. "Route 66 Still Kicks" is a fun and informative read about the highway. Rick Antonson mixes in historical and interesting information about sections of the highway along with the beginning and sad decommissioning while describing his trip along Route 66 with his friend Peter. The fact that they tried to travel as many different alignments, including unpaved and forgotten sections, made it even more interesting. I would recommend "Route 66 Still Kicks" to anyone who is interested in Route 66, road trips or Americana.

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    I now feel like....
    by robb Lucy
    11 months ago

    ... I've travelled Route 66, or as Woodie Guthrie called it, 'The Freedom Highway'. I can feel the mud in my fingers, taste the beer, hear the songs, smell the rooms and, most importantly, feel a part of the rich history of Route 66 by meeting those who still live on it, or near it. Antonson's book is a reminder again of how to travel; with all senses ready to experience anything around the next corner. Just keep eyes, heart and arms wide open to those experiences, for there's much to be learned about the past, and ourselves, by taking journeys like this. Thanks for the trip Mr. Antonson. I look forward to your Timbuktu book.

    Comments on this review:
    Tina Powell

    When I first picked up Route 66 Still Kicks, I thought it would be the perfect way to vicariously drive the iconic highway. Indeed it was an exhilirating journey! What I didn't realize was that I'd also receive an incredible history lesson and a wildly entertaining 'buddy' story. I have since bought additional copies to gift to family and friends ... and I am now inspired to go see the old road for myself! What a kick! Tina Powell

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