Route 66 was the iconic highway of twentieth-century America,
stretching from downtown Chicago to the Mississippi River at East
St. Louis and proceeding through the Indian lands of Oklahoma and
the Southwest to Los Angeles and the Pacific Coast, connecting
Americans physically and culturally. In this engaging, meticulously
researched, and fully illustrated study, Arthur Krim explores the
fascinating history and complex symbolism behind this most famous
American highway-both on the ground and in the mind. Route 66
traces the iconography of US 66 first as an idea, then as a fact,
and finally as an enduring symbol found in classic American books
and films, songs and television programs, and pop art. While the
antecedents of Route 66 are to be found in the prehistoric trade
and hunting paths of the Indian peoples, in the Spanish expeditions
of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, and in the wagon
trails and railroad routes of the nineteenth century, construction
of Route 66 during the twentieth century ushered in the
revolutionary era of the modern American highway and of
cross-country automobile travel. In his innovative study, Krim
discloses how the highway transcended its gravel and concrete
physicality to become an enduring metaphor for the American spirit
of exploration and discovery, freedom and hope that is historically
found by its people heading west. He draws on a wealth of scholarly
and visual materials to examine how Route 66 evolved through each
passing generation, from Main Street boosters during the road's
early development to John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath during
the Dust Bowl years, from Bobby Troup's unforgettable '(Get Your
Kicks on) Route 66' to renditions of the song by Chuck Berry and
the Rolling Stones during the early rock and roll years, from Jack
Kerouac's classic book, On the Road, to the cult film, 'Easy
Rider,' and the television drama, 'Route 66,' during the pop
culture years, to recent regional and mass-marketing advertising of
products that rely on the transcendent Route 66 name. Combining
history and geography, metaphor and captivating iconography, Krim
reveals how Route 66 compressed disparate socio-economic events,
traditional democratic ideals, and emerging cultural ideas into the
national memory of Route 66 that prevails today. Route 66, now
available in an elegant paperback edition, is a pioneering book not
to be missed. ** Nominated for a 2015 IPPY Award" from the
Independent Publishers Association **
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
