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Loading... Hip to the Trip: A Cultural History of Route 66by Peter B. Dedek
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"Before and since its official closure in 1985, historic U.S. 66, popularly know as Route 66, has generated nostalgia for the people and places of the Southwest. Owing its name recognition to everything from the Okies' desperate migrations in search of work to a popular pop song, the famous highway has generated enough commercial nostalgia in the popular imagination to lend its Route 66 moniker to such diverse products as blue jeans, root beer, and automobiles." "The legendary road, and the nostalgia for it, provides a unique vantage point from which to better understand American popular culture from the 1920s to the present." "The purpose of this book is to create a comprehensive portrait of the cultural meaning of the highway. What was Route 66 at its pinnacle, what is it today, and what might it become in the future?"--BOOK JACKET. No library descriptions found. |
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Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)388.1Social sciences Commerce, Communications, Transportation Transportation RoadsLC ClassificationRatingAverage:
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I learned quite a bit about Route 66 from this book. Quite frankly, I was stunned to hear that the route was officially closed as I have driven on parts of Route 66 many times. Through this book, I learned how the major interstates replaced such roads in commerce. Hence, much of 66 is officially closed and abandoned, no longer maintained. Here in NM, chunks of it are still alive and thriving (hence my ignorance on the matter). Also, I was unaware that 66 had stretched so far east. Truly, I just thought it was a desert Southwest thing. Yet when I reflect on all the TV, movies, books, music that reference 66, so much of those references are set in the desert Southwest.
As the automobile rose in popularity and families started taking meandering holidays, transportation by railroad declined. Route 66 had a hand in that, making much of the west accessible. With all these tourists came a change in advertising, hotels, diners, and cultural attractions. The native cultures of the desert Southwest were definitely encouraged to modify their wears to make them more attractive to tourists. Plus there were the little roadside acts, like cowboys versus Indians trick riding shows. Many Route 66 buildings added facades to their street side face that made them more attractive to tourists. I’m sure whole books have been written on the architecture of Route 66.
Dedek includes a section on the nostalgia of Route 66, the various preservation organizations, the fan clubs, etc. Coupled with that he includes a short section on how the freedom of Route 66 was not for everyone. For much of the history of 66, hotels and diners would not cater to non-Whites. It was also highly unusual for unaccompanied women to travel the route. I really appreciate that Dedek makes this nod to reality instead of clinging to the fantasy of the perfect road trip. He also went to the trouble to dig up postcards from the ‘good old times’ that travelers mailed home back east. Not everyone was taken with the charms of the desert Southwest. All around, this is a pretty comprehensive history of Route 66 that refuses to turn a blind eye to certain realities.
I received this audiobook from the narrator (via the Audiobook Blast Newsletter) at no cost in exchange for an honest review.
The Narration: Michael Rene Zuzel did a pretty good job. He sounded interested in the subject and seemed to enjoy narrating the book. His pacing was good, not rushing the listener along. There were a few times he pronounced a local word (like ‘kachina’) oddly and I had to stop a moment to figure out what he meant. I am sure some regional dialect uses his pronunciation, just not mine. These instances were few & far between. ( )