Route 66: The Empires of Amusement [Anglais] [Relié]

"Crisp and entertaining. . . ("Romance" and "Empires") are the best volumes on the list of the growing Route 66 bibliography."

"Just when folks start to think everything has been said about Route 66 along comes Thomas Repp and his Route 66: The Empires of Amusement. Repp's painstaking research, his obvious passion for the open road, and his attention to detail make Route 66: The Empires of Amusement an important contribution to the Route 66 revival. Bravo, Thomas Repp! Bravo!"

"Thomas Repp delivers one of the great missing links in the Mother Road story with punch and pizzazz. In Route 66: The Empires of Amusement, he piles us into the back seat for a bug-eyed trip through the fun house of yesteryear, where we are entertained by an amazing cast of characters and where the ride through each chapter is as unpredictable as the last. Buckle up, because this Tilt-A-Whirl spins full speed until the last page!"

Route 66: The Empires of Amusement is, quite simply, the first book ever written to examine in detail the lives of the most overlooked group of people on America's favorite highway: the tourist attraction operators. From Whoopee Coasters to show caves, snake pits to trading posts with piano-playing chickens, Route 66: The Empires of Amusement goes to the families themselves for their stories, and then tells those stories in full. It tells tales of Blue Whales and prairie dog towns. Sweethearts who smooched between buffalo burgers. And how each came to claim their place in the Mother Road's history. Route 66: The Empires of Amusement showcases these stories with over 200 color and vintage photographs--many taken from the personal collections of the old entrepreneurs themselves. Their discovery completes a package guaranteed to take you back to those days when happiness was a rubber tomahawk. And getting there was all the fun.

Thomas Arthur Repp has spent six years traveling Route 66, meeting the families that created the classic roadside attractions and carefully recording their stories. He is a veteran writer and photographer who has written for television, radio and the stage. Born near Detroit, he received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Western Michigan University and his Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Washington. He is a former resident of Los Angeles, Chicago and Tucson, Arizona. He lives today with his wife, Rebecca, north of Seattle.