Considering the old road’s great fame, it’s hardly surprising that over a dozen different books in print deal with the Route 66 experience. Some are travel guides, some folk histories, others nostalgic rambles down what was and what’s left along the Mother Road. Photographic essays document the rapidly disappearing architecture and signage, and at least one cookbook catalogs recipes of dishes served in cafés along the route. The following is a sampling of favorite titles, most of which can be found in stores along the route if not in your local bookstore.
The Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck (Viking, 1937). The first and foremost Route 66–related story, this compelling tale traces the traumatic travels of the Joad family from Dust Bowl Oklahoma to the illusive Promised Land of California. Brutally vivid, The Grapes of Wrath was an instant bestseller at the tail end of the Depression and was the source of Route 66’s appellation, “The Mother Road.”
A Guide Book to Highway 66, Jack Rittenhouse (University of New Mexico, 1989). A facsimile reprinting of the self-published 1946 book that the late author sold door-to-door at truck stops, motor courts, and cafés along the route.
Route 66: The Illustrated Guidebook to the Mother Road, Bob Moore and Patrick Grauwels (RoadBook International, 2002). The most-detailed driver’s guide to old Route 66, packed with mile-by-mile instructions and information as well as photographs and illustrations. Spiralbound for on-the-road ease of use.
Route 66: The Mother Road, Michael Wallis (St. Martin’s Press, 1987). A richly illustrated and thoroughly researched guide to the old road. This is more armchair companion than practical aid, but the book captures the spirit of Route 66, and the writer has been a key promotional force behind the road’s preservation and rediscovery.
Route 66 Traveler’s Guide, Tom Snyder (St. Martin’s Press, 1990). State-by-state description of Route 66, with an emphasis on the stories behind the sights you see. Illustrated with 1930s-era auto club maps adapted to show the path of modern freeways but still evoking the spirit of the old road.
Searching for 66, Tom Teague (Samizdat House, 1996). More personal than other titles on Route 66, this book of vignettes describes the author’s interactions with the many people along Route 66 who have made it what it is. As a bonus, the book is illustrated with the fine pen-and-ink drawings of Route 66 artist Bob Waldmire.
