Route 66, 100th Anniversary Edition: The Mother Road

The beloved, definitive book on Route 66--updated with a new chapter to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the most famous road in American culture

From its conception in 1926 to its decommissioning in 1985, Route 66 was the way to see the heartland of America. Winding through eight states and three time zones, The Mother Road was for travelers: those who appreciated the romance of the open highway. It led them from Chicago, Illinois to Santa Monica, California, acting as a guide to the towns, attractions, businesses, families, and sights of the nation’s Midwest, Southwest, and West.

In Route 66: The Mother Road, Michael Wallis takes readers on an adventure from the conception of highways, through major moments in America’s history, to the establishment of the national interstate highway system that signaled the decline of the fabled highway, before finally leading us down the 2,400 miles of Route 66 itself. With hundreds of photographs and text, he shows us that this road is still the enduring artery of the country, linking our past, present, and future.

First published in 1990, the bestselling Route 66: The Mother Road sparked an unprecedented revival of the forgotten towns, diners, and motels along Route 66, transforming the road from a distant memory into a vibrant, internationally recognized destination in its own right. For this 100th anniversary edition, Wallis revisits the people and places that make Route 66 what it is: an American icon.

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Route 66, 100th Anniversary Edition: The Mother Road

The beloved, definitive book on Route 66--updated with a new chapter to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the most famous road in American culture

From its conception in 1926 to its decommissioning in 1985, Route 66 was the way to see the heartland of America. Winding through eight states and three time zones, The Mother Road was for travelers: those who appreciated the romance of the open highway. It led them from Chicago, Illinois to Santa Monica, California, acting as a guide to the towns, attractions, businesses, families, and sights of the nation’s Midwest, Southwest, and West.

In Route 66: The Mother Road, Michael Wallis takes readers on an adventure from the conception of highways, through major moments in America’s history, to the establishment of the national interstate highway system that signaled the decline of the fabled highway, before finally leading us down the 2,400 miles of Route 66 itself. With hundreds of photographs and text, he shows us that this road is still the enduring artery of the country, linking our past, present, and future.

First published in 1990, the bestselling Route 66: The Mother Road sparked an unprecedented revival of the forgotten towns, diners, and motels along Route 66, transforming the road from a distant memory into a vibrant, internationally recognized destination in its own right. For this 100th anniversary edition, Wallis revisits the people and places that make Route 66 what it is: an American icon.

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Route 66, 100th Anniversary Edition: The Mother Road

Route 66, 100th Anniversary Edition: The Mother Road

by Michael Wallis
Route 66, 100th Anniversary Edition: The Mother Road

Route 66, 100th Anniversary Edition: The Mother Road

by Michael Wallis

Paperback

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Overview

The beloved, definitive book on Route 66--updated with a new chapter to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the most famous road in American culture

From its conception in 1926 to its decommissioning in 1985, Route 66 was the way to see the heartland of America. Winding through eight states and three time zones, The Mother Road was for travelers: those who appreciated the romance of the open highway. It led them from Chicago, Illinois to Santa Monica, California, acting as a guide to the towns, attractions, businesses, families, and sights of the nation’s Midwest, Southwest, and West.

In Route 66: The Mother Road, Michael Wallis takes readers on an adventure from the conception of highways, through major moments in America’s history, to the establishment of the national interstate highway system that signaled the decline of the fabled highway, before finally leading us down the 2,400 miles of Route 66 itself. With hundreds of photographs and text, he shows us that this road is still the enduring artery of the country, linking our past, present, and future.

First published in 1990, the bestselling Route 66: The Mother Road sparked an unprecedented revival of the forgotten towns, diners, and motels along Route 66, transforming the road from a distant memory into a vibrant, internationally recognized destination in its own right. For this 100th anniversary edition, Wallis revisits the people and places that make Route 66 what it is: an American icon.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781250429117
Publisher: St. Martin's Publishing Group
Publication date: 05/12/2026
Pages: 288
Product dimensions: 10.44(w) x 8.38(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

About The Author

MICHAEL WALLIS is the best-selling author of 20 books, including The Best Land Under Heaven: The Donner Party in the Age of Manifest Destiny, Los Luceros: New Mexico’s Morning Star, and the award-winning The Real Wild West. He is the co-founder of the Route 66 Alliance, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the promotion and enhancement of the Mother Road. In 2023, President Joe Biden appointed Michael to the Congressional Route 66 Centennial Commission. Michael lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

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