Route 66: The Empires of Amusement

by Thomas Arthur Repp

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... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0966914805
• ISBN13: 9780966914801
• Release Date: June 1999
• Publisher: Mock Turtle Press
• Length: 184 Pages
• Weight: 2.20 lbs.

Customer Reviews

"DON'T MISS IT"

Thomas Arthur Repp's love for his oft-maligned subject matter (he dislikes the term "tourist trap") shows in the care in which he hunted down the enthralling stories of those wonderful roadside diversions that once enlivened Route 66. Repp takes us behind the flamboyant facades of these mostly "Mom and Pop" operations, to give us a privileged "behind the scenes" peek at the entrepreneurial life along the road. The attractions presented illustrate the changing face of the highway, as the amusement parks of urbanized eastern U.S. 66 slowly give way to the snake farms of rural Oklahoma and Texas. Along the way, Repp takes us to places as famous as Oklahoma's Buffalo Ranch, as well as to more obscure, but no less fascinating, enterprises such as Amarillo's Prarie Dog Town. Each attraction is brought to life with priceless anecdotes and colorful quotes.The stories of these attractions and their operators are brightened with wonderful old photos and memorabilia that take one back to the days when a trip down old 66 was as exotic as a jungle safari, and the old road seemed lined with incarcerated rattlesnakes, supernatural raccoons, talking crows and "Live Buffalo." "Route 66 The Empires of Amusement" thoroughly covers the roadside entertainment scene from Illinois through Texas. I understand that Repp is hard at work researching the myriad delights of western '66. I can't wait!

"Step right up, ladies and gentlemen...!"

"Step right up, ladies and gentlemen,...!" Author Thomas Repp offers up a decidedly different Route 66 book sure to please both novice and veteran road warrior alike. Repp's book is a nostalgic salute to the entrepreneurs whose creativity led to the many quirky roadside attractions and amusements that helped make the Route 66 legend. Repp examines over 30 attractions, some of which survive today, and arranges them in geographic order from east to west in the chapters of the book. Included are such well-known attractions as Meramec Caverns but also many that only the most seasoned highway expert will recognize. Repp researched extensively, including many first-person interviews, and has included an extensive bibliography. There are hundreds of nostalgic photographs included as well as a complete index. The book heavily emphasizes the eastern half of the route because, according to Repp, that's where the people and hence the attractions were.

A fascinating dimension to the legendary road

Anyone who traveled the route in its heyday will remember the miles of signs for numerous roadside enterprises tempting you to stop and buy an oddity or, at least, see one. A talking monkey, jumping beans, a two headed cow and the less miraculous Navaho blankets and genuine arrowheads became mainstays of this 2,400 mile carnival. Rep brings us back in his colorful rememberance of this era of anticipation and excitement. The book is a joy to read and see whether you remember those days or not.

An outstanding and important addition to Route 66 lore.

"Empires" is perhaps the most important addition to the literature of Route 66 since Michael Wallis's Pulitzer Prize nominated book, "Route 66, The Mother Road." Painstakening researched, it is packed with vintage photos, many of them from the family albums of those who spent their lives selling roadside fun to vacationing Americans during the heyday of Route 66. Repp's command of the language and writing skills are unerring throughout, making his subjects as unforgettable and vibrant as the pulsing neon that once splashed small town boulevards. Purists who fret over differences as obscure as the correct "Buz" vs. the incorrect "Buzz" (an error likely caused by an editor) miss the point entirely. For everyone else, "Empires" is a must-have. Buy it. It will do your coffee table proud.

a joy to read

Repp's book "Route 66: Empires of Amusement" is an embarrassing revelation to those of us who were getting cocky about our trivia base of Mother Road lore. I read THE Bible of the Mother Road; Michael Wallis' "Route: 66, The Mother Road", years ago before their was much interest in the subject. Every book since then is just a comparison to Michael's. Until Now. "Empires" sleuths bizarre Mom and Pop operations long gone with great passion and detail. But wait, there's more: The real reason I was prompted to write this review is not so much the bit, but the delivery. Repp's writing style is an object lesson in wordsmithing of the type you rarely see. He compresses an incredible amount of entendre and pun into his sentences that forces you to read slow and savor it all. It was a joy for me to read something for the pleasure of reading a book for the style alone and then read it again for content. If you know someone that is a speed reader, throw this book his way and watch him go down in flames.