Fast Food: Roadside Restaurants in the Automobile Age

by John A. Jakle and Keith A. Sculle

Book Overview

Eating on the run has a long history in America, but it was the automobile that created a whole new category of dining: "fast food." In the final volume of their "Gas, Food, Lodging" trilogy, John... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0801861098
• ISBN13: 9780801861093
• Release Date: October 1999
• Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press
• Length: 394 Pages
• Weight: 2.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.5" x 7.4" x 10.3"

Customer Reviews

Excellent Read

Completely enjoyed the book. Filled with facts and numerous photos of old roadside restaurants and diners. The authors did a great job with the research and presented in an easy to understand way. Perfect companion with their other books pertaining to Motels and Service Stations.

An Easy Read

I liked it so much I brought a copy for a friend of mine. It tells you EVERYTHING you could ever want to know anout fast food in America. The book will provide you with more fast food trivia than even the nerdiest person in the world would ever want to hear. A great coffee table book.

Authoritative, but not light reading

I enjoyed this book much more than the previous reviewer, but he has a point. FAST FOOD, like the other titles in the "Road and American Culture" series, should not be confused with the typical book on "roadside Americana": it's not a lighthearted, heavily illustrated volume designed to evoke nostalgic memories. If that's what you want, search for titles written by John Margolies or Michael Karl Witzel, or published by Chronicle Books.This is a serious examination of casual dining in America, from the lunch wagons which once served urban laborers through the chains which now cluster near every exit along the Interstate. Taken on its own terms, the book is a success, assembling more information (well-annotated, with an excellent bibliography) than any previous title on the topic. Just be sure you know what you're getting into!